Elena smiled slightly, then casually pulled two hundred-dor bills from her bag and discreetly slipped them into Felicia''s hand. "Here''s the thing—we received a tip that Madam Burke''s sudden illness was caused by family conflicts. We would love to learn more details."
Felicia''s fingers clenched tightly around the bills, her gaze flickering.
"Family conflicts? Well... it''splicated. Besides, we have a train to catch..."
Elena upped the ante, pulling out another two hundred-dor bills and handing them to Shirley.
"I also heard that Madam Burke''s daughter has aplicated rtionship with the heir of the Hastings family. Is that true?"
Shirley''s eyes lit up as she quickly grabbed the money, and her tone softened considerably. "Ah, every family has their troubles! To be honest, Nicole is really unreliable..."
Elena covered her mouth in feigned shock. "Really? Can you tell me more? What were they arguing about? Was there a third party involved?"
Shirley and Felicia exchanged a nce, greed flickering in their eyes.
"Well..." Shirley deliberately dragged out her words, her gaze drifting toward Elena''s bag. She expected more pensation" for her insights.
Catching on immediately, Elena pulled out a few more bills. "As long as you cooperate with this interview, I promise it''ll be worth your while."
Felicia eagerly snatched the money, her wrinkled face breaking into a wide grin. "Alright! Ask whatever you want! We''ll tell you everything!"
Elena led them to a café near the hospital. Arge promotional stand for YS Media was prominently disyed at the entrance.
Two people were stationed inside with professional camera equipment while another stood nearby holding a recording device and adjusting it. Felicia and Shirley were clearly overwhelmed by the setup, their faces beaming with excitement.
"Oh my! This is quite the production!" Felicia squinted her eyes with delight as she clung tightly to Elena''s arm as if afraid Elena would slip away.
On the other hand, Shirley struck a dramatic pose, flipping her hair with a coy smile. "Is the lighting too bright? I don''t want to look bad on camera!"
Elena stifled augh and guided them to their seats. "Ladies, let''s begin." She pressed the record button, signaling the start of the "interview".
"Nicole is nothing but trouble!" Feliciaunched into her fabricated tale, spitting with enthusiasm. "Even after getting married, she was still flirting with other men! My poor son treated her so well, and what did she do? She drove him to an early
grave!"
Shirley chimed in, eagerly embellishing the story. "Exactly! My brother adored her, but she was never satisfied. She just had to go
and fool around with other men.
How shameless!"
A cold smile flickered in her eyes as Elena listened to their outrageous fabrications.
Felicia and Shirley werepletely absorbed in their performance, too caught up
in their own lies to notice the calcting glint in Elena''s expression.
While Elena pretended to take notes diligently, she considered exploiting this opportunity.
Meanwhile, back at the hospital, the sharp smell of disinfectant made Mom frown slightly as she slowly regained consciousness.
When she opened her eyes, she saw me resting her head against the bedside, fast asleep. The dark circles under her eyes and her paleplexion tugged at her heart.
"She must have stayed up all night again," she thought.
Mom gently moved her fingers, hoping to adjust me into a morefortable position. However, the slight movement identally woke me up.
"Mom, you''re awake!" I jerked upright, my eyes brimming with relief. "How are you feeling? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?"
Mom shook her head, forcing a weak smile. "I''m fine, just a little tired. You stayed here all night, didn''t you? Go get some rest."
I busied myself, pouring her a cup of warm water and adjusting the bed to
a morefortable position. Finally,
I sat beside her with a deep sigh. "Mom, let''s move out of the Hastings residence."