Perla was at her wit's end, so frustrated she could practically envision swinging from a noose right in front of them.
No cash was one thing, but not even spare a maid.
With a veritable army of servants at home, what would it cost to assign one to look after her? “The Hawthorne family is supposed to be high society. When one of us hits the jackpot, it should be a windfall for the whole family. Why's it gotta be like pulling teeth to get a little of that shine?” Aurelia's lips curved in a half-smirk, “Perla, | did get three nannies for your family. She's taking care of Margot and Bella. You're not seriously going to fight them for a nanny, are you?” Perla was dumbstruck, her lips twisted in distaste, “They don't need three nannies. It's just wasteful.” Perla thought she was the one in need of a nanny.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAs she grumbled, Emma entered with Margot and Bella in tow.
Perla couldn't care less about Emma, turning her head away in a huff, paying no mind to Margot and Bella either.
Deep down, she favored boys over girls, having little affection for her granddaughters and seeing them as nothing but a financial drain.
William and Kane bounded downstairs, whisking them off to play in the yard.
Belinda watched her great-grandchildren with a gleeful twinkle in her eye.
Among these kids, she obviously preferred Kane because he was the heir of the Stirling family, destined to inherit the vast Stirling fortunes. Just the thought thrilled her.
“In blue-blooded families, you want sons, but for the common folk, daughters are a blessing.” Perla pouted, “What are you saying? Don't ordinary folks need to carry on the family ntoo? What good's a daughter when she marries off and belongs to someone else's family?” “Perla, the old days are long gone. Girls can carry on the family njust as well as boys,” Avery retorted, “If you think girls are so useless, why scurry over to beg Aurelia for money? Why not hit up Ritchie?” Perla was left speechless.
She always picked the easiest target, and with Aurelia's gentle and soft-hearted nature, she was the obvious choice.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThough Avery had money too, she wouldn't dare ask him because when he was sick, she treated him badly, so Avery would never help her.
“If Aurelia hadn't given birth to Kane for the Stirling family, would they have treated her this well? Divvying up such a fortune to her.” Avery snorted, “The Stirling family values Aurelia for her talents. The money she rakes in for Astral Enterprises each year far exceeds this. She could carve a walnut and sell it for millions.” Emma stepped in from the yard, a sardonic smile on her lips, “You might wanna stop before she turns green with envy.” Perla shot her a venomous glance. If it hadn't been for Emma fooling them into thinking she was ssort of heiress, Perla would've never let Ritchie marry her.
“Ritchie’s life has been held back by you. If he had married a real rich girl, he’d be living the high-roller life by now.” Emma scoffed, “With his lack of credentials and ambition, what self-respecting rich girl would look twice at him?” She might not have been a heiress, but she was a returnee from abroad.
If Ritchie hadn't duped her into believing he was from a wealthy background, she would never have looked his way.
Belinda waved her hands dismissively, “Enough. It's my birthday, and no one's ruining it. Let's play scards.” In the groom, the help had the card table all setup, complete with snacks and fruit on the side.
Perla watched with envy.
Just then, Rahul and Ritchie arrived, and Ritchie brought along a new girlfriend named Lilith.
As she arrived at the grand villa's doorstep, her excitement was palpable, “Holy smokes, you are Avery's cousin? | thought you were bragging about it. Is Avery around? Con, introduce me!” Ritchie was about to usher her inside when a bodyguard stopped them, “No outsiders allowed in Blossom Villa.” Ritchie shot him a glare, “She’s not an outsider, and she’s my girlfriend.” The bodyguard was unmoved, “Your girlfriend is an outsider.” He was a man with a checkered past, and if it weren't for Belinda's birthday, even he wouldn't have made it past the threshold.