Chapter 207
Michael's residence.
Nora was making breakfast in the kitchen. Michael, who had just returned from personally dropping Samuel off at school, leaned against the dining table and took a sip of water.
That Clea was really something. The kindergarten had already changed its principal and was still undergoing reforms.
Apparently, this was because the principal and some teachers had been caught embezzling and taking bribes.
His phone rang. Michael glanced at it—surprisingly, it was Gia from HR.
"Mr. Smith." Gia sounded a bit nervous, probably secretly tipping Michael off, "Nora's mother came to the company to make a scene. The chairman and board members are all there, and she ran right into them. Now both the chairman and the board are proposing to fire Nora."
"Nora is my personal assistant. Personal assistants report to me. I decide on her employment status. Even the chairman doesn't have the authority to fire my people." Michael said in a low voice.
"But Nora's mother keeps making a scene and causing trouble. What should we do?"
Michael's face darkened, and he fell silent for a moment.
This woman named Opal—was she heartless, or was she just truly vicious?
Nora was her daughter, after all. Was she trying to ruin her?
"Don't worry about this anymore." After hanging up, Michael walked to the balcony and called Jasper, "I'll be at the company in forty minutes. Your mother's already been making a scene at the company. Can you control her? Don't let Nori know about this for now."
Even over the phone, Michael could feel Jasper's anger.
"She took Nolan's money. I told her to return it, and she's making a scene at the company entrance?" Jasper's voice was trembling, clearly from anger.
"Is Nora really your mother's biological daughter?" Michael was somewhat doubtful.
"I've wondered that too, but I know my mom gave birth to a daughter, though she might not have raised her. I'm very sorry for causing you trouble, Mr. Smith. I'll go handle this right away." Jasper hurriedly hung up.
The Williams Villa.
Clea was drinking coffee with a face mask on. Seeing Jasper distracted, she lifted the mask and asked, "What's wrong?"
Jasper looked apologetic, "Boss, something came up at home. I need to handle it. Can I take leave?"
Clea leaned back on the sofa, "What is it?"
Jasper didn't really want to say.
After all, you shouldn't air your dirty laundry in public.
"Not going to say? Then forget it, no leave—unless you take me with you." Clea snorted.
"I'm in a bit of a hurry." Jasper said nervously, inexplicably not wanting Clea to see Opal making a scene.
"No problem! I'll drive!" Clea said happily, not giving Jasper a chance to refuse. She was already changing clothes, putting on a mask, grabbing car keys, ready to go out.
The whole sequence was done in one smooth motion.
Clea had just finished her face mask and didn't even wash her face. She put on a mask and sun hat and got in the car, "Aren't you in a hurry? Come on!"
Jasper hesitated a bit, but after thinking, he walked over and sighed, "Get out, I'll drive."
Clea scoffed. Jasper was criticizing her driving, "I'm a great driver."
"Yeah, great. I'm afraid I'll die young." Jasper said helplessly.
Clea raised an eyebrow. When getting out of the car, she deliberately stepped on Jasper's foot and leaned close to his lips.
Jasper's ears turned red, and he instinctively wanted to back away.
Clea, standing on his foot, lost her balance and fell directly into his arms.
Jasper had no choice but to reach out and hold her.
Clea laughed happily, "You made the first move, you have to take responsibility."
Jasper didn't know what to do with Clea. This trip to the Smith Group would also let Clea see what kind of family he came from.
What kind of mother he had.
Let Clea realize the class difference between them, the wealth gap, the difference in perspective, and the difference in upbringing.
Maybe, after seeing Opal's true face, Clea would keep her distance from him.
"What happened?" On the road, Clea asked.
"My mom got out of prison, took Nolan's money, wants to marry Nora off, and now she's making a big scene at the Smith Group entrance." Jasper sounded tired.
He didn't know how to face his mother.
Clea paused and looked at Jasper.
She had investigated his family situation.
But she didn't expect his mother to be this kind of person.
Then again, as a servant of the Adams family, she had selfishly switched her own daughter with the Adams family's daughter for her own gain. Truly selfish to the core.
Michael's home.
After breakfast, Nora glanced at her phone. A colleague from the Smith Group had posted a video in the group chat. The group was very lively, saying someone was making a scene—Nora's mother.
Nora's hands went numb instantly. She stiffly clicked on the video.
In the video, it was clearly Opal, making a scene on the ground, along with several relatives from the Thomas family.
She jumped up suddenly. Nora nervously ran out of the bathroom and saw Michael, already dressed and ready to go out.
"Mr. Smith." Nora's voice choked up, "Where are you going?"
"Back to the company for a bit. Stay home and wait for me." Michael walked up to Nora and pointed to his tie, "Is the color I chose okay?"
"It looks good."
Since Nora moved into Michael's home, Michael had been consulting Nora constantly.
Except for major matters, he would ask for Nora's opinions and suggestions on all the small things at home, then make improvements, making himself look like someone who didn't know anything.
Whether big or small matters, Michael would praise Nora, "Your taste is still the best."
Because Michael knew that Nora was very sensitive and insecure. This wasn't formed in a day or two.
Her personality couldn't be changed in a day or two either.
Michael was gradually giving Nora a sense of security and helping her regain her confidence bit by bit.
In Nora's view, if someone as excellent as Michael praised her every day, her confidence would be greatly comforted.
Her eyes reddened. Nora lowered her head, "Mr. Smith, my mother went to the company to make a scene, didn't she?"
Michael must have known.
"I'll handle it. You don't need to get involved." Michael wanted Nora to avoid suspicion.
Nora nodded, knowing that her presence would only escalate things.
"This Opal is your mother after all. How do you plan to handle it?" Michael wanted to hear Nora's opinion.
After all, there was a blood relationship. Michael wouldn't do anything too extreme to Opal.
"Just send her away." Nora didn't know what to do either. That was clearly her mother, yet it seemed like she wished Nora had never come back.
"Wait for me at home. What do you want to eat tonight? I'll have the butler buy the ingredients and send them over." Michael ruffled Nora's hair and kissed her forehead.
"Come back early." Nora looked at Michael nervously.
Besides asking him to come back early, Nora didn't know what else to say.
"I want to eat your cooking. It's better than what the chef makes. I feel like my stomach has been spoiled by you." Michael squeezed Nora's hand and turned to leave.
Nora's heart beat a little faster.
At least Michael acknowledged her cooking, which meant she had value to him.
And she liked it when Michael praised her.
It made her feel secure.