?Chapter 296:


    Gerald had nearly exhausted the supply of candles Elena had gifted him earlier, and the thought of asking for more made him feel ufortably indebted. To his surprise, she appeared with a fresh box in hand.


    “This is a truly thoughtful gesture,” Gerald noted with a warm smile. “I appreciate it deeply and won’t hesitate to ept.”


    Elena responded with a soft, melodicugh that seemed to light up the room.


    On the sidelines, Karen’s reaction was far less gracious. With a dismissive snort, she remarked, “They’re just scented candles. If Grandpa enjoys them so much, I can easily purchase more. How much do they cost?”


    Her voice dripped with condescension, barely masking her disdain as she eyed Elena from head to toe.


    Elena’s gaze sharpened, a subtle fire igniting in her eyes as she retorted smoothly, “Miss Spencer, you still think money fixes everything. Looks like you found your ck card.”


    Karen was visibly taken aback, her facade momentarily crumbling. Why on earth would Elena mention the card now? She was supposed to be ingratiating herself to Gerald, not stirring up trouble.


    As the initial shock faded, Karen’s features settled into a semnce ofposure, convinced Elena hadn’te to air grievances. Yet just as the atmosphere began to stabilize, Elena steered the conversation in an unexpected direction.


    Karen’s brow furrowed, her eyes narrowing in silent warning. She bit back the retort forming on her lips.


    Gerald, observant and increasingly concerned, caught the shift in Karen’s demeanor. His voice, grave and filled with unease, broke through the tension. “What’s going on here? Karen, what have you done?”


    Karen’s heart thundered as she watched Elena with bated breath, fearing Elena might bring up theirst argument. Elena’s smile remained serene, a stark contrast to Karen’s face, which drained to a ghostly pallor.


    Elena paused, the air thick with tension, before breaking the silence. “Miss Spencer was desperately searching for her missing cardst time.”


    Karen’s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Elena didn’t take the opportunity toin to Gerald, huh? Well, she made the right call!


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    Gerald turned his gaze toward Karen, his voiceced with curiosity. “Is that so?”


    “Yes, absolutely,” Karen replied hastily, her voice a bit too eager.


    Gerald caught the undercurrent of tension between the two women, his eyes narrowing slightly, but he chose not to delve deeper.


    Instead, he filled the silence with a lighter topic. “Elena, I just got some exquisite green tea. Please, have a taste.”


    He gestured to the butler, who promptly fetched the tea leaves. A twinge of envy gnawed at Karen as she watched. Her grandfather had reserved his finest tea not for her, but for Elena. That was frustrating!


    Karen, her voice tinged with a bitter edge she didn’t quite recognize,ined, “Grandpa, why didn’t you offer me any? It’s such a waste to give this exquisite tea to someone who can’t even appreciate its worth.”


    The tea, a rare blend avable only in March and April, required significant resources to maintain its fresh, fragrant essence well beyond its season. Offering it to Elena, who was unacquainted with such urban indulgences, seemed an extravagance to Karen, who watched with a mix of envy and indignation.


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