Chapter 236
Elvira woke up feeling rested, with Zach lying beside her. Having him nearby made her sleep more soundly. As soon as she woke up, she grabbed her phone to check the latest news. As expected, the scandal involving Morris and Cheryl had exploded overnight, becoming the focal point of public attention. This, in turn, had brought Elvira’s new TV series into the spotlight, making it more famous than ever–though mostly for all the wrong reasons.
But negative attention was still attention. And attention meant success.
Elvira was satisfied with how things were unfolding. After putting down her phone, she decided to get a bit more sleep. She wanted the storm of online gossip to continue brewing while she took her time. There would be plenty of work to do once she woke up.
Zach reached over and pulled her into his arms again. “Isn’t it time to wrap things up today?” he asked.
“Yes, honey. I’ll need you to help me out, especially when it comes to the security details. I’ll rely on you for all of that.” She made sure Zach knew he had a role in all of this, that he wasn’t just a bystander.
Zach loved how Elvira, even when she could handle everything on her own, still leaned on him for help sometimes. There was something about that softness that drove him wild, and before he could help himself, he kissed her gently.
Elvira shifted in his arms and kissed him back, and the two spent a few more minutes playfully tangled in the sheets before getting up.
Zach made them both spagehtti. Elvira ate eagerly, savoring the moment. Over the past few days, she had received a lot of calls from concerned friends. Even Rowena had called, though Elvira didn’t even bother to answer the unfamiliar number. As soon as she heard Rowena’s voice, she hung up. She wanted nothing to do with Rowena anymore.
Another unknown number rang through, and Elvira answered, curious to see who it was. To her surprise, it was her father’s voice on the other end. “Elvira, I wonder what can you accomplish? Look at what you’ve done–following Judy’s lead in making movies, and now this whole mess is all over the place. Even Mr. Gilbert’s money going down the drain in it. Can’t you just lay low for once?” Vincent scolded.
“Mr. Willis, you’ve got a real knack for surprise calls,” Elvira replied, her tone light. She was in a good mood today, and hearing Vincent’s voice didn’t grate on her as much as usual.
Knowing Vincent had been cheated on for twenty years, supporting another man’s daughter all that time, and now treating that child from his wife’s affair as precious, made Elvira more lenient towards him.
Vincent was momentarily thrown off. “What? Did you hear what I said?”
Elvira didn’t even miss a beat. “Look, Mr. Willis, if you have any misconceptions, let me clear them up. The money I’ve invested in this film is mine. Not my husband’s. He wanted to invest, but I didn’t need his help–I had my own resources. As for the movie, it’s not going to flop. But I’d be careful if I were you. Judy might be playing you and the Willis family for a fool.”
“You really think you can talk your way out of this? Even if it’s your own money, right now you’ve got nothing to show for it! Judy’s investments will certainly pay off.” Vincent sneered.
“Mr. Willis, just a little heads–up–be careful when you’re out and about, and keep an eye on your mother’s health. You wouldn’t want to be caught off guard if something happens,” Elvira added sweetly, her voice dripping with mock sympathy as she continued eating.
Vincent was completely baffled. He thought Elvira was crazy, realizing that this call had been a waste of time–she just wouldn’t listen to anything he said.
Elvira wasn’t interested in arguing any further, so she hung up.
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10:25 Wed, Dec
Chapter 236
Vincent stared at the phone, utterly speechless, after it was hung up on him. Karen frowned at him “What did the way? she’s in debt, don’t expect me to bail her out! She’s cut ties with us. I won’t give her another cent
“Mom, Elvira didn’t say anything like that,” Vincent said, trying to make sense of Elvira’s words. He replayed her tone in hie head and found it strange.
“What did she say, then?” Karen pressed.
“She said we should watch our health and mentioned something about we wouldn’t want to get caught off guard if something happens,” Vincent said, finding those words the strangest and the hardest to understand, so he blurted them out. With a loud clatter, Karen and Vincent both turned to see Amber’s fork fall from her hand, her face filled with panic. She quickly explained, “It slipped. I’m sorry.”
Judy cursed her mother silently in her mind for being clumsy, Just one comment and she’s already panicking
“How can she do this? Isn’t this a curse? She’s trying to wish for Dad and Grandma to die…” Judy said, stopping herself but making her meaning clear. Elvira must have meant nothing else but to curse them both.
“That’s ridiculous! She’s completely lost her mind,” Karen said, immediately buying into Judy’s words, convinced that Elvira meant just that.
Amber, feeling a mix of admiration for her daughter’s cunning, refrained from saying anything else. Judy’s eyes glinted with cold determination, thinking, ‘It seems Elvira knows too much now. I have to speed up my plans!
“I’m done. You guys take your time. I need to get to work, Judy said, leaving the dining room.
“You hardly ate anything, and you’re pregnant! You need to take better care of yourself,” Karen said, her voice laced with concern. She watched as Judy barely touched her meal and made a move to leave for the office.
“Judy’s always been so driven–unlike Elvira, who just causes drama everywhere she goes,” Amber added quickly, defending her daughter.
“Why don’t you just leave, then? I’m sick of looking at you. If it weren’t for Judy, I would’ve had Vincent divorce you years ago!” Karen snapped, glaring at Amber.
Amber’s face flushed with anger. She felt like she might explode. That whole mess was Elvira’s fault. Why am I the one taking the blame for it? This old hag–if it weren’t for the fact that I’m afraid of raising suspicion, I’d have taken care of her a long time ago,‘ she bellowed inwardly.
Feeling humiliated, Amber glanced at Vincent for support, but he didn’t even acknowledge her. He was too busy eating, acting like nothing was happening. Amber’s heart sank. Ever since that incident, Vincent had pulled away from her, and she knew exactly why–he couldn’t stand her anymore. The only thing keeping him from divorcing her was Judy. With a sigh of frustration, Amber left the room.
Karen slammed her fork down in exasperation. “If it weren’t for Judy, I would’ve never let her into this family. Just looking at her makes me lose my appetite.”
“Mom, don’t start,” Vincent said, trying to calm her down. “You’ve said it before. At least Judy has her real mom, and we can’t just let the kid grow up without her.”
鱼
