?Chapter 152:


    It made sense that Cecily had never felt close to Elena. Sylvia was the opposite—warm, sweet, and endearing.


    Cecily was determined to squeeze everyst penny out of Elena, using it to fund Sylvia’s extravagant uing wedding.


    Suppressing her delight, Cecily yed her part. “Mr. Marquez, you see… Oh, Elena…” She wore a look of deep sorrow and added, “Elena, just because you’ve returned to a wealthy family and look down on us doesn’t mean you can pretend we don’t exist.”


    The café was alive with activity, other patrons bustling around them. Whispers floated through the air: “Goodness, the younger generation today seems to have no conscience, not even caring for her parents.”


    “Such a waste of education; she fails to grasp the simplest of values. Doesn’t she fear the consequences?”


    “Family bonds are the strongest, and family should alwayse first. Wealth shouldn’t alter how she sees her parents.”


    These whispers added intensity to the atmosphere.


    Patrick quickly rose to his feet and directed Elena to leave. “Leave, and do not return. You are not wee here.” He even tossed out the box of scented candles he had previously admired.


    Elena paused at the doorway as Patrick turned away, refusing to face her any longer. Knowing Patrick’s nature, she understood she probably wouldn’t get the cinnabar today. She slung her bag over her shoulder, ready to go.


    Elena threw the box of scented candles back onto the table and said, “Once it’s given, there’s no reason to take it back.”


    Seeing her return the candles, Patrick thought she was still hoping to buy cinnabar from him.


    Silence fell over the room for a moment.


    Elena turned to leave quietly, not trying to convince Patrick any further. Business was based on mutual agreement. If Patrick chose not to sell, she would simply seek another source for the cinnabar.


    After leaving the café, Elena had barely covered a few hundred meters when someone called out to her.


    Cecily, out of breath, quickly caught up from behind. “Stop! Why are you rushing off so quickly?”


    Elena paused and turned to face Cecily, her eyes calm but distant, radiating a chilling mystery that made Cecily uneasy.


    Feeling overpowered by Elena’s presence, Cecily looked visibly ufortable.


    “What was that you said?” Elena asked, her voice steady.


    Cecily hesitated, not daring to repeat her earlier words in front of Elena.


    She answered, “Nothing. It’s nothing.”


    Suddenly remembering why she had followed, Cecily shifted to a more authoritative tone. “You’re never the considerate type. Sylvia is about to be engaged to Darren, and you should contribute.”


    Cecily’s eyes sparkled with greed. “The Harper family is incredibly wealthy. Surely, they must have given you a lot. You should give Sylvia fifty million for her wedding.”


    Cecily figured fifty million would be more than enough for Sylvia. Given that the Harper family was among the elite in the, fifty million must be a minor sum to them.


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