Chapter 33
I billion dollars!
The onlookers gasped.
Everyone knew that 1 billion dollars exceeded the limit of an ordinary bank card unless it was a trust card tied to the fund.
Calvin, the eldest son of the Barrett family, was indeed a legend. He had an infinity card worth 1 billion dollars almost 20 years ago, and he left it Maybelle.
A lot of people now looked at Maybelle differently. Before Malcolm’s arrival, they thought she was just the unwanted adopted daughter of the Harper family. Yet now, all of a sudden, she seemed to be glowing.
“Gee! I thought she was just an unwanted child. Who knows? She’s the real princess.”
“You know, come to think of it, she does look like Calvin. See her nose and her eyes! She’s practically the younger version of him. How come missed that before?”
“Calvin’s genes are perfect”
“Now I know why the Harpers could afford luxury cars and a big villa though their business hasn’t been doing so well. It’s all thanks to Miss Barrei
“She’s so lucky. I’m so envious.”
“Seems Dale and Beatrice have been treating Miss Barren poorly. She’s so great, but they favor Rhen, their real daughter. Could they be any stupider?”
“If Miss Barrett stays with me, I swear I’ll give her anything she wants. She won’t suffer a bit.”
“Check out Mrs. Presion’s twisted face. 1 bet she regrets so much now. I heard that she had been opposed to Matthew’s marriage to Miss Barrett because she thought Miss Barrett was just an adopted daughter and wasn’t worthy of Matthew.”
“Seriously? Mr. Barrett left her 1 billion dollars, OK? Who’s out of whose league now?”
“Please stop putting that jerk in the same sentence as Miss Barrett, the daughter of my Prince Charming Just picturing the scene where they stand together sickens me. That jerk belongs with Rhea.”
It was such a shame that Rhea was held away after being slapped so many times,
If she had witnessed it, she’d have fainted with jealousy.
Dale and Beatrice panicked at once when they were asked to give Maybelle the card back.
“Mr. Bowen, some other day, perhaps. See? There are so many guests present today… Can’t this wait?”
Smiling gently, Malcolm refused to make any compromise, Tm sorry. But I’m sure returning the card won’t hold you long”
Dale kept signaling Beatrice with his eyes, indicating
for her to t
think of something
Having no other choice, Heatrice racked her brains and finally came up with an excuse.
She said, “Mr. Bowen, your sudden visit caught us off guard, and we didn’t know you were going to take the cand back today. It’s mexaluabile, and of course, we won’t walk around with it.
“It’s safe and sound at home. Why don’t you come to our place some other time to fetch it?”
Maybelle knew Beatrice would find all kinds of excuses in order not to return the cant, so she immediately pretended to look very curious.
She asked Malcolm while gesturing. “Mr. Bowen, is the infinity card you mentioned a solid black card with gold trim? There’s hardly any pattern on it except a string of numbers?
Malcolm played along, nodding repeatedly. “Exactly
Beatrice’s face timed pale. Maybelle had only seen the card once or twice at mout, and she actually remembered.
Maybelle smiled at her, “Mom, you’ve got a poor memory. When the hotel staff asked you to pay tonight’s bill, you used that card, right?”
Instantly, Dale and Beatrice gasped.
Hearing leer suestion, the guests started to whisper.
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Chapter 33
“No wonder Dale and Beatrice are so generous. It’s not their money. Shame on them.
“Of course, they don’t dare to return the card. See how guilty they are!“.
They‘
used her card without her knowing it. This is theft, isn’t it?”
At this point. Beatrice had no choice but to take the very valuable card out of her purse with a sullen face and reluctantly gave it to Malcolm
He looked at the card and confirmed that it was indeed the infinity card.
Then he asked them very seriously, “According to the support agreement, you have no right to use any money on this card without authorization but Miss Barrett just said that you used this card to pay the bill tonight.
“How many times have you used this cand? And how much
money
ry is left?”
Hoth Dale and Beatrice felt even guiltier, and she answered, “Only tonight. It’s… Miss Barrett’s birthday party, right? We only used the card becau we wanted to throw her a perfect party. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?
Her excuse sounded plausible.
However, Maybelle sneered, “Really?”
Malcolm immediately handed the card to his assistant. “Check all the charges on this card right away”
Hearing this. Dale pulled a long face right away. “Really, Mr, Bowent is that really necessary! Beatrice and I spent years taking care of Miss Barrett Don’t we at least earn this bit of truu?”
Before Malcolm could say anything, the onlookers voiced their disagreement indignantly.
“It’s 1 billion dollars we’re talking about, OK Can’t they even check the consumption record?”
“You’ve been keeping the card in your hands for almost 20 years. And you claim you only used it today? Yeah, right”
“If you ask me, I think you’re just guilty”
Dale and Beatrice were utterly uneasy, wondering what they should do.
Malcolm was indeed the best lawyer in the country, and even his aslistant was extremely efficient. In less than 10 minutes, the entire list of charge on this card was pulled out.
Dale and Beatrice obviously panicked; they swallowed hard.
Malcolm’s assistant handed him the tablet. He frowned at the bill and then read it out loud.
Purchasing a Mercedes Benz car for 900 thousand dollars, transferring 10 million dollars to Dale Harper’s personal account; purchasing clothing. totaling 41 million dollars; transferring 16 million dollars to Dale Harper’s personal account; purchasing jewelry for 2 million dollars.”
I was such a long list. Clearly, the card had charges dating back years.
Malcolm glanced at the sweating Dale and Beatrice and read out the balance. “The balance in the card is 100 million dollars.”
In other words, almirai two–thirds of the I billion dollars were gone.
Damn. You’re so checky. You spent 600 million dollars?“
u would have maxed out the cand
Mr. Bowen had come a few days later, you m
ning profinely, Dale and Beatrice were so bervous that they didn’t know what to say.
Hinng his lips. Izale finally found an excuse.
He said. “Well… “Tar market haut been doing well these years, and my company was in a bit of trouble, so we burrowed a little money from the card to turn around te radionally. We were going to return the money in a few days.
We did thas also because we wanted to provide Miss Harrett, with a good living condition. As for the car and the husuries… We bought them for Miss
en Rizda. Mabrie
this petant, be stubbornly put out a commanding attitude, trying to intimidate Maybelle, hoping that she would comply.
As long as star sided with them and spoke up for them, there was nothing Malcoluy could da
surprise, Maybelle didn’t play along
Chapter 33
She remained silent for a few seconds, and then her eyes became teary as she complained, sounding utterly aggrieved
“Mom, Dad how could you? You kept my identity from me for years, and I might be able to make peace with that. But this card is one of the few things my parents left me. How could you keep it for yourselves?”
While saying, she sneered deep down, thinking. Your family is a bunch of phonies; I might as well imitate you.
In everyone’s eyes, she was an icy beauty, and their hearts ached when they saw her so sad.
Maybelle continued. “Mom, the day you took Rhea and me to the mall for shopping, you bought her almost 10 million dollars worth of clothes and wanted to buy her jewelry wonh even more than that, but I didn’t even get a pair of socks….
“Turns out it was my money you spent
She said in a broken voice with tears in her eyes, which made the guests feel sorry for her. The thought that Dale and Beatrice favored Rhea while neglecting Maybelle enraged them, and they all pointed fingers at the shameless couple.
want to see you again.”
Pulling a long face. Dale had no choice but to endure. Then Maybelle uid. “I want to disown the Harper family. I don’t ever w Hearing that, he was flustered. If she meant it, she’d never sign the share transfer agreement.
Malcolm said solemnly, “Mr. Harper, I’ll give you a werk to raise money. After that, I’ll sue you on behalf of Miss Barrett Beatrice panicked at once. They had already spent 600 million dollars, and there was no way they could raise that much money. “What? No! Mabel, don’t be an ingrate. We’re family. Your money is ours. Don’t we deserve some reward for raising you all these…
Dale cui her off in time.
*Don’t worry. We promise we’ll give you the money back as soon as possible, worried that Maybelle would get upset again, he said hurriedly.
