Chapter 206
"Since you can't provide proof, then I'm sorry." Michael didn't waste any more words with Opal and got straight into the car.
This Opal, her reaction was very strange.
The driver drove away.
It took Opal a while to react, then she started cursing loudly.
Jasper rubbed his ears, "Stop cursing. Mom, don't you think you're being really biased?"
Opal turned around and cursed at Jasper too.
"Is Nora really our family's child?" Jasper frowned, asking skeptically, "Sometimes I wonder if you've lost your mind? Nora is my sister, she's your daughter. How did you treat Evelyn back then? You practically got on your knees to be good to her. Did she appreciate any of it?"
Seeing Opal say nothing, Jasper spoke again, "Or do you think that because you've been pleasing the real Adams family's daughter for twenty-one years, once she returns to the Adams family she'll remember your kindness and give you money?"
Jasper laughed sarcastically, "And Nora—just because she's your biological daughter, no matter how you treat her, she won't leave, so you feel free to hurt her however you want?"
"Hurt?" Opal's eyes reddened. After seeing off the relatives, she dragged Jasper inside.
Looking around to make sure no one was there, Opal pulled out a check from her bag, "Have you ever seen this much money?"
"Where did this come from?" Jasper's face darkened.
"Do you know Nolan? The chairman of the Smith Group, Michael's father." Opal put the check away carefully, "He gave me this money to marry Nora off."
"Nora's reputation is ruined. How many good men would want to marry her? I'm doing this for her own good! Marrying her off so she can live a stable life and stop provoking these rich people! These rich people could make us disappear in a heartbeat!"
Opal felt Jasper was still too naive, "Besides, Nolan said that as long as Nora gets married and stops pestering his son, he'll give me another two million dollars after it's done! That money may not be much, but five million dollars is enough to buy a small apartment in the city center. I have to think about your future—you're not young anymore and you don't have a girlfriend."
"You think I don't know? All these years Valencia has set you up with quite a few women, right? They all think you have a mother who's been in prison, plus that burden Nora gave birth to." Opal said quietly, "You're my son, I have to think about you."
"Besides, don't you trust Valencia? What kind of bad family would she find for Nora? They'd definitely have money first." Opal sat down, thinking Jasper would understand her.
"Return the money." Jasper's face was dark as he tried to grab the bag from Opal's hand, "Don't you think you spent enough time in prison? Do you want to go back in there?"
Opal reached out to grab it back, "What are you talking about? He gave this to me!"
"Have you forgotten how they framed Nora and sent her to prison!" Jasper shouted, full of anger.
Opal froze for a moment, clearly scared too, "Then what do we do?"
Back then, after the real and fake heiress case broke, both James and the Adams family had transferred money into Nora's account, then accused Nora of extortion and blackmail, producing so-called WhatsApp chat evidence.
All that evidence was forged by Aiden and James after they logged into Nora's WhatsApp account.
And Nora, in despair, had pleaded guilty, which is how she was framed and imprisoned.
"If these rich people want to destroy us, do you think we have any chance of survival?" Jasper's voice was trembling, "You're really so disappointing. After all those years in prison, you haven't learned anything at all!"
Opal's voice started shaking, "Are you saying he's trying to give me money on purpose, then accuse me of extortion?"
"Money obtained through improper means is extortion!" Jasper tried to scare Opal.
Opal sat on the sofa, her face pale, "I don't believe it. He gave it willingly. Don't try to scare me."
"Return it tomorrow!" Jasper told Opal to return the money to Nolan, "If you won't go, I'll go myself."
With that, Jasper took the check and started to leave.
"Stop right there!"
Jasper didn't listen at all.
"Everyone's rebelling against me!" Opal cried out loudly.
Jasper wasn't going to indulge her.
Michael's home.
Michael brought Nora and Samuel back home instead of returning to the hotel.
Since Nolan had settled for going after Opal instead, he wouldn't keep blocking him at the front door.
"I ordered some desserts. Want to have a late-night snack?" Michael crouched in front of Nora, asking gently.
"I'm sorry." Nora nervously clutched at her clothes.
During those five years in prison, she had learned—almost ingrained in her bones—to be humble.
"Why are you apologizing?" Michael asked softly.
"My family's problems, I'm afraid they'll drag you down." Nora wasn't stupid. Opal had just gotten out of prison—why would she suddenly insist on marrying her off?
"I don't know if someone approached her." Nora looked at Michael nervously, "I don't really know Opal. If she uses me to hurt you for her own benefit..."
"Do I seem that weak?" Michael laughed helplessly, "With her abilities, it's unlikely she could hurt me. What I'm afraid of is them hurting you."
Nora bit her lip, her eyes reddening, unable to speak.
"Don't worry about it. Until she can provide evidence to prove the mother-child relationship, you just need to deny it. That kind of person doesn't deserve to be your mother." Michael pulled Nora into his embrace, "You have me. This is your home. You don't need to go back there anymore."
Nora gripped her clothes tightly, looking at Michael, "Okay."
At the Smith Group, a board meeting in progress.
"Mr. Smith, what's going on with Michael?"
"The project is halfway through—he can't just not come back? Is it health reasons or what?" Some board members couldn't hold back anymore.
Clearly, after these past few days of evaluation, these people had discovered that James really couldn't compare to Michael.
Perhaps James's abilities weren't bad—among the heirs of so many families, he could be considered outstanding.
But because he was being compared to Michael, he would never be able to stand out.
James's face was dark as he gripped his pen tightly.
"Hasn't Michael already come back?" James deliberately asked.
Nolan's face was very dark, "Maybe there's traffic. Wait for him."
Nolan was giving Michael one last chance.
Today's board meeting—Nolan had David tell Michael about it.
And he had prepared a backup plan too.
"Mr. Smith, there's a woman named Opal making a scene at the company entrance, saying she's looking for her daughter, who works at our company." The security manager rushed in anxiously.
Nolan sneered, pretending not to know, "Who's her daughter? What position?"
"She says her name is Nora, Mr. Smith's executive assistant." The manager quickly responded.
The board members all frowned, "When did the company become a place for shrews to make scenes? If not, just have HR fire Nora."
"Gia says Nora is the executive assistant and firing her requires the CEO's approval." The security person spoke again, "That woman is causing too much trouble, rolling around on the ground making a scene. It's seriously affecting the company's operations. Plus, Nora's mother brought several other women to cause trouble, saying they have heart disease and high blood pressure. We don't dare touch them."
Nolan's face was dark, "Tell HR to fire Nora! I'm the chairman of the Smith Group—do I need Michael's approval to fire someone?"