Chapter 88 If William Doesn't Like You, I'll Call Him Dad
Winter was about to suggest she go with Aria to her prenatal checkup but stopped herself, realizing Thalia might not want to hear Aria's name.
Thalia, however, had already spotted Aria standing nearby, her pregnant belly unmistakable. Her expression shifted. "If there's nothing else, we're heading out now."
Winter was taken aback. She was still waiting for Aria to give birth and get a paternity test. If the baby wasn't Walter's, there might still be hope for Walter and Thalia. This...
"Thalia, you and Mr. Brown?"
"He's my boyfriend," Thalia quickly clarified, worried William might say something inappropriate.
Hearing Thalia's curt statement, William tightened his grip around her, causing Thalia some discomfort.
"What about my cousin?" Winter asked, stunned, looking at Thalia in disbelief.
Thalia scoffed, "Doesn't your cousin have Ms. Clark?"
She glanced at the extremely awkward Aria standing nearby.
"And he's about to become a father. Why is he still hung up on his ex-girlfriend? Isn't it embarrassing?"
Thalia couldn't be bothered to look at Winter anymore and signaled William to leave.
William obediently held Thalia and walked toward the elevator. Halfway there, Thalia suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right."
"That diamond necklace I gave you for your birthday, when do you plan to return it?"
Winter's face darkened. "What?"
This was the first time she'd heard of someone asking for a gift back.
In her mind, someone as generous as Thalia shouldn't care about gifts she gave away.
Five million dollars was nothing to her.
The Smith family's billion-dollar fortune awaited her inheritance, and she was also in the entertainment industry. Thalia's endorsement deals started at millions of dollars.
"I gave you that necklace on your birthday because of my relationship with your cousin. Now that he's cheating, shouldn't you return the gift I gave you because of him?"
"You didn't sell it, did you?"
Winter felt a chill down her spine and quickly said, "Of course not. How could I sell a gift you gave me?"
"Good. I'll send someone to your house this weekend. Remember to return it."
William held Thalia as they entered the elevator. She struggled to get out.
William didn't let go.
"What are you doing? Let go."
"Using people when needed, discarding them when not. Your face changes quite fast."
"Ms. Smith, you just used me. Shouldn't I get something in return?"
"What do you want...?"
Thalia was pinned against the elevator wall by William. She was about to say something but was silenced by his lips.
...
Winter stood in the hospital corridor, her face grim.
Her entire demeanor suggested someone owed her millions of dollars.
Aria knew Winter was upset and didn't speak to her.
"You can handle the rest of the checkup yourself!"
Winter was furious, feeling like she'd lost five million dollars just by accompanying Aria to the checkup.
She would never be able to afford such a five-million-dollar diamond necklace in her lifetime.
Now that Thalia wanted it back, her heart ached!
Aria pressed her lips together, watching Winter leave without saying a word.
Winter returned to the Liang household and immediately started digging through her vanity, looking for the diamond necklace. She knew Thalia wasn't bluffing and would definitely follow through. This was no idle threat.
If she didn't return it, she'd be in deep trouble.
Thalia's personality would ensure she faced serious consequences.
"Mom, have you seen the diamond necklace Thalia gave me?" Winter called out.
"What necklace?" her mother replied absentmindedly.
"The diamond necklace," Winter repeated, a bit more urgently.
"Oh, Lyra Cole said she needed it to meet a client today. She must have taken it," her mother answered casually.
Winter felt a sinking feeling. This couldn't be good.
"What kind of client needs a five-million-dollar necklace?" she asked, incredulous.
Her mother didn't have an answer.
Seeing this, Winter shut the door in frustration.
...
By the time Thalia got home, some time had passed, and William had just left.
Evelyn approached her, handing over a phone. "Check out the news. The whole Emerald City is buzzing about whether you're with Elon."
Thalia glanced at the messages, seeing various shocked speculations, and handed the phone back to Evelyn, unimpressed.
"I saw Winter today," Thalia mentioned.
"Who?" Evelyn asked, puzzled, then remembered. "Walter's cousin?"
"The one you gave a five-million-dollar diamond necklace to?" she clarified.
Thalia nodded lazily.
"Did you two fight?" Evelyn inquired.
"Not really. I saw her with Aria at a checkup, chatted a bit, and asked her to return the necklace," Thalia explained.
Evelyn was taken aback. "What kind of checkup at night? Maybe she's getting her comeuppance and can't keep the baby?"
"Don't say that. Adults have their own issues. Don't curse an unborn child," Thalia chided her.
Evelyn laughed like she'd heard a joke. "You're so kind. When she was sleeping with your man, there was no room for negotiation."
Thalia scratched her head, and Evelyn noticed. "What happened to your arm?"
"Got scraped by an electric scooter," Thalia explained.
Evelyn thought for a moment. "If William doesn't like you, I'll call him dad."
Thalia: ...
"If calling him dad means he'll take my case, that'd be great," Thalia retorted.
Evelyn: "Get lost."
...
"Where are we going?" Daniel asked, having been called out late at night by William and waiting for a while.
He'd followed William from the hospital, carrying Thalia out, sending her home, and taking care of her like a daughter.
He couldn't understand what attracted William to this delicate princess.
"To find Rainey Ward," William replied curtly.
"Why?" Daniel was surprised. William usually looked down on those old men who flaunted their wealth and slept with young women. Disgusting.
William didn't answer, and Daniel suddenly realized something, looking at William in shock. "Are you doing this for Thalia?"
The Ward family was influential in the entertainment industry.
William usually looked down on them. Going to find him was unusual.
...
At Eclipse Lounge.
Rainey was cuddling with a woman when his secretary entered with a strange expression. "Mr. Ward, someone's here to see you."
"Who? Such a buzzkill. Tell them I'm in a meeting," Rainey, in his fifties, overweight and repulsive, grumbled.
As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the private room was kicked open. A voice rang out, "Mr. Ward, what kind of meeting are you having?"