Chapter 314 If You Have Something to Say, Don't Scare Me
"Look at that, she's putting on another show. How interesting."
Linda handed her phone to Nora when she saw the news. Nora glanced at it and felt disgusted by all the PR articles about Thalia and netizens praising her kindness.
Was this some kind of joke?
Thalia, kind?
"If she can do this, we can trash her for it!"
Nora handed the phone back to Linda, who raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue.
"Former richest man's daughter, a wealthy woman, and an entertainment industry star - for someone who was ready to give up on life because they couldn't afford treatment, do you think seven hundred thousand dollars is appropriate?"
"Seven hundred thousand dollars is just enough to cover the surgery and hospital stay. What about after discharge? Doesn't post-surgery recovery cost money? Doesn't recuperation cost money?"
"And that's called generous? Seven hundred thousand dollars means nothing to Thalia!"
When Linda thought about it, she was right. Seven hundred thousand dollars was just what Thalia made from one episode of a TV show - it really was nothing.
"I'll arrange it right away."
As soon as Linda's online trolls went into action, Layla got the news. When she saw all the negative posts, she laughed in anger.
How interesting.
"You know what people are like these days - I help you out of pity, and you complain I'm meddling. Isn't that something?"
"This kind of smear campaign - don't even need to look to know whose handiwork it is. Don't take it to heart."
Thalia clicked her tongue and glanced at Layla. "I'm leaving it to you."
"Where are you going?" Layla asked.
They had just paid the hospital bill and sat down for a few minutes.
"To collect a debt."
"What debt?"
"Money debt."
Layla was speechless.
At Mistwood Hill, the first thing Thalia did when she rarely came home was ask about William's whereabouts.
Fallon was caught off guard by the question.
"Mr. Brown isn't back yet, but he didn't mention any dinner plans tonight, so he should be home soon."
It was rare for Thalia to care about William - shouldn't she say more?
"Mr. Brown has had much fewer evening engagements since getting married. As long as you're home, unless he calls to say he won't be back, he usually comes home on time."
Listening to Fallon's chatter, Thalia suddenly felt like the meaning of life had changed. When Hayden was around, she mostly dealt with Grace. As for whether Hayden came home or not, Grace never asked - asking too much only upset herself.
So later, she got used to it too. Whether Hayden was there or not didn't matter.
Now, Fallon's words gave her a strange feeling, like she was in another lifetime.
Like going back to her youth, when Hayden and Grace still had feelings for each other.
As Thalia was lost in thought, an engine sound came from the courtyard. Fallon's eyes lit up as she looked at Thalia. "Mr. Brown is home."
Thalia coughed and pushed away those unnecessary emotions, stopping Fallon's movement. "You rest, I'll do it."
As William stepped into the house, a pair of slender hands held out slippers at his feet.
It startled him. He looked down at Thalia, his mind full of questions about what she was up to now.
"Put on your shoes."
William's suspicious expression swept across her face. After a long silence, he struggled to squeeze out a few words. "Did you poison the shoes?"
Thalia was speechless.
She kicked off the slippers at her feet, stuck her toes into William's slippers, and walked around in them, then looked up at him with an innocent expression. "No poison."
William looked confused.
"Thalia, act normal," he said.
Thalia said angrily, "I'm counting to three. Are you putting them on or not?"
Now that was normal!
William thought to himself, looking at Thalia's fierce expression and somehow finding it familiar and reassuring. He obediently put on his shoes and entered the house.
"Mr. Brown," Fallon suppressed a smile as she took William's suit jacket from his arm.
The man hooked his index and middle fingers around the tie at his neck, pulled it down, and handed it to Fallon along with the jacket, seeing Thalia still standing there looking displeased.
"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't scare me."
Thalia snorted inwardly, almost laughing in anger.
"Amara scammed me out of money."
"How much?" William was straightforward.
"Seven hundred thousand dollars."
William's deep gaze fell on Thalia. He didn't say anything, just took out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. Then Thalia's phone on the coffee table rang.
She shuffled over to pick up her phone and looked at it - a bank transfer notification for seven million dollars was displayed on the large screen.
"Satisfied?"
"William, you're this easy to talk to?"
"Depends on the person," William said directly.
Most people couldn't get any advantage from him. Only Thalia could make him willingly turn around and hand over money.
"Like who?" Thalia followed William upstairs, trailing behind him like a little tail.
William tossed out a few words. "Like you."
"Change your clothes, we're going out for dinner."
"With who?"
"Daniel and the others."
.........
In the vintage courtyard, heavy doors were tightly closed. From the outside, the place looked imposing and closed to the public. But when William's car stopped at the entrance, and the gates opened, they drove into a courtyard that revealed a forest-like estate with vintage architecture.
As soon as the car stopped, a server came over and led them through a long corridor, winding through countless turns before reaching their destination.
Without substantial wealth, it would be impossible to maintain such a courtyard in Emerald City, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.
"Mr. Wilson is already waiting inside. Mr. Brown, please come in."
"Mr. Brown, how many more amazing places do you have?"
"Like it?"
"I do."
"Want me to buy it for you?"
Thalia didn't dare respond. She always felt like William's words were traps she shouldn't fall into.
"Have you brought other women here before?"
"What do you think?"
"How would I know!"
"You're here, and you're not coming in? Standing at the door flirting - aren't you afraid of being seen?" Angelina opened the door from inside the room, smiling as she teased the two of them.
Embarrassment flashed across Thalia's face as William stepped into the room first.
"How did you all end up together?" Thalia rarely saw them all sitting together.
"We can gather together thanks to Mr. Brown's financial support," Nicholas said casually while playing a game on his phone.
Thalia sat down and glanced at his screen, speechless at his terrible gameplay. She felt contemptuous but didn't say anything.