Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
After he hung up the phone, Jack and the others couldn’t help but ask, “Mr. McMillan, is it the Mount Doom gang?”
“Yeah.
“Figured it was those bastards!” Jack was itching to settle the score.
“Damn, what gave that gang the guts to mess with our people!”
“Let’s take it to them!”
“If we don’t wipe them out, I’ll spell my name backward!”
Romeo accepted a moist towel handed to him by a bystander, gently wiping the girl’s face.
“Bella, I’ll be back soon.”
He waited for the doctor to finish dressing Bella’s wounds, then gave her forehead a tender kiss, saying, “Wait for me.”
“Romeo, where are you going?” Clark seemed to guess something, showing a faint worry.
Romeo paused, his tall figure casting a shadow, “Clark, you’re still healing. Bella and Carol are in your hands. If Bella wakes up, let me know”
“Mr. McMillian, take us with you. We want to avenge our boss!”
“How could we miss out on this, right guys!””We have to let off this steam for our boss tonight, so everyone knows that if you mess with our boss, there’s only one outcome!”
That’s living! Worse! Than! Death!
Romeo knew that with Bella injured like this, the whole Mafia Flame couldn’t just stand by. He nodded, and they all left together.
Clark wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.
He knew that if it weren’t for Carol, Bella wouldn’t have been hurt like this.
With her skills, she could defend herself, but with one more person, the outcome would definitely be different.
Thinking about that, he felt guilty and upset.
The sky was completely bright; it was eight in the morning here, but in Solterra, it was ten at night.
There was a ten-hour time difference.
Unconsciously, a week had passed since Serena last called Clark.
This weekend, Serena took a special trip home and was even more upset to hear that Clark and Mirabella hadn’t returned.
At Martha’s instigation, she called Clark again.
Clark didn’t feel like answering, his mind filled with guilt for Mirabella and worry for her and Carol’s injuries.But Serena was persistent, calling again and again, until finally, Clark had to answer, “What is it, Serena.”
Serena was even more upset to hear Clark’s cold tone, even a hint of impatience, but still suppressed her anger and started talking cautiously.
“I just came home for the weekend, didn’t see you, so I wanted to call you.” Her tone was careful, intentionally acting timid, “Did I interrupt you and Bella’s fun time?”
Clark suddenly found her annoying, beating around the bush. Didn’t she just want to remind him of her existence? That they have this little sister?
“Serena, I told you, Bella and I are out taking care of some things. Don’t call or text me for a while, and I’m busy.”
All he was hoping for now was for Bella and Carol to wake up soon. He really didn’t have the energy to think about anything else.
“Clark, I’m sorry. I disturbed you.” Serena started to whine, her voice choking up, “I just missed you. I didn’t mean anything else. I won’t call or text you anymore. I’m, I’m sorry, Clark.”
Clark was even more irritated by her choking voice, “I haven’t finished dealing with things here. Once I do, I’ll keep my promises.”
“No, no need, Clark. It’s okay.” Serena sobbed intentionally, “Then, I’ll hang up first, goodbye, Clark.”
Rather than focusing on Serena’s emotions, Clark was at the moment more concerned about Bella and Carol’s injuries, so he didn’t bother to explain much.
Serena, on the other hand, was growing increasingly upset when Clark didn’t call back after she hung up. Tears were streaming down her face like pearls slipping off a string.
Martha, who was nearby, overheard the conversation and had an inkling that something was amiss.
She asked cautiously, “Serena, do you think Clark is annoyed with you for disturbing them?”
“Clark is becoming more and more unreasonable,’ Serena huffed, angrily wiping away her tears. “He deliberately didn’t answer my calls just now. I had to call four or five times before he would pick up.
Then he asked if something was wrong. Can’t I call him if there’s nothing wrong? He even sounded irritated! As if I was interrupting something important!”
She sobbed a few times, then continued, “And he said he’s been busy lately and asked me not to call or text him for a few days. What could he and Mirabella possibly be busy with? Eating out, sightseeing, snapping photos?
That’s not important! So busy that he doesn’t have time even to answer my calls? Can’t even bother to pretend to care about his sister!”
Serena cried for a while longer before she managed to say, “He claims to treat me like a sister, but it’s all lies!
They’re probably checking in at some tourist spot right now, having a great time! Mirabella must have been gloating when she heard how Clark talked to me! She’s probably just a step away from flaunting her victory in front of mel!”She sniffled, “I don’t see what’s so great about her. She always acts so smugly, yet everyone likes her!
Why, why doesn’t anyone like me? Did Mirabella make them act this way?”
Martha sighed, “Do you now see the importance of blood ties?”
Serena’s tears welled up in her eyes. Could it really be because of blood ties?
“When they mistakenly thought you were a blood relative, they treated you exceptionally well. But now that you’re not, just think about the change in their attitudes. Clark was pretending at first when he came back, but he couldn’t keep up the act. All you did was call to check on him, and he treats you like this!”
Martha’s disapproval of the Collins family, particularly Clark, grew stronger. As soon as he came back, he was glued to Mirabella. Anyone would think they were a couple!
Nobody stuck to their sister like that. It’s just disgraceful!
Among his five brothers, he was definitely the least respectable!
“Martha, I’m so upset.” Serena sobbed into Martha’s arms, “Why, why don’t they accept my feelings when I genuinely consider them as my family? My parents, my brothers, even Mirabella!”
All this time, she had been trying so hard to win them over, but to no avail!
“They don’t care about my feelings. None of them care about my feelings!”
Martha patted her back sympathetically and sighed, “The worst part is you can’t leave this family. If you do, Mirabella will only laugh at you even more.”
“Martha, what should I do?” Serena sobbed, “You’re the only one who can help me figure that out now:
In that household, only Martha was truly devoted to her, treating her with the utmost kindness.
“I do have a suggestion” Martha proposed while rubbing her back. “Before Mrs. Collins exposes you as a false heiress, you’re still considered the genuine Miss Collins in everyone’s eyes. Before the announcement, why not secure a good marriage for yourself? Use the Collins name as a stepping stone to leap into another wealthy family. You could take a considerable wedding gift with you. Wasn’t that better than enduring the hostilities here?”
“But.” Serena hesitated. She was only a freshman in college and didn’t want to rush into marriage.
Most importantly, she still held a sliver of hope for this family.
She fantasized that they would treat her kindly, that they would change their minds and treat her as in the past.
“I’ve done some research,’ Martha continued. “On the global billionaire list, Romeo sits at the top. The second to the eleventh are much older. The thirteenth is a playboy. The fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth are all women.
The eighteenth and nineteenth don’t fit. All in all, I think the best match for you is the thirty-sixth on the list—the Cooper family we were discussing.”
A while back, when Louisa discovered Serena was still harboring hopes for Romeo, Martha quickly covered for her, lying that Serena already had a boyfriend.
Martin Cooper had been pursuing Serena since middle school for a full six years. After the college entrance exams, Martha lied that Serena was touched by Martin’s sincerity and was giving him a chance to court her.She assured everyone that Serena had no inappropriate thoughts about Romeo.
Since then, Serena had been forced to occasionally go out for dinner or a movie with Martin just to keep up appearances for her family.
Martin, thinking he finally had a chance, would often buy expensive gifts and drive to the Collins’
residence just to catch a glimpse of Serena.
He was infatuated with Serena, almost worshiping her.
But Serena didn’t share his feelings.
“Their department store chain has over six thousand branches worldwide, employing over two million people.
Martin, leveraging his family resources, launched a logistics company. After a successful round of funding, he now owns fifty cargo planes and exclusive air routes. His air cargo business has expanded nationwide, outperforming other logistics companies!” Martha explained.
If things continued in this way, the Cooper family could potentially surpass the Collins family, ranking in the top fifteen globally.
“The key is his business acumen at such a young age. His future prospects are promising.”
At such a tender age, he was already making strategic decisions in business. How many people in the world possess such capabilities?
Seeing Serena still hesitating, Martha couldn’t help but add, “He could very well be the next Romeo!
Serena, his family is well-off, and he’s quite handsome. Plus, he’s absolutely and obsessed with you.
You must seize this opportunity. Countless women marry into wealthy families only to find their status lower than the family pet.But with Martin by your side, your future is bound to be bright! Instead of chasing after Romeo, who’s clearly uninterested, why not choose someone who loved you? I want you to be happy.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.