Chapter 7 Ask For Help

Ariana couldn't believe her eyes at first. She sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes. Afterward, she read the news again only to be certain that it was her late mother's stuff.

Needless to say, her stepmother, Glenda was behind this.

The necklace that was put up for sale was part of a complete set of jewelry. Each piece was exquisite and invaluable. This one was inlaid with a rare ruby.

Ariana's heart ached as she stared at it in the picture.

Before her mother passed away, she handed her the whole set of jewelry and told her to wear it on her wedding day.

Glenda not only seized the jewelry, but also put the necklace up for sale.

Tears welled up in Ariana's eyes. There was a high possibility that she would never get the necklace back, but she swore to recover the rest of her mother's possessions.

Ariana had thought she had a lot of time on her hands to do that. But now, it seemed Glenda would sell them all if she didn't strike while the iron was hot.

She decided to go to the Edwards family house to claim what was rightfully hers at the crack of dawn tomorrow. A thought suddenly struck her, dampening her mood.

Glenda was an evil woman. She would not let Ariana into the house, let alone hand over the items.

Perhaps she would if Theodore went with her.

Glenda was an ass-kisser. She always buried her arrogance when dealing with people more powerful than her. It went without saying that she wouldn't refuse the heir of the Anderson family.

Now, Ariana was faced with another problem. How would she convince Theodore to go with her? He had told her not to appear in front of him again. There was no way he would agree to help when he hated her. What was she going to do?

Ariana collapsed on the bed again and rolled over. After racking her brain for the whole night, she finally summoned the courage to ask her so-called husband for help. She hoped to strike a deal with him.

Businessmen couldn't resist deals as long as they could profit from them.

As the first daughter of her father, Ariana was entitled to part of the Edwards family's property. She figured that she could give Theodore her inheritance, except for her late mother's belongings if he helped her.

It was the end of November and the nights were longer. It rained all night, so the morning cloud was hazy, and everywhere was misty at about seven o'clock.

Once Ariana's alarm went off, she got out of bed. There were dark circles under her eyes and she had a banging headache. She walked out and stood in front of Theodore's door. After plucking up courage, she gently knocked on the door.

The pleasant smell of incense hit Ariana's nose as soon as she walked in. The thick wool rug felt so soft beneath her feet as she slowly walked over.

Theodore was sitting in a wheelchair and looking out of the window with a cup of hot coffee in his hand. Although he heard someone come in, he didn't turn around to see who it was. He just sat still like a chill statue.

"Ahem! Good... Good morning, Theodore..." Ariana cleared her throat and faltered.

Theodore didn't respond, nor move a muscle after hearing her voice.

Ariana's fear grew as she became a little embarrassed. She licked her dry lips and continued cautiously, "I know that you don't want to see me. But I came to make a deal with you. Could you please accompany me to my father's house today? I need to-"

"Fuck off!" Theodore cut her off coldly.

Ariana flinched fearfully. She lowered her head and said slowly, "Please just spare me some of your-"

"Boss." Horace knocked on the door and came in, interrupting Ariana again.

He walked up to Theodore and handed him a file.

Just when Theodore was about to open the file, he cast a cold glance at Ariana and yelled, "Why are you still here? Do you want me to throw you out?"

Ariana almost burst into tears. Without uttering a word, she turned around and ran out.

Staring at her receding figure, Horace gave his glasses a push and asked, "Boss, did I come at a bad time?"

Theodore didn't answer. He just leafed through the file.

Horace sighed and narrated, "I looked into Ms. Edwards' background like you ordered. I must say that she lived a miserable life. Her mother passed away when she was just thirteen years old. Shortly after, a stepmother and half-sister who was just a year younger than her showed up. Their existence proved that her father had been cheating on her late mother for ages. It didn't sit well with Ms. Edwards. She went abroad to study once she came of age. Years later, her father died and she didn't get to see him again. Her stepmother took over everything, including her late mother's possessions. She's now selling them one by one. It's so sad."

"I know how to read, Horace!" Theodore frowned.

"Oh, my bad!" Horace kept silent. But after two minutes, he couldn't help saying, "Boss, if I may, I think Ms. Edwards' childhood experience is very similar to yours. You both have stepmothers and half-siblings that are-"

"For fuck's sake, Horace Silence! Do I have to cut off your tongue to remind you of your surname?" Theodore's eyes shot lasers as he stared at his assistant.

Horace stepped back and did the zip-mouth gesture.

"Did you just say that her mother's stuff is being sold?"

Horace nodded quickly.

Theodore snorted and controlled the wheelchair, moving closer to the window. He resumed watching the beautiful scenery outside.

However, his mind was somewhere else. He recalled how Ariana almost burst into tears and left the room embarrassed. He sneered once he figured everything out.

What a fool! She couldn't even ask for help properly.

*

Ariana was currently having a hard time.

With no help, she went to the Edwards family house under the heavy downpour. She rang the doorbell until someone finally answered. She so hated this person's guts.

"Ariana? Why are you here?" Jasper immediately questioned with an ambiguous smirk.