Chapter 452
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Leah was digging through the cab for the family registration papers and remarked, "You weren't singing this tune when you decided to sever ties.' Jacob's expression turned stiff at the mention. "Let's not dredge up the past. Besides, you've been nothing but frosty to her these last three years, not a hint of warmth. How do you even have the nerve to call me out?"
Leah laid the document on the vanity. "I might've been cold, but I never expected to gain anything from her."
Reflecting on the past three years, Leah was riddled with regret. She acted that way to make it up to Lisa, to even the scales for her. That's why she was so hard on Chloe. She never imagined it would cause Chloe such irreversible pain.
Leah felt she didn't deserve to be called Chloe's mother. Whether Chloe climbed to the top or lived a modest life, Leah had come to terms with it. As long as Chloe was okay, Leah had no intention of interfering anymore. Dealing with Lisa alone was headache enough, leaving her too worn out to worry about anything else.Original content from NôvelDrama.Org.
Lately, Lisa had been demanding money every other day. At first, it was a few thousand, then it shot up to tens of thousands, even hitting a hundred thousand, with requests coming thick and fast. If Leah refused, Lisa would accuse them of neglecting her. Leah was nearly at her wit's end.
Jacob brushed off Leah's concerns. "We raised Chloe for twenty years. Isn't it fair to expect a little something in return? Besides, she's going to be the future Mrs. Sartori, the lady of Sartori Corporation. Even a tiny bit from her could make the Meadows family flourish in Riverbrook."
Jacob was full of hope. "Chloe's not the type to forget what people have done for her. That fallout was just a spat. And hey, I wasn't playing favorites. I gave her twenty percent of the company's shares. I've been fair, right?"
Leah couldn't help but retort, "Are those shares even worth anything now?"
That struck a nerve with Jacob. Since Lisa's plagiarism scandal broke, Belle Époque got slapped with the copycat tabel and even faced a lawsuit from Missy. Although Chloe managed to smooth things over. later, the tarnished reputation was beyond repair. Belle Époque's stock price kept nosediving, sinking to an all-time low. If it went on like this, the company would soon be on the brink of bankruptcy. That's when Jacob started pondering about Chloe.
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Jacob continued, "That's why we've got to hold onto Chloe, our lifeline. Lisa just brings trouble, utterly useless, while Chloe's done us proud, finding such a strong ally. Once the Meadows and Sartori families are tied by marriage, who'd dare to disrespect us? Yesterday, Mr. Taylor, the bank manager, gave me a call. The loan that had been stuck for six months suddenly got approved with a low-interest rate. Do you think he did it for me? No, it's because he knows Chloe's marrying into one of the top families."
Jacob grew more and more excited, oblivious to the fact that Lisa, standing outside, had already made a shallow groove in the wooden door with her nails. Lisa turned and stormed back to her room,
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slamming the door with a bang. Then, in a fit of rage, she started smashing everything in sight.
Chloe, always Chloe! Why did she have to come back, and in such style?