Chapter 8
Shakira chuckled, her eyes glinting with a hint of icy mockery.
Yvette clenched her fists, biting her lip so hard she almost drew blood. Just moments ago, she had been eagerly anticipating Shakira's downfall. Now, it felt like she was the one taking the hit
"Yeah, you're right. I can't just say sorry." Yvette's voice quivered. I was too careless and messed up. When Felix comes back, I'll apologize to him in person. Then I'll work hard to pay back the hundred million dollars I owe." shoulders shook, seeming to be overwhelmed by the weight of her guilt. With her earlier fall still fresh and her appearance a mess, she seemed both vulnerable and pitiful. But as she vowed to repay the full amount, she straightened her posture and spoke with a firm voice. Those who had been complaining softened instantly. After all, she was the child they had always protected and cared for.
"I was a bit tough earlier. You've always been sheltered by your brothers. How could you understand the dangers out there? It's no surprise you fell for some scammer's trick," Selena sighed, looking at Yvette with concern. Cody calmed down too, offering reassurance. "Yosef is a sharp prosecutor. He'll make sure those crooks pay for what they did. You don't need to worry about it anymore.
Rebecca stepped forward and took Yvette's hand, feeling guilty for not checking on her sooner and for letting her worries spiral out of control. Gently wiping away Yvette's tears, she said sincerely, "Oh, honey, we could never blame you, our little princess. The real villains are those bad people. Don't dwell on it too much. Everything here is yours." Yvette's voice tur
turned nasally as tears flowed down her cheeks. "Thanks, Grandma, Dad, and Mom! If you don't forgive me, I won't know what to do. I really cherish all of you. I wanted to make everyone happy before I left... I never imagined it would come to this." "There, there, don't cry. It breaks my heart," Rebecca said, pulling Yvette into a warm hug, her own eyes shining with tears. Shakira watched this heartfelt family moment, and her expression grew colder, her smirk turning to indifference.
Mitchell turned over, only to see Shakira watching like an outsider. Her cold gaze pierced through him, making his heart twitch uncomfortably.
He shook off the feelings and sneered, "Are you disappointed, Shakira? Did you think everyone would blame Yvette for being scammed? Let me tell you, Yvette did this for Felix. Unlike you, with your wicked heart!"
He felt a surge of anger, convinced that Shakira was out to trap Yvette. "Forget your nasty thoughts. Do you really think that without Yvette, we'd treat you any better? Dream on! People like you, selfish and scheming, aren't even worth our time." Finn frowned. "That's too much, Mitchell." "It's the truth! She"
Before Mitchell could finish, Shakira stepped up directly to Cody and handed him a card. "There's 6,558 dollars on this card. That's all I've spent since coming back to the Nelson family."
"Seriously? You've been living here for almost four months and spent only that much?" Mitchell asked, raising an eyebrow in -suspicion.
Shakira replied confidently, "If you don't believe me, have the butler check the receipts. I'll pay double if it's less."
Mitchell was left speechless. 'Damn it! Why do I feel like Shakira has just slapped me in the face with cash? Wait, how does she even have the nerve?'
Cody's expression darkened. After collecting his thoughts, he put on the grace of a true family leader. "Shakira, I know the birthday party and what happened earlier make you a little unpleasant. What kind of compensation do you want? A purse or a dress?" As he spoke, he signaled the butler to take Shakira's luggage back to her room. Selena rolled her eyes and waved for a servant to help her back to her quarters.
"Mr. Cody Nelson!" Shakira raised her voice as she faced Cody's shocked expression. "Do you really think what happened tonight was just 'a little unpleasant"?"
As Shakira wasn't backing down, Cody felt his patience wearing thin. "Shakira, can we talk about this in the study? There are just too many people here."
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"M eople, more witnesses!"
"Haven't you caused enough trouble tonight, Shakira?"
"They still think this is just a tantrum?' Shakira sneered silently before responding, "Three strange men showed up in the guest room during the birthday party, and your wife and kids stormed in, accusing me of having affairs with them-without any proof! Did anyone even check to see if I was hurt?
"You all said I pushed Yvette down the stairs without a shred of evidence. Shouldn't you be glad your kid didn't get hurt?
"You keep promising to compensate me. But what have you guys ever offered? More twisted drama?"
She paused, a smirk creeping across her lips as she locked eyes with Cody. "No thanks. That would just make me feel sick." Cody's face turned red, especially at her last comment. It stung, and the expressions on the faces of the rest shifted too.
"Fine! If you want to leave, then just go!" Selena shouted, banging on the railing hard enough to make it rattle. "Now that you're so bold to just cut ties with us, we'll gladly wash our hands of you."
Seizing the the moment,
Shakira turned to Yosef. "What about the disownment papers?" Yosef pressed his lips together, staying silent.
Alright then, teen t then, I'll handle it myself." Shakira pulled up a template she found online and connected it to the printer. She grabbed the hot paper, uncapped a pen, and signed with a flourish. Then she handed the disownment papers to Cody. "From now on, we'll have no connection between us."
Cody clenched his fists but ultimately accepted the papers, his voice heavy. "Fine."
With her bag in hand, Shakira turned to leave. Just as she was about to step out of the hall, Yvette's timid voice stopped her. "Shakira, are you really cutting ties with us just because of the owner of that Maybach?" Shakira paused, turning to see shock and disgust on the faces of the Nelson family. All because of Yvette's words, she was once again cast as the villain. How absurd!
"Shakira, who have you been hanging out with out there? Some sketchy figures?" Rebecca questioned, furious-They had just known about this thing.
Mitchell sneered, "Mom, how could it be a sketchy figure? He owns Maybach, remember? Sounds like an old rich guy."
Cody trembled with rage. In Crescentville, only rich men in their fifties drove Maybachs-men he'd seen at his own parties.: He couldn't believe his daughter was getting mixed up with someone like that. "Shameless!" Cody clenched his teeth.
"Not even close. You let your sons and an outsider stay in the same room, getting too cozy. That's Shakira shot back. way
more disgraceful!"
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