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“Oh my god, what happened here?” Eliana thought she was seeing things at first, but when she walked closer, every lily had been hacked down to stubby
stumps.
So Daniel really meant what he said. He’d promised to cut the lilies, and he’d done it.
Just then, a crisp female voice came from behind her. “How did you charm Grandpa? He even gave you the family emerald necklace.”
Eliana glanced to the side and saw Barbara. She pressed her lips together. “Let me guess. You’re here to warn me to stay away from him?”
Barbara froze. Before she could answer, Eliana asked, “Did you tell me to stay away from Anthony because of Alice?”
Now that she thought about it, Eliana understood why Barbara hated Alice so much. After all, Alice had wrapped both of her precious brothers around her finger–that was bound to cause bad blood.
“It doesn’t matter now.” Barbara looked at the ruined lily garden and smirked coldly, clearly satisfied. “But at least you did one thing right. Getting Grandpa to chop down this garden is a great ‘welcome present‘ for Alice.”
“I didn’t ask Daniel to cut them down,” Eliana said.
“Oh, really? Too chicken to admit it?” Barbara turned to eye her, sneering. “We already have one two–faced snake like Alice in this family. Don’t start acting like her.”
Eliana raised an eyebrow. “Is this your way of accepting me?”
Barbara went quiet. She’d originally looked down on Eliana, but Daniel had given her the family emerald necklace. Daniel wasn’t a fool. If he’d trusted Eliana with the heirloom, there had to be a reason.
Plus, Theodore’s eyes healed right after Eliana married him. These things had quietly made Barbara rethink her opinion.
Finally, Barbara said reluctantly, “If you team up with me against Alice, I’ll consider being your temporary ally.”
Eliana shook her head. “I’m not here to help anyone fight someone else. You’ll have to deal with this on your own.”
Barbara was taken aback by her refusal. She stepped closer and snapped, “Aren’t you worried Alice will try to lure Theodore?”
Eliana shot back, “She’s Anthony’s fiancée now.”
Barbara snorted, “But at the engagement party, she was clearly still tangled up with Theodore. Now that you have Grandpa’s famil you should act like the lady of this house and do your duty!”
rald necklace,
Eliana knew Barbara was trying to rile her up, so she stayed calm. “I think you’d be better off talking to Theodore instead of me. If he can resist her, what else can Alice do?”
Barbara stamped her foot in irritation. If she could actually get through to Theodore, why would she be there asking for Eliana’s help?
Barbara said, “You really don’t care about anything! don’t see why Grandpa would accept a granddaughter–in–law like you!”
“Go ask him,” Eliana said lazily, then turned and walked away.
At the Therapy Center, Bernice was leading a counseling session for the kids when the classroom door burst open, making everyone jump.
When she saw who it was, Bernice’s gentle eyes turned icy. “Ms. Burke, what do you want?”
Hannah swaggered in and stopped right in front of Bernice. “Ms. Halverson, I’m here to talk to you. Do you have a minute?”
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Chapter 90
Bernice said, “We’re in class. Wait in my office.”
“But I can’t wait.” With that, Hannah grabbed the counseling textbook off Bernice’s desk and tossed it into the trash can under the desk.
Bernice immediately bent down to fish out the book and snapped, “What’s your problem?”
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Hannah smirked. “Chill out. Your center runs on my family’s money anyway. So what if I throw out a book? I could wreck this whole classroom and it’d be no big deal.”
Bernice glanced at the kids, then turned to the other counselors. “Take the kids outside first.”
The counselors asked nervously, “Ms. Halverson, will you be alright alone?”
“Yeah.” Bernice nodded calmly. Though she’d just recovered from a serious illness, she had enough spirit to deal with Hannah.
Once the classroom was empty except for the two of them, Bernice said, “Ms. Burke, we’re extremely grateful to your father for his funding of the Therapy Center. I think his character is something you should strive to emulate.”
At this, Hannah laughed exaggeratedly, “What, my father funded the Therapy Center? Is that what Eliana told you?”
Seeing Bernice look confused, Hannah was even more certain. “So she didn’t dare tell you the truth. That a million dollars was earned by her selling
herself.”
What? Bernice felt like she’d been hit over the head, her mind buzzing.
After a long moment, she managed to ask, “Who are you talking about? Selling what?!”
Hannah dragged out her words like a slow torture. “I’m talking about Eliana, the girl you treat like your own daughter. She sold herself to make a million dollars just to save this place. Now you’re all like leeches sucking on her, building your happiness on her pain.”
Bernice’s eyes widened. She blurted out, “That’s impossible! Eliana told me that a million dollars was a donation from your father!”
Hannah scoffed. “My dad’s company was barely staying afloat then. Where would he get a million dollars to fund your center?
“Besides, my mom hates you so much that even if my dad wanted to donate, she’d never agree. Apart from Eliana, who the hell cares about this rundown Therapy Center?”
Bernice groaned, a dull ache throbbing in her chest from the recent surgery.
Watching her go pale, Hannah only felt satisfied. The more she could destroy everyone Eliana loved and who loved Eliana, the more sense of accomplishment she got.
“Wh–What exactly did Ellie do? Tell me!” As Bernice asked the question, she suddenly recalled the day Eliana had picked her up from the hospital–the way she’d stammered and avoided mentioning how she got the money.
“She married that blind Theodore Russell from the Russell family for the money. You know who I’m talking about, right?” Hannah said, her voice dripping with jealousy.
If she’d known Theodore’s eyes would heal, she would’ve broken up with Nolan ages ago to marry him. Only someone like Theodore was worthy of her.
“The eldest heir of the Russell family?”
There might be many Russell families in Covenhill, but only one man carried the title “Mr. Theodore Russell“-the Theodore.
But hadn’t he just stolen his brother’s fiancée at the engagement party a few days ago? If he was really Eliana’s husband, what did that make her?
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