“And you say that you don’t care,” Averie said casually, “how would you know that my kids are back if you don’t care about me? It’s not like my kids showed up in front of you, right?”
Zoe was renderedee speechless.
“Let’s meet this afternoon, and I’ll show you how well I’ve recovered,” Averie proposed.
“I don’t care about how well you’ve recovered… But if you want to meet with me so badly, then let’s meet!” Zoeof drawled.
“Sure. You can decide where. That way, you won’t get to say that I’m bullying you,” Averie teased.
Zoe could sense something odd in Averie’s tone and felt that had asked to meet with her with bad intentions; but since she had asked, Zoe thought that she couldn’t hide like a coward.
After hanging up, she went home to change into a gorgeous outfit and put her makeup on carefully. She had lost to Averie in terms of love and she had to admit defeat no matter how reluctant she was; therefore, she couldn’t lose to Averie on any other aspect again.
At three in the afternoon, Zoe arrived at the restaurant where they were supposed to meet.
The restaurant was located near Wonder Technologies, and Zoe intended to tell Wanda about this after meeting with Averie.
Averie arrived ten minutes late due to traffic.
“Averie, can you be on time next time you ask someone out?” Zoe scowled and complained.
Averie sat down across her, before casually picking up the menu and ordering a glass of fruit juice.
“Zoe, why did you go to David Grimes when Wesley was abducted?” Averie gazed up and stared coldly at Zoe.
Her words struck Zoe like a bomb to the heart.
“No – Nothing! He came to me asking if I can treat his daughter and I said no,” Zoe explained in panic, “nothing happened after that.”
“Are you sure that you haven’t told him anything with that big mouth of yours?” Averie took out a piece of paper from her purse and showed it to Zoe. “What’s with this transaction record, then? If you didn’t treat his daughter, why would he pay you? For your ‘beauty’?”
Zoe’s heart sank. She had never imagined that Averie would be able to find this, and Averie’s confrontation had exposed her.
“I…I was slightly drunk and might have told him something… Oh, I remember now. I told him that Professor Hough had one last pupil and Wesley might know who that is… That’s all that I’ve told him and nothing else,” Zoe raised her voice as her face began to flush. “I never mention your name, Averie, don’t act like I’ve betrayed you or something.”
After that, she picked up her glass and sipped on the water guiltily.
“So you are saying that Wesley betrayed me?” Averie gritted out, “David Grimes is dead now, so there is no point to discuss this. I came to meet with you today to demand that you return every last penny you received from Elyette.”
“???” Zoe almost spit out the water she had just drank.
‘What does she mean by returning every last penny? Once Elyette gave me the money, it’s mine! Why should I return it?’ She thought.
“Averie, I know that you are in desperate need to pay Elyette back and you need the money for that,” Zoe muttered nervously, “but that’s no reason for you to come to me for money! I’ve put in so much effort and time to treat Shea…”
“But you didn’t perform those surgeries on Shea,” Averie interrupted calmly, “I am only asking you to spit the 300 million you received out and not the interest. Consider the interest the compensation for your hard-work!”
The corner of Zoe’s lips twitched as she was rendered speechless.
‘How ridiculous! Averie is being ridiculous!’ Sheee thought.
“Zoe, has no one ever told you that there’s no such thing as a free lunch?” Averie said sarcastically, “you sure are brave, though, to be daring enough to fill Elyette and accept his money as payment. Aren’t you afraid for your life?”
Zoe widened her eyes in rage. “Averie Tate, don’t think that you can just run your mouth in front of me just because you are Profession Hough’s last pupil! This is the modern age when proof means everything! Do you think you can just erase all my effort with just a fewóf words?
“Oh, your effort… Your effort of role-playing, you mean?” Averie said.
Just then, the waiter came back with her juice and she took a sip to soothe her throat.
Zoe clenched her fists and glared viciously at her. “Give me proof, Averie! Without proof, what you say won’t matter! Don’t think that you can get away with being this unreasonable simply because Elyette is in love with you! I won’t comply!”
Averie took a few sips of her juice, before slowly taking out herza phone.
“What are you doing? Are you calling Elyette?!” Zoe’s voice trembled slightly as she continued, “it won’t help you to call him! I have plenty of witnesses at the time!”
“If that’s the case, why are you so nervous?” Averie lifted an eyebrow and glanced at her in contempt. “Do you happen to know that I have proof?”
“You have proof?!” Zoe squeaked as she felt as though she was being strangled.
“I wouldn’t have come to you asking for money if I didn’t have the proof, would I? Should I assume that you would agree out of the kindness in your heart? Or should I have begged, instead?” Averie opened a video and handed her phone to Zoe. “This is the video of Shea’s first surgery. Though the head surgeon only showed her eyes, I’m pretty sure Elyette would be able to recognize her right away.”
Zoe’s blood ran cold. She felt short of breath as she watched the video from Averie’s phone.
‘That’s Averie! Averie was the kind person who did Shea’s surgeries!’ She thought.
Though Zoe had guessed that Averie was behind it, she had never imagined that Averie would record herself.
She had originally thought that Averie was avoiding Elyette in order to keep her children to herself and that she had no intention of taking his money. Zoe realized that she was wrong and Averie was merely waiting for the right timing.
“Don’t you care if Elyette finds out that Layla and Hayden are his children anymore?” Zoe forced a hideous smile.
Averie shrugged. “I need money right now, and what you said is nothing compared to 300 million. Besides, he probably already knew.”
All strength was instantly drained from Zoe. She slumped on her chair as fear filled her eyes.
“Zoe, transfer 300 million into my account within three days, or I’ll send Elyette this video and have him ask for the money back himself,” Averie said, before giving Zoe a smile. “I’m sure you know what kind of man Elyette is and his way is definitely going to be less gentle than mine.
Meanwhile, in Wonder Technologies.
Zoe told Wanda everything in tears and Wanda’s expression darkened.
“I don’t have that much money for you to take!” Wanda said in a cold expression, “the money has been spent and you can go ask the finance department if you don’t believe me! Go see for yourself if we still have 300 million lying around!”
Zoe gasped. “Of course you would say that you don’t have it when it’s not your life on the line here, Wanda! What would you have done if you were me?”
Wanda turned against her and said, “I’m not as foolish as you are! You can’t even keep the money you earn! If you are not capable of keeping it, you should have taken that 300 million and run somewhere far-off!”
“That’s not what you said when you begged me to invest in your company!” Zoe was burning inee rage.
Averie had only given her three days. She had to gather 300 million within three days because the last thing she wanted was for Elyette to find out about the truth. If he did, it would not be as simple as returning the money.
“What’s the point of saying this now?! I would have given you your money back by now if I have that much money in hand! Do you think that I’m trying to give you a hard time on purpose?” Wanda studied Zoe’s flushed face and she could sense that Zoe was spinning out of control; continuing to argue with her would only causeof trouble.
“Zoe, why don’t you ask your boyfriend to see how much he has? I will call finance again to see how much the company can spare… Okay?” Wanda’s tone softened.
Zoe’s eyes were filled with tears. “Cole is useless! I might as well go earn the money myself instead of counting on him! Call finance now!”
Wanda took a deep breath and picked up her phone to call the internal line of the finance department. The line was connected right away and she asked, “how much can you spare on your end?”
“How much do you need, Madam Tate?”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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