"Mom always says to give unused items to the needy, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now." Hailee was tapping her right leg on the floor leisurely, with her eyes looking straight at Aileen.
Meanwhile, next to her, Zia's eyes widened as her mouth rounded, forming the word 'wow', with an astonished expression, because all this time, all Zia knew was; Hailee loved Aileen so much, she would never say things like what she just said, even Hailee would be very angry if someone brought up that Aileen was an adopted child.
However, the present Hailee looked different. She didn't even hesitate to make fun of Aileen.
Zia thought, this was because Aileen had stolen her fiancé, but what she didn't know was; what Aileen did to Hailee was not just about snatching a fiancé, it was far more terrifying than that.
"Hailee!" Aileen rebuked Hailee harshly. Her jaw was clenched tight, indicating that at this time she was really upset and thought her words were so rude. "I am your sister, you shouldn't say such a thing. I know you are angry, but those words you said were so painful."
"Sister?" Hailee widened her eyes in an exaggerated yet dramatic style. "As I recall, I was the only child of Giorgio and Diana Tatum. Right, Zia?"
Zia's eyes lit up. "Of course. I didn't know that Uncle Giorgio had other children besides you," Zia said.
Seeing how Hailee and Zia were treating her, Aileen had to clench her fists tightly, to prevent herself from saying something that shouldn't be said. At least not at a time like this, when anger overwhelmed her common sense and clouded her judgment.
However, Hailee was not content to stop there. Maybe it was because of the anger she had been harboring, or maybe because she knew that Aileen would now think twice about carrying out her rotten plan like before.
Whatever it was, Hailee felt it was pointless to pretend to be nice to her 'dear' sister anymore.
Hailee walked over with her arms crossed over her chest and stopped right in front of Aileen.
"I won't forget what you did to me Aileen," Hailee said, this time her tone turned serious and her facial expression was indecipherable. "Either that which I already know, or that I don't yet know."
Aileen stared back at Hailee equally fiercely and the atmosphere instantly turned heavy as if the air had become stale.
At this point, no one even noticed the confusion that was evident on Zia's face. She still didn't realize that Hailee and Aileen's relationship was this bad.
"You think…" Aileen leaned over so that the movement of her lips couldn't be seen by Zia and lowered her voice so that only Hailee could hear it. "… By marrying Ramon, he will help you? I know that you two are only undergoing a convenient marriage, so there is no need to be that arrogant, little sister," Aileen said in a mocking tone.
"Is it true?" Hailee replied, she then raised her eyebrows with a surprised expression, but a smile at the corner of her lips, announced that she was making fun of Aileen for her earlier statement. "What kind of marriage I am going to have is none of your business. But without Tatum Jewelry, you think the Gevano family will welcome you with open arms? Or treat you well?"
Hailee told an undeniable fact. Without the Tatum family company that provided back up to Aileen,she wouldn'tbe in the ranks of socialites in the city of R, and wouldn't even counted as a business woman, if not for her position at the Tatum Jewelry company.
However, if the company was taken over from her, then Aileen would have nothing to her name, because everyone knew the reason why she had the Tatum name behind her name.
And Aileen's chances of getting the company, with Hailee now in front of her, could be said to be very small.
Even without Hailee, officials at Tatum Jewelry company already doubted Aileen's performance. It was very difficult for her to get votes from them and take up her current position. Moreover, Aileen was not very good at managing a business. Just like George.
That's the reason why a few weeks after the tragic death of Giorgio Tatum and his wife, and Aileen and George sat in their roles as decision makers, the company continued to lose money and didn't look any prospective.
"And as far as I know you have absolutely no right to the Tatum family's property. You're just a adopted daughter of my parents Aileen, remember that." Hailee hissed out her final words.
Hearing that, Aileen was really furious, she clenched her fists, but was also tempted to slap Hailee, if only Zia wasn't there.
However, Hailee could see Aileen's intentions easily.
"Why? You want to slap me? Why don't you just do it? Is there anything I said wrong?" Hailee chuckled as she leaned over to whisper right into Aileen's ear.
On the other hand, Zia looked at the two of them with a frown between her brows, she was very confused by the change of attitude between the two of them.
Apparently, Hailee was really angry because her fiancé was taken away by Aileen…
"The tea is ready," one of the maids said, carrying a tray filled with tea while the other maid held a snacks tray to accompany their small talk while waiting for lunch time.
There were still five more people from the Tatum family to come, including George's son and his wife, but they would be arriving in a few hours, due to the long distance.
Hearing that, Hailee stepped away from Aileen and turned around to smile at Zia.
"Shall we go back to the living room?" Hailee asked, stretching out her hand, completely ignoring Aileen who was still standing in front of her with a red face.
But, before Zia took Hailee's hand, she felt her cell phone vibrate and seeing the caller's identity, managed to shock this short hair girl a little.
"You go ahead, I have to pick up this phone call," Zia smiled nervously at Hailee.
"Oh, alright…" Unfortunately, Hailee didn't really notice the change in Zia's expression and instructed the two maids to bring the tea and snacks for all the people in the living room.
Meanwhile, Zia sneaked out of the house to the back garden to take the call.
"What are you doing here? Don't want to go back inside?" Hailee scolded Aileen.
However, Aileen didn't respond, she was still standing there with a sour expression as if she wanted to stab Hailee with a sharp look in her eyes.
"Fine if you still want to be here," Hailee said lightly, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh yes, I almost forgot." she was just about to pass Aileen when she suddenly remembered something. "Ramon said my parents' deaths were so strange, and he will investigate it, so if anything happens, I hope you can cooperate." Hailee smiled as she patted Aileen on the shoulder. "Okay?"
But she didn't wait for Aileen to answer and quickly walked away, leaving her adoptive sister in the rage and the feelings of anxiety and desperation that overwhelmed her.
Were they suspicious?
Only that question filled her mind at the moment.
Meanwhile, at the back of the house, Zia was busy talking on the phone. From the way she stomped her feet on the ground, it was clear that she felt uncomfortable with whoever she was talking.
"Aidan… I already told you that I couldn't come…" Zia said in a pitiful tone. She was truly sorry that she had to cancel their appointment to meet. "My cousin is here and we have a family meeting soon."
"Then when can you leave there?" Aidan asked, his tone so cold. He did not think their plan would just be canceled. And because Zia was so busy taking care of moving back to the city of R, she forgot to notify him that Hailee would come.
The timing was so bad.
"I don't know,"Zia said again, her voice so low. "Father is here and I am not sure if we can meet..."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
Zia knew Aidan well and she could imagine what kind of expression this man had on his face now.
"I will be here for two days. I will be waiting for you here." Aidan didn't wait for an answer from Zia before he hung up the phone call, leaving Zia with a feeling of guilt that grew heavier on her shoulders.
This is wrong.
Zia and Aidan's relationship was a mistake and she knew it.
==============
Ramon caught sight of the figure of Hailee who had just returned from the kitchen along with the two servants behind her and Aileen who was walking a little away from them.
After Hailee approached him, Ramon stretched out his hand, which the girl took with a sweet smile, while sitting next to him.
Oh, Ramon always acted cute whenever they were in front of lots of people. He really kept his word to treat Hailee like a future wife with whom he had been in a relationship for a long time.
Actually, Ramon didn't treat Hailee that badly when they were alone either. However, most of the time they spend together was filled with their petty fights, which Hailee found very funny.
Meanwhile, this gesture of Ramon's made Diego smile happily, but in fact it wasn't the same case with the figure of the man sitting next to Aileen.
Theodore's eyes could not leave Hailee and her smile for Ramon.
"Mom always says to give unused items to the needy, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now." Hailee was tapping her right leg on the floor leisurely, with her eyes looking straight at Aileen.
Meanwhile, next to her, Zia's eyes widened as her mouth rounded, forming the word 'wow', with an astonished expression, because all this time, all Zia knew was; Hailee loved Aileen so much, she would never say things like what she just said, even Hailee would be very angry if someone brought up that Aileen was an adopted child.
However, the present Hailee looked different. She didn't even hesitate to make fun of Aileen.
Zia thought, this was because Aileen had stolen her fiancé, but what she didn't know was; what Aileen did to Hailee was not just about snatching a fiancé, it was far more terrifying than that.
"Hailee!" Aileen rebuked Hailee harshly. Her jaw was clenched tight, indicating that at this time she was really upset and thought her words were so rude. "I am your sister, you shouldn't say such a thing. I know you are angry, but those words you said were so painful."
"Sister?" Hailee widened her eyes in an exaggerated yet dramatic style. "As I recall, I was the only child of Giorgio and Diana Tatum. Right, Zia?"
Zia's eyes lit up. "Of course. I didn't know that Uncle Giorgio had other children besides you," Zia said.
Seeing how Hailee and Zia were treating her, Aileen had to clench her fists tightly, to prevent herself from saying something that shouldn't be said. At least not at a time like this, when anger overwhelmed her common sense and clouded her judgment.
However, Hailee was not content to stop there. Maybe it was because of the anger she had been harboring, or maybe because she knew that Aileen would now think twice about carrying out her rotten plan like before.
Whatever it was, Hailee felt it was pointless to pretend to be nice to her 'dear' sister anymore.
Hailee walked over with her arms crossed over her chest and stopped right in front of Aileen.
"I won't forget what you did to me Aileen," Hailee said, this time her tone turned serious and her facial expression was indecipherable. "Either that which I already know, or that I don't yet know."
Aileen stared back at Hailee equally fiercely and the atmosphere instantly turned heavy as if the air had become stale.
At this point, no one even noticed the confusion that was evident on Zia's face. She still didn't realize that Hailee and Aileen's relationship was this bad.
"You think…" Aileen leaned over so that the movement of her lips couldn't be seen by Zia and lowered her voice so that only Hailee could hear it. "… By marrying Ramon, he will help you? I know that you two are only undergoing a convenient marriage, so there is no need to be that arrogant, little sister," Aileen said in a mocking tone.
"Is it true?" Hailee replied, she then raised her eyebrows with a surprised expression, but a smile at the corner of her lips, announced that she was making fun of Aileen for her earlier statement. "What kind of marriage I am going to have is none of your business. But without Tatum Jewelry, you think the Gevano family will welcome you with open arms? Or treat you well?"
Hailee told an undeniable fact. Without the Tatum family company that provided back up to Aileen,she wouldn'tbe in the ranks of socialites in the city of R, and wouldn't even counted as a business woman, if not for her position at the Tatum Jewelry company.
However, if the company was taken over from her, then Aileen would have nothing to her name, because everyone knew the reason why she had the Tatum name behind her name.
And Aileen's chances of getting the company, with Hailee now in front of her, could be said to be very small.
Even without Hailee, officials at Tatum Jewelry company already doubted Aileen's performance. It was very difficult for her to get votes from them and take up her current position. Moreover, Aileen was not very good at managing a business. Just like George.
That's the reason why a few weeks after the tragic death of Giorgio Tatum and his wife, and Aileen and George sat in their roles as decision makers, the company continued to lose money and didn't look any prospective.
"And as far as I know you have absolutely no right to the Tatum family's property. You're just a adopted daughter of my parents Aileen, remember that." Hailee hissed out her final words.
Hearing that, Aileen was really furious, she clenched her fists, but was also tempted to slap Hailee, if only Zia wasn't there.
However, Hailee could see Aileen's intentions easily.
"Why? You want to slap me? Why don't you just do it? Is there anything I said wrong?" Hailee chuckled as she leaned over to whisper right into Aileen's ear.
On the other hand, Zia looked at the two of them with a frown between her brows, she was very confused by the change of attitude between the two of them.
Apparently, Hailee was really angry because her fiancé was taken away by Aileen…
"The tea is ready," one of the maids said, carrying a tray filled with tea while the other maid held a snacks tray to accompany their small talk while waiting for lunch time.
There were still five more people from the Tatum family to come, including George's son and his wife, but they would be arriving in a few hours, due to the long distance.
Hearing that, Hailee stepped away from Aileen and turned around to smile at Zia.
"Shall we go back to the living room?" Hailee asked, stretching out her hand, completely ignoring Aileen who was still standing in front of her with a red face.
But, before Zia took Hailee's hand, she felt her cell phone vibrate and seeing the caller's identity, managed to shock this short hair girl a little.
"You go ahead, I have to pick up this phone call," Zia smiled nervously at Hailee.
"Oh, alright…" Unfortunately, Hailee didn't really notice the change in Zia's expression and instructed the two maids to bring the tea and snacks for all the people in the living room.
Meanwhile, Zia sneaked out of the house to the back garden to take the call.
"What are you doing here? Don't want to go back inside?" Hailee scolded Aileen.
However, Aileen didn't respond, she was still standing there with a sour expression as if she wanted to stab Hailee with a sharp look in her eyes.
"Fine if you still want to be here," Hailee said lightly, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh yes, I almost forgot." she was just about to pass Aileen when she suddenly remembered something. "Ramon said my parents' deaths were so strange, and he will investigate it, so if anything happens, I hope you can cooperate." Hailee smiled as she patted Aileen on the shoulder. "Okay?"
But she didn't wait for Aileen to answer and quickly walked away, leaving her adoptive sister in the rage and the feelings of anxiety and desperation that overwhelmed her.
Were they suspicious?
Only that question filled her mind at the moment.
Meanwhile, at the back of the house, Zia was busy talking on the phone. From the way she stomped her feet on the ground, it was clear that she felt uncomfortable with whoever she was talking.
"Aidan… I already told you that I couldn't come…" Zia said in a pitiful tone. She was truly sorry that she had to cancel their appointment to meet. "My cousin is here and we have a family meeting soon."
"Then when can you leave there?" Aidan asked, his tone so cold. He did not think their plan would just be canceled. And because Zia was so busy taking care of moving back to the city of R, she forgot to notify him that Hailee would come.
The timing was so bad.
"I don't know,"Zia said again, her voice so low. "Father is here and I am not sure if we can meet..."
There was silence on the other end of the line.
Zia knew Aidan well and she could imagine what kind of expression this man had on his face now.
"I will be here for two days. I will be waiting for you here." Aidan didn't wait for an answer from Zia before he hung up the phone call, leaving Zia with a feeling of guilt that grew heavier on her shoulders.
This is wrong.
Zia and Aidan's relationship was a mistake and she knew it.
==============
Ramon caught sight of the figure of Hailee who had just returned from the kitchen along with the two servants behind her and Aileen who was walking a little away from them.
After Hailee approached him, Ramon stretched out his hand, which the girl took with a sweet smile, while sitting next to him.
Oh, Ramon always acted cute whenever they were in front of lots of people. He really kept his word to treat Hailee like a future wife with whom he had been in a relationship for a long time.
Actually, Ramon didn't treat Hailee that badly when they were alone either. However, most of the time they spend together was filled with their petty fights, which Hailee found very funny.
Meanwhile, this gesture of Ramon's made Diego smile happily, but in fact it wasn't the same case with the figure of the man sitting next to Aileen.
Theodore's eyes could not leave Hailee and her smile for Ramon.
