Chapter 359
Joel’s family had never eaten such expensive, delicious seafood before. Once seated, they dove right into the food, hardly sparing a glance at Maria.
Watching them reach their saliva–soaked hands into the dishes made her lose her appetite. She clapped her hands on the table, saying, “Take your time. I’m just going to snap a few food photos for Facebook.
Upon hearing this, Isla quickly took out her phone, excitedly saying, “It’s rare for us to get to have a feast in Kitmore City. I almost forgot to post on Facebook.”
Joel added, “Today’s a special day. We definitely have to commemorate it on Facebook.”
Joel thought they were about to hit the jackpot.
Naturally, they wanted to show off on social media.
After taking photos of the food with some captions, they also took pictures with Maria, carefully editing them to look great before posting.
Isla wrote: [My rich family in Kitmore City treated us to a grand feast and even invited us to work here. Huge thanks to my family!]
Joel captioned: [My aunt and uncle are big–time entrepreneurs. They’re so generous. We came here and feasted on shrimp and crab, each costing over 200 dollars a pound!]
While they flaunted their lavish meal on Facebook, Ronan and his group were also seated in a private room at a restaurant in Kitmore City, enjoying Shane’s treat.
CineCraft Studios wasn’t far from Kitmore City, but the two older folks were so excited in the past few days that they hadn’t slept well, and today, they finally faced the repercussions. They felt car sick, throwing up along the way.
Shane had to stop frequently, leading to their arrival in Kitmore City around two in the afternoon.
Considering it was break time at Donovan’s Restaurant and they were still some distance away, Shane found a random restaurant for the Stevens family.
Shane ordered a feast, and everyone was quite satisfied.
At that moment, Hamza, who was enjoying broth while playing on his phone, suddenly exclaimed, “Dad, Mom, look at Facebook! Joel and Isla just posted photos, saying Claire treated them to dinner.”
Quentin and Gavin quickly opened Facebook.
Upon seeing the photos, their eyes widened.
Quentin exclaimed, “Is that Maria? What’s she doing with Joel and his family?”
Quentin’s wife chimed in, “Joel’s whole family is there! This is great. We don’t have to go look for them now.”
Gavin said, “We haven’t managed to contact Claire’s family yet. Why are they dining with Maria? How did they find out about the Donovan family? How did they get in touch with Maria?”
Gavin’s wife added with envy, “Shrimp, crab, tuna! These dishes must cost a lot. They’re having a grand meal without inviting us.”
Hamza asked, “Joel said they’re going to stay in Kitmore City for work. Dad, Mom, when can we move to Kitmore City? I don’t want to stay in that rundown county any longer.”
5)
09:53 Sat, Nov 9
Chapter 359
Ronan said, “Quentin, call–Joel quickly and ask where they are. We should meet up.”
Quentin immediately called Joel.
Joel intentionally delayed a few minutes before answering.
Quentin bombarded him with questions, including when they arrived in Kitmore City, how they contacted Maria, and where they were now.
Joel replied unhappily, “Dad, you left us behind. Knowing Claire’s family is thriving, you all sneak off to Kitmore City without telling us.
“If it weren’t for Maria reaching out, we wouldn’t even know you’re living it up in Kitmore City.”
“We’re not living it up,” Quentin quickly clarified. “Joel, you’re misunderstanding.
“We only found out Zayn became a big star when we saw him on TV. We thought we’d go to CineCraft Studios and see him first, then confirm that their family really did become prosperous before telling you all,”
Joel seemed unconvinced, coldly saying, “You’d rather take the kids to find Zayn than bring me along.
He started arguing with Quentin over the phone.
Listening to their squabble over “sharing the spoils,” Maria felt increasingly disgusted.
After they hung up, Maria, following Athena’s instructions, turned to Joel and said, “Joel, my mom used to dote on you the most. Now that she knows you’re working hard on a construction site with three kids, she feels sad for you and wants me to tell you something.”
Joel was busy devouring oysters, mouth full and messy. He asked, “What is it?”
Maria replied, “Before we moved into the villa, we lived in my dad’s old factory worker dormitory.
“Although the dorm is only equipped with two bedrooms and a living room, we held the property deed, and that place is scheduled for demolition. Generally speaking, the number of properties distributed corresponds to the number of people on the household registration.
“My mom wants to transfer that property to your name. There are five members in your family, so you could end up with five houses.”
She wasn’t lying.
Bard Garden had developed, with a large supermarket and daycare center next door already under construction. it boosted the area’s development.
The demolition work at Vlento Court was in its preliminary research phase, and it would definitely be demolished within a year or two.
As for whether compensation during demolition would be based on property area or per person, it was still uncertain. But that didn’t prevent her from telling Joel.
Joel and Isla grew up in a small town and hadn’t seen much of the world, so they didn’t realize how many tricks big cities had.
They just assumed the Donovan family had no shortage of money, and their eyes lit up when they heard Maria’s words. “Really? Are you serious about transferring that property to us?”
If they could own five houses in a big city like Kitmore City, they would be rich.
09:53 Sat, Nov 9
Chapter 359
Just the rental income would allow them to live comfortably without working.
“That place is quite old. We’re not really interested.” Maria waved her hand dismissively. “There’s just one issue.
“To prevent anyone from exploiting the demolition to scam money from the government, the higher–ups stipulated that property owners must live in the house for at least six months.
“If you want that house, you’d need to live in it for at least six months.”
“No problem,” Joel said excitedly. “Even a rundown house in a big city is better than in the county. Take us to see Claire.”
Isla eagerly added, “As long as we can live there, we don’t mind how shabby the house is. After all, it’s only for six months, and you’re helping us find jobs, so we’re fine with that.”
Maria smiled, and just as she was about to say something, she received a message from Athena.
Athena: [Latest news. The Stevens family have arrived at the restaurant and are causing a scene. We’re planning to lead them to Vlento Court and have the young men fight it out there.]
Maria replied: [This plan is brilliant. I’ll execute it immediately.]
Athena called this tactic “defeating the enemy without battle.”
With so many celebrities in Athena’s family, it was impossible for Claire to sever ties with her biological parents and siblings. Otherwise, despite her mom being right, their family would face moral condemnation from public opinion, negatively impacting everyone’s development and future.
Thus, the best way to deal with the Stevens family wasn’t to turn against them or fight a lawsuit but to stir up their internal relationships, leading them to consume each other until both sides suffered loss.
Once the Donovan family heard Athena’s plan, they cheered and wholeheartedly supported it.
SEND GIFT
