Chapter 642

Elisa didn't take the bracelet. Instead, she pouted and looked really upset. "Clea, Calista, and I are practically family now. If I take your apology gift, and then someone asks where it came from, and I spill the beans, won't folks start thinking the Ramos clan is all about silly squabbles?"

"And if someone thinks Calista's being petty over this, it's just not worth it. So, I gotta pass. Plus, you were juggling everything for the family gathering, doing it all solo. I should cut you some slack."

Clea's expression darkened. Elisa just had to shift the talk to the hotel.

She sneaked a glance at Nolan, and yup, he didn't seem too pleased.

During the party, Nolan had questioned her choice of hotel. If someone didn't know any better, they might assume the Ramos family didn't value their daughter.

Back then, Elisa had given a quick explanation, and Nolan, caught up in entertaining guests, didn't dig deeper.

But now was the time to tackle it.

Nolan pressed his lips together, his thoughts a mystery.

Earlier, to make it up to Elisa, he had transferred the shares of Seeking Perfume to her without a heads-up. Now, he pondered what else to offer.

Clea didn't want things to escalate, so she suggested, "Keep the bracelet as a gift from me. And I'll put you in charge of managing the three stores in the downtown mall. It's a great chance for you to learn the ropes."

"That's too generous," Elisa said, trying to hide a smile behind her hand.

Before she could protest further, Nolan chimed in, "It's not too much. Think of it as a learning curve. You'll have more on your plate moving forward."

Clea and Calista's faces tensed.

Did this mean the Ramos family would have to bend over backward for Elisa from now on?

Elisa finally stopped resisting and said, "Thanks, Dad and Clea."

Clea managed a smile on the surface, but deep down, she was shattered. In just a few minutes, she had lost nearly ten million dollars in assets.

As they chatted, the doctor showed up, and thankfully, the test results came back fine.

Elisa and her crew left first, leaving Gabriel to look after Calista.

Calista appeared distant. In the past, whenever something went wrong, Nolan and Gabriel were the first to console her. But today, instead of comforting her, they were focused on Elisa.

Could twenty years of family bond really be overshadowed by sudden blood ties?

The more Calista dwelled on it, the sadder she became, silently holding back tears.

Her voice was barely a whisper, but the room was hushed, and Gabriel picked up on it easily. Seated next to her, he inquired, "Are you still upset?"

Calista felt even worse upon hearing Gabriel's voice. Choking up, she asked, "Why haven't you left yet?"

She turned away from Gabriel as she spoke.

Gabriel let out a sigh but refrained from offering direct comfort. Instead, he suggested, "What do you feel like eating? I'll grab it for you."

Not receiving a straightforward response, Calista felt even more hurt. She cried, "If you don't want to take care of me, just go. No need to pretend."

Gabriel pulled back his hand and stayed quiet for a beat before questioning, "Why did you try to snatch Elisa's makeup artist?"

Calista tensed up, nervously explaining, "I swear I didn't."

"Calista, I can tell you're not being honest," Gabriel's tone turned serious.

Panicked, Calista immediately apologized, "Gabriel, I was just scared that once she's back, you won't treat me like a sister anymore, so I did it."

"You were my only brother, and now suddenly there's someone else. I'm scared you won't care about me in the future."

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she spoke.

Gabriel wasn't taken aback by her reaction. He observed her trembling shoulders and felt unsure of what to say. Passing her a tissue, he solemnly assured, "You're part of the Ramos family, so I'll always treat you like a sister."

"But I won't show favoritism between you, Elisa, and me. Elisa has endured a lot over the past twenty years, and I haven't even begun to make it up to her. I won't treat her like a distant relative."

"You know my style. I stick to my word. I cut you some slack this time because we're family. If it were someone else or any of your buddies, you should be aware of the repercussions."

"Calista, know your place and don't get false hopes. After all these years of me looking out for you, you should be familiar with my approach and temperament."

He delivered his words calmly, almost as a warning.

Calista hadn't anticipated such a direct response. She stood there, speechless, and as she turned to respond, his phone suddenly rang.

Gabriel's expression visibly softened as he answered the call, speaking gently and cheerfully, "Elisa, what's going on?"

Calista froze on the hospital bed.

Elisa was unaware of what had transpired on the other end of the line and casually inquired, "Gabriel, do you keep a tally of people you owe favors to?"

“Why do you ask?”

“Just thinking ahead about returning the favor someday, their gifts were pretty lavish. I need to plan ahead,” Elisa chuckled.

Gabriel joined in the laughter, "No need to fret with me around. Just enjoy unwrapping those gifts."

Elisa was so thrilled she could hardly contain herself. She hesitated, "Really?"

“Why would I deceive you?”

"Thanks, Gabriel. When you tie the knot, I'll make sure it's a grand celebration!" Elisa's excitement was palpable.

Gabriel had to stifle a laugh as he listened, reminding her to rest before ending the call.

Elisa waved her phone triumphantly at Howard, raising an eyebrow, "Did you catch that? They're all mine."

"Yeah, I'm all yours too." Ever since Elisa publicly acknowledged her relationship with Howard in front of Gabriel, Howard consistently affirmed his loyalty.

This earned him a stern look from Elisa, of course.

Arthur watched from the sidelines, feeling envious of the attention Elisa's brother showered on her.

Howard met his gaze coldly, remarking, "Don't be jealous. You're not that lucky. If you weren't a dog in your past life, that's the best thing that ever happened to you."

Arthur sighed. He had been too lenient with Howard. If he had known earlier, he would have placed more obstacles to ensure Howard never stood a chance with Elisa.

After bidding farewell to Arthur and Flora, Elisa returned home. The moment she walked in, she slumped on the couch, utterly exhausted.

But upon seeing the room filled with unopened gifts delivered early, she suddenly felt re-energized. She called out to Howard, "Come help me unwrap these gifts."

Meanwhile, Adrian was arriving to drop off the last batch of gifts. Upon hearing Elisa's request, he calmly left the gifts at the entrance and departed without a second glance.

Howard turned to Elisa, noticing her fatigue, and could only comply, "I'm here."

Elisa spent the next two hours gleefully unwrapping gifts, feeling sore and drained. There was still a large box of gifts from the Wall family waiting to be opened.

Among them, she discovered a property transfer agreement for an ancestral home. Further unwrapping revealed another luxurious mansion. As she continued, it appeared Elisa was well on her way to owning real estate and businesses across the country and even the world.