Heiress’s Return 271
Already embarrassed, Selena couldn't hold back. In a fit of anger, she burst out, "She brought this on herself, and now she wants to blame others? Even that ungrateful Shakira is better than Yvette!"
Not just Rebecca, but even Cody changed his face. He tried to control his irritation. "Mom, why did you bring up Shakira?"
"I'm just telling the truth!" The thought of losing face in front of her future granddaughter-in-law made Selena furious.
"Whether or not she's the one Cristian mentioned, Yvette is disgracing our family and harming our company! I wanted Shakira to come back and help us, but that wicked girl mocked me over the phone." She was filled with anger and hatred. "What? When did you contact Shakira?" Everyone was shocked, completely unaware of this matter. Selena's eyes flickered. "Before New Year's Day, at Silverwave Bay."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked unhappy. When they were at Silverwave Bay, Shakira had been acting high and mighty, stepping all over their family, yet Selena still held out hope for her.
Cody, whose pride had been severely hurt, was irritated. "Mom, don't contact her again! Yvette is my only daughter!"
Selena clearly wanted to say more, but seeing her son's expression, she had to reluctantly reply, "Alright!" Rebecca lowered her head, staying silent and lost in her thoughts.
Shakira and a few others were helping the elderly summarize their medical conditions while Yvette entered the smoky kitchen and coughed hard. Ella glanced at her and said with a sarcastic tone, "A big star like you can't handle a place like this."
Yvette tried to force a smile, aiming to maintain her image in front of the camera. "Ella, I genuinely want to help you. It must be really tiring cooking all these meals by yourself."
Ella was unfazed and was about to send Yvette away when she suddenly got an idea. "Help me? Alright, make a fire. Can you? Just add some wood and fan the flames under the stove."
"Yes, I can," Yvette quickly responded, sitting down on a small stool and continuously adding wood. The fire was burning strong, and the choking smoke caused her to turn her head and cough hard.NôvelDrama.Org owns all © content.
Ella gloated, "Don't stop. How can I cook if the fire is too low? Can you handle it or not?" "Yes." Yvette's eyes were watering from the smoke. She was barely able to keep them open. She kept adding firewood, her face covered in soot.
After working hard for a while, she wanted to gain some sympathy in front of the camera. But when she turned her head, she realized her cameraman hadn't followed her. Through the window, she saw him focused on filming Lonely Bird. Yvette's face was twisted instantly.
Seeing her pause again, Ella started mocking her, "Why did you stop again? I said you could not do it. I've understood. Among you people, that young woman outside is the most reliable. You're way worse than her!"
The firewood was broken by Yvette. She turned off her mic, her eyes red from smoke and resentment. She cursed hoarsely, "How can I be worse than her? She doesn't even have a medical license. If not for her great mentor, how could she have reached this position?" Ella's eyes widened. "What? She doesn't have a medical license? Oh my, how did she manage to work as a doctor without qualifications? Are you guys trying to kill us?"
Yvette's rational mind returned as she realized she had misspoken. She quickly rushed forward to stop Ella, who seemed ready to tell everyone about it. Yvette was almost in tears, looking completely panicked and helpless.
Yvette said, "Please don't tell anyone. Although it's an open secret in the hospital, no outsider knows about it."
Ella declared righteously, "That won't do. Someone unqualified to be a doctor came here to give us free medical check-ups.
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What if something goes wrong? I must tell everyone not to be deceived by her!"
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Yvette tried to stop her. "But her mentor is Matthew, and she's famous online. Ella, do you use the Internet? Many people admire her. I'm okay with it, but if you reveal it and cause a scene, Matthew and the hospital might retaliate. The program team won't let you go." Ella was scared by Yvette's words. But she still pretended to be tough. "Do you think I'm afraid of their revenge? Are you scared?"
"Yes, I know you're not scared, but you have a family, don't you?" Yvette sighed. "You're right. I am scared! I can handle it myself, but I can't risk getting my family involved due to my mistakes. And I don't want to accidentally get you into any trouble either." Ella fell silent. The elderly people in the yard were sick and had difficulty moving. They needed someone to cook for them. Several families pooled money to hire her to prepare meals for these old folks. The pay was considered good in the village. When she heard specialists from the big city were coming to offer free check-ups, she was completely against it. If these old folks really got better, why would they need to pay her for meals?
Ella thought, 'But Yvette got a point. If I end up offending those important people, I will suffer. I need a plan to let someone else expose this issue. With a stir, if the treatment can't proceed, I can continue making money!
Thinking of this, Ella grunted as if she tried hard to contain herself. "Alright, since you're begging so pitifully, I won't say anything." She huffed with a proud demeanor, went back to cook, and didn't forget to remind Yvette to keep the fire going. Yvette obediently followed the instructions. The moment she lowered her head, a cold, hateful smile appeared on her lips. After dinner, everyone returned to their places. The village had limited facilities, so they had to heat bathwater in a large iron pot. There were six girls altogether, and by the time they all took turns bathing, it was already past midnight. Shakira offered to be the last one to clean up. When she came out, the yard and the house were completely dark, and everyone was already sound asleep. Her face disappeared into the darkness as she quietly got into bed.
As she lay down, her body finally relaxed. Just as she was about to close her eyes, her phone suddenly buzzed. Quickly picking up her phone, Shakira glanced at the screen. It was a video call from Walter.
She hesitated for a moment, slipped under the blankets, plugged in her earphones, and then answered the call. Walter watched the dark screen, speechless.
He squinted, noticing something wriggling within the darkness, confirming it wasn't a screen issue. He frowned and asked, "Where are you?"
The earphones were filled with his deep, mellow voice, and Shakira felt a tingle in her ears. She mumbled in a muffled voice, "Under the covers."
Walter said, "What are you doing under the covers? I want to see you." Shakira muttered, "No. It's too bright. Everyone is asleep."
Walter fell silent, feeling like they were having a secret affair.
Facing the darkness, Walter felt a bit uncomfortable, so he used his finger to cover the front camera and coaxed gently, "Is it less bright now? Come out from under the covers. Let me see you." 2/3
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