?Chapter 141:


    Trinity burned with quiet fury at Jeff’s sudden cold shoulder. She cursed him in her head a hundred times over, but on the surface, she had to maintain appearances and y the victim. After all, she was supposed to marry one of the Evans sons. Sooner orter, she’d be part of this family. At least, that’s what she’d thought all along. Jeff, despite being too young to be her intended, wasn’t someone she could afford to dismiss. He was still part of the Evans family.


    Before, Irene had been the matriarch of the Evans family. To stay in Irene’s good graces, Trinity had made it a point to stay on Jeff’s good side. Now that Irene no longer held the matriarch’s authority, Trinity still had to stay on Jeff’s good side since he was Jason’s younger brother.


    Jason was second only to Cole in status and influence among the younger Evans men. If she couldn’tnd Cole, Jason was still a solid win. In short, she couldn’t afford to lose Jeff, her little admirer.


    “Jeff, I’m really sorry,” Trinity said in a syrupy tone. “I guess I didn’t pick the right gift. Just tell me what you’d like, and I’ll get it for you tomorrow.”


    Even after Trinity lowered herself so much, Jeff still wasn’t swayed. He didn’t say a word—just turned his back to her,pletely unmoved. Trinity pressed on, her voice quivering with just the right hint of sorrow. “I know you’re upset about what happened this morning. If I had known the Venacure could’ve helped Barbara, I would’ve given it to you in a heartbeat instead of taking it myself the other day. I would’ve endured the pain, no matter how bad it got.”


    Before, Jeff had been easy. One tear, one kind word, and he’d be putty in her hands. But this time, he was cold. Her teary eyes and trembling voice didn’t move him an inch. Instead, he threw her a cold, mocking nce.


    Trinity was seething inside but at a loss on how to salvage the situation.


    That was when Irene chimed in, feigning disapproval. “Jeff, how could you be so rude when Trinity’s trying to apologize with a gift?” Jeff didn’t reply. He just stood up and walked to a seat farther from Trinity without saying a word.


    “Jeff…” Trinity’s tears finally spilled over, streaming down her cheeks. Lance had had enough.


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    “Jeff, she already exined everything. What more do you want? It’s not like she can turn back time and un-take the Venacure. Stop being so unreasonable.”


    That did it. Jeff’s head snapped toward Lance, and he shot Lance a sharp, scornful look. “Idiot!”


    “You little…” Lance’s face turned crimson with rage. “You think I won’t teach you a lesson?”


    “Try me!” Jeff stood up, spine straight, eyes locked in a defiant re.


    “Enough!” Louisa tugged at her son’s arm. “What are you doing, picking fights with a kid? Sit down!”


    Grumbling under his breath, Lance finally sank back into his seat.


    Jeff let out a scoff and was just about to sit when he caught sight of Elliana at the doorway. His entire face lit up like a kid spotting his favorite snack. He sprinted over. “Elliana! You’re back!”


    His sudden warmth was aplete 180 from his earlier attitude toward Trinity—and it left the whole room feeling a little unsettled. Especially since Jeff had been one of Elliana’s loudest critics. Even Elliana was taken aback. Though she’d braced herself for his recent change in behavior, it still felt… weird.


    Before she could react, Jeff had already taken her hand and led her to the couch. “You must be tired after being out all day. Come, sit here and rest,” he said, gently guiding her down. He then poured her a ss of water and handed her a te of fruit. “You must be thirsty. Here, drink up and have some fruit!”


    It was like the frosty teen from five minutes ago had been reced by a puppy-eyed assistant. Caught off guard but unable to reject his genuine enthusiasm, Elliana took a sip of water and nibbled on some fruit. Jeff beamed, his goofy smile making him look both ridiculous and sweet.


    Elliana couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. What a whimsical teenager.


    The rest of the room? Speechless.


    Trinity’s fists clenched as her eyes burned with envy.


    Irene, watching her son cozy up to someone she barely tolerated, felt her stomach churn. But with everyone watching, she couldn’t say a word. She had to swallow her displeasure and keep smiling.


    After dealing with Jeff, Elliana finally had a moment to greet the family members in the room.


    Bertram offered her a polite smile. “Elliana, I never got a chance to thank you. That Venacure really helped us.”


    Elliana returned a faint smile. “No need to thank me, Bertram.”


    Right at that moment, Trinity handed a beautifully wrapped box to Elliana…


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