Chapter 157

CHAPTER 157 Rebecca was driving her Porsche, but her heart was elsewhere. Being slapped by her best friend, and for something she didn’t do... just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes like waves sweeping to the shore. Pain painted her face with ugliness like rain ruining a perfect sculpture.

The car reached the villa and stopped at the entrance. She got out and took a look at the villa, where she thought she wouldn’t be staying anymore. She gave a once over at the garden; she would be missing the characteristic flutter of leaves in a breeze, the familiar smells, and the peace walking on the grass would bring upon her soul. She would be missing all these simple but soothing things. Just then, George hurried over to her and told her the good news. She thought he was just cooking up some bullshit story just to mess with her, but then Lisa came over and said the same thing. “The new owner allowed us to stay here?

As long as we want?” she still found it hard to believe. Who would be so big-hearted?

As shocked as she was, her stare was still empty because of the sadness enveloping her heart. Her eyes searched for the owner but couldn’t find him or anyone other than her family, for Ryan had just entered the villa.

When Lisa told her how much the villa was sold for, she was quite surprised. She walked up to Jacob. Unlike the rest of the family, she didn’t avoid him, though she was still angry at him for how things were turning out. “Dad, is it true? The villa was sold for over 400 million?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t need to tell you, but spend it wisely, dad.”

Avoiding eye-contact, Jacob smiled and nodded. “Will you go and bring your sister back?”

“I will tell her. Whether she comes or not, it’s up to her.”

Jacob could only sigh.

Rebecca then entered the villa and went to her mother’s room. Selena was making all the three maids unpack her luggage. Most of them were dresses, books, and make-up kits.

Selena saw Rebecca and smiled before scuttling over and hugging her. “We get to stay here even after selling it. Can you imagine that?”

Rebecca smiled back, but her smile lacked the shine, for it didn’t come from the heart. “It’s great, but how much are we paying?”

“Nothing,” replied Selena, grinning. “Great, don’t you think?”

“Great?” Rebecca frowned. “You want to stay here without paying the rent?”

“Mr. Ryan didn’t ask for it, so...” Selena shrugged her shoulders smoothly.

“No,” Rebecca shook her head. “Pay him rent. That’s the least we can do.”

“What?” Selena frowned and clenched her teeth. “Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea how much renting a villa like this will cost? He can easily ask for five to ten thousand dollars per day.”

“So? Let’s pay,” Rebecca straightforwardly said. “Don’t you have hundreds of millions in your bank accounts? Even if you pay 10 grand every day, it will only cost 3.6 million per year.” Selena shook her head. “No. That’s unnecessary.” “Huh? If you don’t want to pay from your own pockets, pay from the money I gave you,” Rebecca suggested.

Selena shook her head again. “Like I said, it’s unnecessary. Mr. Ryan told us we can stay here out of goodwill. What will he think if we quantify his kindness?”

A vein in Rebecca’s forehead bulged. She was controlling herself from barking at her mother.” Fine, you can do whatever you want, but I can’t stay here without paying rent. Transfer the money I gave you. I need it for a lot of things.”

“Money? What money?”

“The 200 million you took from me,” Rebecca stressed her words. “Oh...” Selena paused for a second. “The thing is... I bought some shares recently, and I’m low on money.”

Rebecca’s heart thundered at once. “Y-You’re kidding with me, right?”

Selena’s mouth turned down a little. “Why would I kid in such a serious matter? I don’t have money right now, but I will pay you back the moment I’m able to.”

It was at that moment, as Rebecca looked into her mother’s eyes, she could, for sure, see the same eyes from the past when her mother lied about a lot of things. Her eyes turned wet against her will, and stress played with her mouth. She nodded her head repeatedly before walking out of the room.

She went straight to her dad and asked him if Selena gave him money for his movie promotions, but he shook his head and asked if everything was alright because he could see the tears and redness in her eyes. When he answered, she looked devastated, even though she was trying to conceal the pain.

Rebecca didn’t tell Jacob anything and directly went to her room and sat on the bed and tried her best to not shed a tear, but it wasn’t easy. Her heart grew heavier by the second and made it harder and harder to fight back. She clenched her fists. The feeling of being betrayed by her own mother even after all these years for whatever fucking selfish reason she might have had squeezed her already tired heart, Meanwhile, Shawn didn’t let Elizabeth unpack her luggage that contained costly dresses and items.

“We’re going to sell all of these things,” Shawn’s words were cutting sharp. “But they will be sold as second-hand products,”

Elizabeth yelled at him. “They won’t even fetch three-fourths of their original price!” She was right. Used products could go anywhere between 25 to 75 percent.

“I know, but we’re still selling them, not as your products but my mom’s products.”

Elizabeth was startled, “Y-You’re going to auction them all?”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“No, I don’t want you to sell them,” Elizabeth begged. “I have a personal connection with all of these.”

“Which one do you want to sell? These or the new house you bought?”

Elizabeth’s heart shook, and she went silent.

“Thought so,” Shawn was walking out of her room but then stopped. “Find a job soon, and tell your parents to also earn what’s put on the table before them, or they can go back to wherever they came from.”

Elizabeth’s head and heart was piled with frustration. She kept throwing the pillows and everything her hands could grab.

On the rooftop of the villa. Ryan was standing at the edge and taking in the view. Mina slowly came walking and stood about fifteen feet away from him along the edge. “Do you like it here?”

As winds softly blew past his face, Ryan briefly glanced at her before looking at the garden below. “Whatever happens between the walls, there’s a nice breeze up here. Good enough for me to get by.”