Chapter 84 Ms. Smith, Do Me the Honor?
Layla was always fast at getting things done.
In less than ten minutes, she had the list.
"Yep, both Linda and Nora are on it."
"Andrew's reputation is in the toilet right now. His fans are too embarrassed to even show their faces. Linda always saw him as a cash cow. And now you've basically killed her golden goose. She probably hates your guts."
"Nora signed with her agency?"
"Nora's old agency had too many big names. As a mid-tier artist, she couldn't get any good gigs there. Now that Andrew's out of the picture, Linda's definitely gonna push someone else to be her new money-maker, and Nora's all about the cash."
"That fits right into Linda's plans, doesn't it?"
...
In the afternoon, Thalia invited Evelyn out for some shopping.
The two had just walked into a high-end store, arms linked, when they saw a familiar face causing a scene with the store manager.
"Are you serious? Thalia's dad is dying, the Smith family is going bankrupt, and you still treat her as a VIP customer? Can she even afford this?"
"Ms. Mitchell, Ms. Smith already paid for this bag. She just didn't have time to pick it up last time," explained the sales associate.
The other woman sneered, "So you're saying this bag is a limited edition, right?"
The sales associate felt extremely uncomfortable under the mocking tone.
"Ms. Smith?" The person at the door immediately spotted Thalia and naturally heard the customer's difficult comments.
Thalia raised a finger to signal silence, leaning against the door to listen to the commotion inside.
She hadn't expected to run into Eleanor Mitchell here.
Evelyn was also surprised. The Mitchell family had moved abroad years ago due to their business expansion. Why were they back now?
Eleanor was Hayden's first child. Back in the day, Hayden and Eleanor's mother, Dahlia Mitchell, were deeply in love. They even made a secret engagement against their families' wishes.
The Mitchell family was a military family. Dahlia could never marry a businessman, so the Mitchell family had strongly opposed the relationship. They even knocked Dahlia unconscious and hid her in the military barracks, making it impossible for Hayden to find her.
Their relationship ended there. Dahlia thought Hayden would wait for her, but when she returned with a child, Hayden had already married his first wife, Luna, Chase's mother.
Since then, the Mitchell family and the Smith family had been at odds.
The person inside causing the scene was definitely from the Mitchell family, but Thalia was sure it wasn't Eleanor.
Thalia composed herself and walked in. The sales associate, who was trying to handle the situation, was startled to see her and greeted her with a trembling voice.
Thalia walked closer and saw Eleanor and Elowen Mitchell. She didn't waste any words and pointed at the bag, signaling the sales associate to give it to her.
The store manager, seeing this, quickly went to get the bag to prevent any further conflict.
Elowen saw Thalia and sneered, "Your dad is dying, and you still have the nerve to shop? Ms. Smith, you really are heartless."
Thalia glanced at her, "Your dad is already dead, and I don't see you crying every day."
She didn't think much of Elowen and didn't want to waste time on her today. Her gaze shifted to Eleanor. "You've never liked me. So why are you trying to take my stuff now?"
Eleanor's eyes narrowed. Unlike Thalia's boldness, Eleanor had the aura of a businesswoman.
They were completely different types of people.
Eleanor grew up in a military family, with a cold and stern demeanor.
Thalia grew up in a business family, confident and assertive.
They were complete opposites.
"Just bad luck."
Thalia walked out with the bag, her face dark.
"Don't let it get to you. You don't run into Eleanor that often."
"Where to now? Weren't we supposed to go shopping?"
"No more shopping. Let's go play tennis."
Thalia headed to the Aurora Tower tennis court and asked the manager to set up a game while she went to the locker room to change.
"Do you think Eleanor came back for a reason? Maybe she's after your dad's inheritance? If she joins the fight, you might be in trouble."
After all, the Mitchell family was incredibly powerful.
Even the wealthiest man in Emerald City had a hard time going up against them, which shows how influential they were.
The Mitchell family had strict rules, being a century-old family with high expectations for their children. The men went into the military or politics, and the women went into business. They were the epitome of a prestigious family.
The boys were trained to be soldiers or politicians from birth, and the girls were groomed to be businesswomen.
Thalia slammed the locker door shut, looking at her friend, "Aren't I already stressed enough?"
If it were anyone else, Thalia wouldn't care, but Eleanor was different.
The Mitchell family was too powerful.
So powerful that you couldn't ignore them.
"Ms. Smith, everything is ready."
Thalia grabbed her racket and walked out. The manager told her that her opponent was ready.
She nodded and headed to the court.
When she saw her opponent, she froze.
"Ms. Smith, we meet again."
"What a coincidence, Mr. Wilson. Here to play tennis too?"
"Yep."
Thalia never believed in coincidences. Every coincidence was meticulously planned, just like how she pursued William. Every "chance" encounter was carefully calculated.
Elon was just better at hiding his intentions.
In the world of adults, unspoken agreements were common. Everyone knew the game but didn't say it out loud.
Thalia smiled, walked in, and bounced the ball, "Mr. Wilson, don't go easy on me, or we won't have another chance to play together."
"Alright."
Elon could tell Thalia was in a bad mood today.
This game was her way of blowing off steam.
The manager watched from the side, relieved that it was Elon. If it weren't for him, many of their tennis coaches would have been worn out by Thalia.
Thalia played like a maniac, with no regard for anything.
The coaches were terrified of her name.
The game lasted two hours.
It was impossible to tell who won. When the last ball grazed past Elon, Thalia dropped her racket and sat on the ground, panting.
Elon picked up the ball, walked through the net, and extended his hand to Thalia.
Thalia looked at Elon's palm, noticing the scar that ran across it.
A soldier always had some scars.
"Thanks."
Thalia placed her hand in his, and he pulled her up.
"I know a nice restaurant. Care to join me for dinner, Ms. Smith?"
"I have..."