Chapter 60
Carter was drenched in sweat, his face frantic and his eyes red-rimmed. The moment he saw Cordelia approaching, he couldn’t hold back his tears. He rushed toward her, gripping her tightly. “Cordelia, something happened at home!”
“What’s wrong?” Cordelia asked, her voice filled with concern.
“Your sister…” Carter gasped for air. “Yelena brought a bunch of people home, saying she wants to kick us out!”
Cordelia’s heart skipped a beat. She felt a sharp buzzing in her ears and her mind went blank.
“She brought a whole group of workers, saying she wants to take the house back to renovate it for herself! Sis, didn’t your father give the house to our mom? What right does she have to take it back!?” Carter’s voice cracked with frustration.
Cordelia’s heart raced. She was momentarily paralyzed with panic, unable to understand why Yelena would do such a thing.
“Let’s go back and check it out first,” she said, trying to keep her composure. “We’ve been living there for so many years. She can’t just take it back like that. There must be some misunderstanding.”
“What misunderstanding could there be?” Carter fumed. “Yelena’s up to no good! She brought so many people over today and kicked me out… Hmph! There’s no way I can fight them, but Marcus can!”
Cordelia froze mid-step, her face paling. “What did you say? Marcus knows about this?”
“Yeah!” Carter nodded, a bit too eagerly. “Of course, he’s involved in something this big!”
“You!” Cordelia glared at him, feeling a mix of anxiety and anger. “You called Marcus?!”
It was only then that Carter realized the mistake he had made. If Marcus confronted Yelena, everything they had tried to hide would be exposed.
“Sis, I… I didn’t mean to,” Carter stammered, guilt washing over him. “I was scared and panicked, so I called Marcus.”
Cordelia’s frown deepened. “What exactly did you tell him?”
“I didn’t say much,” Carter replied quickly. “I just told him that there were people causing trouble at home and sent him the address.”
Cordelia went silent, her thoughts racing. She quickly pulled out her phone and sent Marcus a text. She said nothing about the house situation, only that she suddenly had a craving for chestnut cake from the bakery west of the city. She asked him to pick it up and send it to her office.
Cordelia had been spending a lot of time with Marcus recently, and he always listened to her requests. She figured he would prioritize what she asked for. The chestnut cake was popular, with long queues, so it would take time for Marcus to get it. That would buy her enough time to handle the Yelena situation first, before dealing with Marcus.
…
Meanwhile, Yelena was standing arrogantly in the corridor of the residential building, barking orders at the workers. “Hurry up! Why are you taking so long with just a few pieces of furniture!?”
The neighbors were gossiping about her. They couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was, but with a venomous, calculating look in her eyes. Some of them speculated she was the Jenner heiress, Cordelia’s half-sister from the same father. However, they couldn’t help but notice the stark difference in their personalities.
“What are you looking at!?” Yelena snapped at the onlookers. “You poor people! You belong in this pathetic birdcage!”
“Hah, rich missy,” one neighbor retorted, “If you think this is a birdcage, why take back the house? This is still their home. You Jenners are rich, why would you need this small suite?”
“Who do you think you are? What does this have to do with you?!” Yelena sneered. “Go away!”
The neighbors were too intimidated to challenge her, some shaking their heads in frustration, but saying nothing.
“Faster!” Yelena yelled at the movers, her patience running thin. “These stupid things aren’t even valuable! Let them break! And that box—what’s it for? Throw it away!”
Cordelia and Carter rushed up the stairs.
Although Cordelia didn’t know what was in the box, she had seen her mother’s special care for it. Even when her mother was ill in the hospital, barely coherent, she had reminded Cordelia to take care of the box during those rare moments when she was lucid.
Cordelia reached the hallway and charged forward, pushing the workers aside to protect the box. She stood in front of it, her body tense, ready to defend it at all costs…