Chapter 88: Flower Thief 88

After Lucio set off on his mission, Selena found herself at a loose end. Suddenly, she realized that since getting married, her life had been completely dominated by Lucio. Now, with all this free time, she felt a bit uncomfortable with this sudden change. Selena quickly instructed Mariana to bring out the account books from all the shops to audit them; she needed to find something to occupy herself.

As she pored over the books in the room, Mariana fanned her, and though there was an ice basin beside the chair keeping her cool, the task of going through the books required concentration, and Selena still felt a bit sweaty around the nose. Originally, she had no idea how to do these things, but there were some things she couldn't avoid learning, as an owner who can't understand the accounts is easily fooled by the employees.

After going through two or three books, Mariana came in and said that Thoma had sent a message saying there were problems at the store. Selena's first reaction was to think of her mother, so she hastily left the mansion and took a carriage directly to her family's store.

When she arrived, she found a woman with a small child blocking the store entrance and crying, preventing people from entering. Around them had gathered a group of curious onlookers, and the child's crying, along with the shouts of the store employees, made her feel chest tightness even before getting off the carriage. The sight would probably make her mother faint if she saw it.

Selena frowned with displeasure, looking down at the woman with disheveled hair. Then her eyes fell on the child, who had a flushed face and was crying with his mouth open. Just seeing him seemed extremely pitiful to her, but the mother seemed concerned only with fixing her clothes and didn't even bother to look at him or comfort him.

Suddenly, Selena felt a surge of anger in her heart. In the scorching July heat, she stood here, disregarding the child's well-being, and engaged in a heated argument with others. Could such a woman still be considered a mother? If she didn't cherish her own kid, who else would care for it? If it were her, she would never let her child suffer like this...

As her anger and disdain grew stronger, her face became as cold as ice, and she glanced at the servants before looking at Xu Neng. Thomas hurriedly said, "Miss, the master and mistress went out at noon and haven't returned yet."

Tasilla, on the other hand, brushed aside her disheveled hair with one hand as she looked at Selena, who was standing in the same position, looking down at her. She seemed even more delicate and charming than when they had met two years ago, with her smooth skin and alluring appearance. Her long, soft hair was coiled up in a bun on top of her head, and her light green chiffon dress gave her a particularly fresh look.

With her slender arms and jade-like fingers, her delicate waist and fair skin, and her eyebrows like brushstrokes and eyes like peach petals, she had an incredibly enchanting appearance. At this moment, her expression was both smiling and angry, exuding a captivating aura.

Tasilla, dressed in a luxurious silk gown, felt completely inferior when compared to Selena. Seeing Selena looking down at her without saying a word, Tasilla felt suffocated and inferior. Thinking about her own lack of confidence and how her husband still longed for Tasilla, who now had a child and had lost her slim figure, with a wider waist and a large belly, as well as having rough, dark skin due to agricultural work, she felt even more insecure, without the confidence she used to have as the village beauty.

Seeing Selena's gaze, Tasilla spat on the ground and said disdainfully, "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen a woman before?"

After hearing Selena's words, Tasilla hugged her son tightly and promised, "If Mr. Sanchez isn't here, I'll wait here with my son. I'll wait until he comes back, and if anyone dares to touch us, today I'll face death with my son in front of your shop..."

Selena snorted and then looked at the woman, who had brushed aside her hair to reveal her face. If she wasn't mistaken, this woman was Antonio's wife.

If a woman becomes ruthless, she can be even more heartless than a man. Selena, upon hearing this, couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly, but she wasn't angry. "In that case, don't let the scorching sun harm the child outside. Come inside and wait in the inner chamber."

"I dare not. Once I enter your house, I don't know if I'll come out alive. I'll wait here," she said firmly as she stood at the door of Jose's shop, holding her child tightly. The child, already feeling hot, cried heavily from being held so tightly, but she remained standing with a stiff neck.

Initially, Selena was polite because she felt sorry for the child. However, seeing the woman's stubbornness, she couldn't help feeling annoyed. Her expression turned colder as she spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Are you here because of Antonio's involvement in the theft of our dried flowers and other raw materials? Such sneaky and disgraceful behavior already gave him a chance to settle with compensation and leave with some dignity. What else do you want?"

"Antonio has worked like a slave for your family for so many years, and you've made a fortune. Now, you turn around and accuse us of stealing dried flowers to sell. You deny your obligations and even want to reclaim past wages. You think you can take advantage of us rural folks. Let me tell you, Antonio is innocent. He's been framed. If you have no evidence, accusing him of wrongdoing is just baseless slander. If you're capable, present your evidence and confront us face to face..."