?Chapter 71:
Marissa turned her attention to themotion in the crowd and noticed Balthasar approaching, surrounded by the Nash family members. Dressed in a fine silk robe, Balthasar appeared happy, his face glowing. As he passed, people greeted him warmly, with some even going out of their way to shower him withpliments. Marissa was bewildered. The Nash family’s prominence had declined, so it was surprising to see such a sudden surge of people vying for his favor
As Balthasar and his entourage drew nearer, he noticed the extravagant outfits of Sansa and A. His smile momentarily stiffened, but he chose not to reprimand them. Instead, he whispered, “This is a medical conference, not a ball. Please, go change into something more appropriate and ease up on the jewelry.”
Sansa and A, feeling sheepish, agreed to change immediately. Before leaving, A turned to Balthasar andined, “Grandpa, when Tiffany saw my mom, not only did she fail to greet her, but she even insulted her. There’s no respect in Tiffany’s demeanor. You need to remind her not to bring shame to our family at the gatheringter.”
Balthasar’s expression grew stern as he shot a cold gaze at Marissa, scrutinizing her. Marissa had spent thest two weeks caring for Caylee in the hospital and hadn’t encountered the Nash family. This meeting was entirely coincidental
The Nash family harbored resentment towards Marissa for her frequent associations with the Sanchez family recently, viewing it as a betrayal. Undeterred by their disapproval, Marissa remainedposed under their scrutiny. She did not greet Balthasar. After a while, he scolded her sharply, “You’re bing more and more discourteous. You don’t even greet your grandpa.”
“Hi, Grandpa,” Marissa responded casually
Balthasar inhaled deeply and scolded, “Look at yourself. What are you wearing? People who don’t know the truth might think your family mistreats you. Are you trying to make us look bad on purpose?”
ncing down at her own clothes, Marissa looked up and replied with a smile, “Grandpa, my outfit is clean and proper. How could it possibly bring shame to the Nash family? Would you rather I dress as provocatively as Sansa and A?”
“You…” Balthasar was fuming, but he managed to hold back his anger due to the public setting. “What I mean is, for such formal events, you should consider dressing in more upscale attire. Simple clothes like yours might draw negative attention to our family.”
“But I don’t have the money for expensive clothes, Grandpa,” Marissa responded
“I give you a hundred thousand each month. What are you spending it on?” Balthasar inquired
“I’ve never received any money, not even five thousand,” Marissa replied
“How is that possible?” Balthasar was baffled. “You might want to ask Sansa about that,” Marissa suggested
Balthasar found himself at a loss for words. He contemted confronting Sansa about whether she had been handing over the money to Tiffany on schedule. However, with A poised to be Riss’ apprentice, the family relied on Sansa and A, prompting Balthasar to remain silent
Sansa, aware that Balthasar was unlikely to confront her, didn’t tone down her arrogance. She replied with a sneer, “Tiffany, I’ve been giving you a hundred thousand every month. It’s your extravagant spending that’s left you penniless to buy decent clothes.”
With a smug look, Sansa added, “A is far more responsible in this area. She consistently strives to honor our family and uses her monthly allowance wisely. She not only conducts herself with grace but also enhances the family’s reputation.” Sansa, grinning proudly, nced around. “You’ve all seen the admiration and respect your grandpa is receiving now. It’s all because of A!”
“Is that true?” Marissa, smiling slightly, asked. “Sansa, can I inquire about something? What remarkable act has A performed to earn such high esteem from everyone?”
Sansa replied arrogantly, “It’s because Doctor Riss has decided to mentor A!”
“Who mentioned that?” a deep voice interjected. Everyone turned to see Ferris, Riss’ chief assistant
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