Chapter 37
Lindsey paused for a moment, then quickly snapped back to reality. She smiled at Uncle Z, “I didn’t call you here for that. I’ve already paid off the house, but I’ll need your help keeping an eye on the renovations since I might be a bit busy lately.”
She silently pushed Z’s half–drawn bank card back towards him, rejecting his offer.
Z felt a little awkward and surprised. Could it be that he missed something when he looked into Lindsey’s background?
She seemed to spend money so freely–not like someone who was broke.
“Uncle Z?”
Z shook himself out of his thoughts. “Leave the renovations to me. Next time we meet, I’ll need to quiz you, and I won’t go easy on you like Mr. Grier did.”
After that, he wandered off into the villa, and Lindsey exchanged a quick goodbye before heading back to the Riley residence.
When she arrived, Anthony wasn’t home, and Olivia and her daughter didn’t even bother to glance at her.
But their words were as biting as ever. “Mom, what do you think happens when a person runs out of money?”
“What else? They either become a parasite at home or end up begging for others‘ charity,” Olivia chimed in.
Lindsey was puzzled. What was their deal? Why were they saying all this nonsense? It was completely bizarre.
For the next few days, Lindsey stayed cooped up in her room. She read every medical book Mr. Grier had given her and also studied some files on the USB stick Uncle Z had provided.
Lindsey was grateful that she had a photographic memory; otherwise, learning all this would have taken her several times longer.
While she hunkered down upstairs, diligently studying, Olivia and her daughter grew increasingly anxious.
“Mom, something’s off. Why is Lindsey so calm? Her bank card is frozen, and she hasn’t said a word. How can she stand it?”
After thinking for a moment, Sheila quickly found an explanation, “Maybe her delinquent boyfriend is still giving her money?”
Olivia shook her head, “Not likely. That guy is broke, and he’s been trying to take advantage of the Riley family. Someone like him would never part with his cash.”
Sheila thought about it and found some truth in Olivia’s words.
“So, what the heck is Lindsey up to?”
“Look at her; she’s been holed up in her room. Your dad hasn’t seen any spending notifications from her secondary card, so she probably hasn’t even realized it!”
Olivia and her daughter could only convince themselves with this explanation.
Lindsey’s only source of funds was the secondary card Anthony had given her. With that card frozen, she’d run out of money eventually.
Then they could just push for her to join the family business, and there’d be no way she could refuse..
The day of Mrs. Parker’s birthday arrived in the blink of an eye. Jayden arrived early at the Riley residence.
Sheila opened the door, and while Jayden was bent down swapping out his shoes, she secretly brushed against him with her thigh. At that moment, he snuck a back, and they exchanged flirtatious smiles.
Lindsey happened to come downstairs just in time to catch this moment. So those two were already getting cozy? Gross.
Sheila turned and noticed Lindsey approaching. Her face lost color, and she stammered, trying to act calm. “Isn’t it funny how some people said they wouldn’t attend Mrs. Parker’s birthday? Yet here they are, rushing down as soon as Jayden shows up. Talk about being hypocritical.”
Lindsey picked up sarcasm in Sheila’s voice but chose to ignore her.
She was heading out to meet Mr. Grier today and didn’t have time to deal with this petty drama.
Seeing Lindsey come down early, Anthony felt relieved. He rarely got to scold Sheila, “Sheila, your sister is finally coming around. You shouldn’t
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Chapter 37
talk to her like that.”
He then turned to Jayden, flashing a smile, “Jayden, look! Lindsey’s all ready to go. I’ll leave the rest to you. If she behaves inappropriately, please bear with her.”
“Sure! Don’t worry, Mr. Riley. I’ll take good care of her,” Jayden replied, both of them exchanging pleasantries.
Lindsey frowned, ready to step out when Jayden followed her.
“Hey, Lindsey, don’t rush off. We have time,” he said softly.
Lindsey halted and turned her head with a frown, “Who said I was going to Mrs. Parker’s birthday party?”
Everyone in the room froze at her words.
Sheila leaned back, an amused smirk tugging at her lips. “Lindsey, it’s not every day you wake up this early. Are you really skipping out on Mrs. Parker’s birthday bash? You might want to reconsider–I can just picture the look on your face when it all comes back to bite you!”
Lindsey’s patience began to wear thin as she shot back coldly, “You’re overthinking it.”
Anthony, her father, immediately flared up. Just when he thought she had finally learned to play nice, she was ready to stir the pot again. With a loud thump, he slammed the table, rising to his feet.
He called out, “Lindsey, this is a big day! Don’t pull any stunts on me., Jayden himself came all the way here to pick you up, so show a little respect!”
Taking a calming breath, Lindsey countered, “A big day? Since when does a Parker family birthday matter to the Rileys? I’ve already told you I’m not going. Why does Jayden bother?”
She paused, shifting her gaze to Sheila. “If he insists on picking someone up, he can take Sheila instead. I’m sure she’d love that.”
Jayden’s expression changed in an instant. He realized that Lindsey must have seen what had just happened. He wanted to explain, but the words stuck in his throat.
Sheila, feeling hurt, lowered her head and said, “Lindsey, I really don’t understand your issue with me. Every time the family worries about your future, you keep pushing me out front. I care about you even more than I care about myself.”
From Anthony’s viewpoint, Sheila’s heartfelt words were genuinely moving. His second daughter really knew how to be considerate.
Because of that, his annoyance with Lindsey only grew. “Lindsey, why can’t you just make things easier for us? Sheila is trying to help you, but how do you treat her?”
Lindsey could barely hold back an eye roll as she walked over to her father and handed him a cup of tea. “Dad, have some coffee.”
Anthony looked at her, thinking that she was finally softening. He took a sip, happy as ever.
At that moment, Lindsey added, “Dad, you really can’t tell right from wrong; you’re blind to the truth despite having eyes.”
Anthony nearly spit out his drink, slamming the cup down as he shot her an angry glare. “How can you speak like that? Lindsey! You’re so rude! If I ever kick the bucket, it’ll be because you drove me to it.”
“Rude? You think being polite will pay the bills?” Lindsey replied with a smile, calmly making her way toward the door.
Suddenly, she felt a firm grip on her wrist, pulling her back. She turned, her gaze icy as it landed on Jayden. “Let go!”
Jayden felt a flash of irritation but couldn’t shake the tightening feeling in his chest when Lindsey looked his way.
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