Could cousins have gone this far, or was he just out of touch, clueless about what the youth of today were thinking?
"Alright then, no worries, Ms. Miller. | guess | can head back now."
Carol thanked her again, feeling a weight lift from her chest.
She shot Felix a text, just a smug emoji. Felix didn't reply. She figured he was probably tied up for Listina was just out of surgery
and all.
Little did she know, Felix was at the cemetery, paying his respects to Listina's late parents and to his own. He saw Carol's message,
of course, but couldn't be bothered to respond.
All seemed to be wrapping up nicely, or so it should have been. But then Nathan dropped a text bomb on him.
[Carol's so into you now, you could probably ask for the Miller family fortune and she wouldn't blink. | mean, if it wasn't for her
dad's cutthroat takeover of the Geo family's company, you and Listina wouldn't have had it so rough. And when the company
tanked, it crushed your mom, right? Are you really just gonna swindle her out of measly few hundred grand? Sometimes | think
you're cold-hearted; other times, | figure you've got principles.]
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFelix mulled over that text, unaware that his relationship with Carol was no longer a secret to Abner.
On his way back from the cemetery, Abner's assistant intercepted him and brought him to a coffee shop right under the towering
Miller Group building, where Abner awaited.
He'd seen Abner once from a distance when he was a kid; the man was the talk of the town, triumphant in the business world. The
media flocked to him, yet Felix's mother lay broken at his feet.
He'd hated that face back then. Now, facing Abner again, Felix was the picture of composure.
Abner sat across from him, his assistant standing by, and slid a check across the table, much like a scene out of a cliché .
Abner didn't care about Felix's background or motives; if money could fix things, there was no need for further discussion.
"How much to walk away from Carol?"
Felix stared at the check lying on the cold tabletop, speechless.
Abner was patient, taking a casual sip of his coffee.
"You see that skyscraper over there? That's going to be Carol's one day. Walk away now, and you can walk away with a hefty sum.
Make a scene, and I'll make sure you leave with nothing. Carol's young, spoiled by me. Her affections are fickle; she'll get over you
in no time. Fill in whatever amount you want on the check."
In no time, the assistant respectfully passed a pen to Felix, who pushed the check back.
"Mr. Miller, I'm not with Carol for the money."
Of course, that was a joke. He'd researched her likes and dislikes, set up the whole scenario, all to use her money to save Listina.
Abner laughed, a note of authority in his voice, "You're both young. I'm not asking you; I'm telling you. Do you know how much it
costs to buy a place in Greenfield? If | cut Carol off financially, she'll ccrawling back, unable to handle life without money. And
by then, she won't even spare you a second glance, no matter how much you beg."
Felix wondered if Carol would indeed act that way.
"Ms. Miller, you're welcto try."
Abner frowned, surprised by Felix's defiant stance.
But he'd seen this type many times before; the greediest ones were those who thought they could have a piece of the Miller Group
pie just because Carol liked them. If she married him, then half of it would be his.
"Fine. If you insist on this route, let's see how it plays out."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAbner didn't see Felix as a threat, standing up and leaving without another word. Felix sat there, watching him go, lips pressed in a
tight line.
Leaving the coffee shop, his phone rang; it was Carol. He'd been practically a ghost this past month. If it weren't for the meals that
kept appearing on the table, she'd think they were broken up.
"Felix, can you cover today? | heard Listina's surgery went well, congrats."
Felix looked down, lighting a cigarette, "Just ran into a middle-aged guy. He kind of looked like you, with an assistant and all."
Carol's heart skipped a beat, her grip on the phone tightening.
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