Ch. 651..660

Chapter 651: You Have Seen It All

Cindy Clarke didn’t mince her attitude about flaunting her status due to her connections anymore, her association with Adrian Zhekova was no longer a secret and she wasn’t trying to keep it one.

She felt a little sorry for the folks in Pingla Academy and apologized to them, “Sorry for the ruckus tonight, we better get going.”

Cynthia Florine and others were quite understanding, Parker Honi replied, “It’s alright. We were planning to leave after receiving the awards anyway.”

Yannick O’Brian, Daniel Vahn, and Aiden Huxley had already received their awards, Aiden asserted, “We were waiting here just to head back to the Academy together.”

Cindy nodded in agreement and said, “Okay, then… I won’t wait for you.”

“That’s fine.” Jasmine Hudson quickly responded.

After bidding them farewell, Cindy and Adrian left.

Without speaking a word to Edward Lopez or Wendy Clarke.

Or even acknowledging their presence.

Seeing this, Wendy hastily followed them outside.

“Cindy!” Wendy called out while trying to grab her arm.

But with Adrian involved, how could he let her touch Cindy?

Adrian promptly pulled Cindy away, leaving Wendy to grab at thin air.

Instantly changing her tactic, Wendy attempted to seize Adrian’s arm.

But Adrian easily sidestepped her, successfully evading her grasp.

He glanced disdainfully at the spot where Wendy had almost touched him, relieved she hadn’t.

It wasn’t tainted.

Wendy paused briefly and then said, “Cindy, mom and dad are here in Belfard. You should take the time to visit them.”

Cindy merely nodded, non-committal.

Observing this, Wendy added, “Cindy, I want to talk privately with you.”

Cindy raised an eyebrow and retorted, “But I don’t have anything to say to you.”

Wendy took a deep breath. With Adrian around, she was uncomfortable saying many things.

However, Edward Lopez had given her Cindy’s mobile number, she could text her later. She resigned to not hurry the process, lest she angered Adrian and took the fall herself.

Upon some contemplation Wendy made her move, “When did you get married?”

“Quite some time ago,” Cindy replied, aligning with the prior pretext Adrian heralded about their secret marriage.

“Quite some time! When exactly?” Wendy’s questions did not let up.

“We should get going,” Adrian prompted from the side.

Once Adrian spoke up, Wendy was hesitant to continue.

Watching as Adrian and Cindy turned to leave, she muttered obstinately, “Cindy, shouldn’t you notify your family about your marriage? As your maternal family, we were entirely in the dark about your marriage and only found out today. Isn’t this inappropriate?”

She was curious to see how Cindy would answer this.

They couldn’t just cut ties with their family right there and then, could they?

“I instructed her not to reveal it.” Unexpectedly, Adrian, not Cindy, answered first.

Wendy was taken aback and looked at Adrian in astonishment.

Cindy also didn’t expect Adrian to reply as he did, but she managed to stifle her surprise, acting as though she had known all along.

Only she could sense how Adrian had squeezed her hand when he spoke, a signal to Cindy.

Cindy, consequently, was even more determined to keep her expression in check.

Adrian continued, “You’re well aware of your family’s situation, aren’t you? Just an ordinary household, your parents aren’t even marketable. It’s a blessing for Cindy to have married into the Zhekova Family.”

“Accepting her into our family was our biggest concession, we absolutely won’t have any involvement with her maternal family. We don’t want to get attached to such an ordinary household or give any benefits to you.”

“Therefore, ever since Cindy married into the family, she has been under the Zhekova Family’s supervision. She can’t contact her maternal family. Even though we happened to meet today, it doesn’t mean you can associate yourselves with our family. Our prestigious Zhekova Family is beyond the reach of ordinary households like yours. From now on, don’t go about claiming to be our in-laws because we find that disgraceful.”

“If I ever hear equivalent claims about being from Clarke family and having ties with the Zhekova family, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Adrian’s response was ruthless yet Wendy found it, strangely enough, to be somewhat normal.

Cindy marrying into the Zhekova Family was an abnormal occurrence, only when the Clarke Family was scorned by the Zhekovas did it seem reasonable.

Although this meant that everyone from the Clarke Family, including her, were scorned by the Zhekova Family.

Nevertheless, Wendy perceived it to be a consolation. From this perspective, Cindy’s status in the Zhekova Family was precarious, not as wonderful as how others envisioned it.

Wendy then questioned Cindy, “Cindy, to get married into the Zhekova Family and enjoy all the wealth and honor, have you forsaken your own family? Don’t you recognize your parents or your sister anymore?”

Cindy, who seemed fearful of Adrian, shrank back and hesitated before silently shaking her head. “I had no idea it would come to this,” she said, her voice feeble, “Adrian didn’t say anything else but hurriedly dragged me away.”

Wendy pondered for a moment and decided not to follow her or stop her.

She just watched as Cindy and Adrian got into the car and drove away.

With her gaze downcast, Wendy fell deep in thought, too engrossed in her own world to acknowledge that Edward Lopez had emerged.

Edward Lopez had just arrived by her side.

“Didn’t I embarrass myself in front of Adrian tonight?” Edward suddenly uttered in a cold tone.

Startled, Wendy quickly regained her composure and turned to stare at Edward.

Regardless of how appalling Edward appeared to Adrian, Wendy knew better than to oppose him.

Edward turned, his grim expression and cold complexion making him unapproachable. Suddenly, he muttered with a cold laugh, “You saw everything tonight; how disgraceful I was.”

A chill ran down Wendy’s spine, so intense that she shivered, and she replied, “Young Master Lopez, why would you ever think that?”

Wendy failed to find any good excuses to reassure Edward, though.

She realized what had transpired. Wendy had borne witness to Edward’s humiliation, and it was highly unlikely he would still be interested in her afterwards. Who would want to be with a woman who had seen all their embarrassing moments?

Just being with Wendy would remind Edward of his disgraceful encounter.

Edward, who was used to female adoration and flattery, would never stand for such humiliation.

Wendy never anticipated her plan to woo Edward would fail at this juncture.

She had taken advantage of tonight’s occasion to meet Cindy, to apply some pressure and make Cindy anxious.

If possible, she’d even like to intimidate Cindy. However, she realized she hadn’t seriously affected Cindy tonight. On the contrary, she faced significant losses.

Chapter 652: Let’s Hear a Shout Now

“Young Master Lopez, if I were to say that I saw nothing tonight, I would definitely be lying to you, and you wouldn’t believe me. But I want you to know, I don’t see your behavior as shameful. After all, that was Adrian Zhekova, the successor to the Zhekova family, one of the Big Eight families.” Wendy Clarke took a deep breath, carefully crafting her words.

“Who wouldn’t tread carefully around him when he’s angry? There’s nothing laughable about lowering one’s pride for the greater good, for the family, when facing Adrian Zhekova. It’s just that Adrian didn’t consider me worth noticing.”

“I’m such an insignificant person in front of Adrian, I barely exist. Otherwise, I might be more afraid and kneel before him.”

“Young Master Lopez, I sincerely believe, you haven’t disgraced yourself,” Wendy finally said.

Edward Lopez stared at her, uncertain whether to believe or not.

After a while, he sneered, turned on his heel, and left, leaving Wendy alone.

Only when Edward had moved some distance away did Wendy start to breathe normally.

The cold wind on this winter night seemed to make her forehead even cooler than usual. Wendy touched her forehead and realized that she had broken out in a cold sweat.

Adrian Zhekova had had a bit to drink tonight. He wasn’t drunk, but Cleave Roland drove the car.

Adrian had been holding Cindy Clarke’s hand before getting into the car. They were briefly separated as they got in the car, but as soon as they were in, he immediately grabbed Cindy’s hand again.

“Everything I just told Wendy was a lie. I was just trying to scare her, so she won’t persuade your parents to make things difficult for you,” Adrian hurriedly explained to Cindy as soon as he got into the car.

Cindy naturally knew that Adrian was not going to despise her, as he claimed. “Besides, didn’t you pinch me just now? I got your hint,” she said.

Unfortunately, with Cleave Roland in the front seat, many things were difficult to say. Adrian found it better to drive himself.

Cindy leaned into Adrian’s neck and took a few sniffs, then lightly sniffed at the corner of his mouth.

“What are you doing?” Adrian looked down and took a few sniffs of his own shoulders. “Do I smell?”

“No,” Cindy shook her head. “I was just checking to see if there was any alcohol smell. Did you drink a lot tonight?”

Had it not been for the drinking, Adrian would never have let Cleave Roland drive.

“I didn’t dare to drink much, but even if I did drink a little, I wouldn’t dare to drive,” Adrian said with a smile.

Cindy nodded, “That’s true.”

But it was somewhat awkward to have a conversation with Cleave Roland there.

They whispered some sweet nothings to each other and found it quite entertaining.

Back at home, Morgan Zhekova had already been put to sleep by Aunt Jenkins.

Seeing the couple return, Aunt Jenkins left.

Adrian thought it was great that Morgan was sleeping so soundly, and he pulled Cindy directly into the bedroom.

Cindy had intended to see Morgan, even if he was already asleep, she wanted to give him a gentle kiss.

Little did she know Adrian would pull her into the bedroom without saying a word.

Once the door was closed, Adrian excitedly said to Cindy: “I heard you call me ‘husband’ tonight.”

Cindy: “…”

He was still so excited about something that happened quite some time ago.

Cindy couldn’t help but reflect, did she seldom call him that way? So when Adrian heard it once, he got so excited.

As Cindy was thinking about this, Adrian leaned in to kiss her.

Holding her face in his hands, he asked, “What are you distracted by?”

“Nothing,” Cindy quickly shook her head.

“You deny it, but your eyes were just wandering. What were you thinking about?” Adrian asked.

Barely missing a beat, Cindy replied, “I was thinking about you.”

Adrian: “…”

This girl, she seemed to have become more cheeky, speaking such sweet words effortlessly.

Seeing Adrian’s disbelief, Cindy quickly explained, “It’s true, I was self-reflecting.”

This further confused Adrian. “What were you reflecting on?”

“I was reflecting on whether I’m usually not good enough to you, judging by how happy you were when I called you ‘husband'”, Cindy murmured.

She thought hard, she hadn’t done anything wrong to Adrian, had she?

Adrian then picked her up; “It was just because you rarely call me that way, the rarity makes it more precious.”

Cindy thought for a moment, her eyes shifting, before she asked, “Do you prefer me calling you Adrian or ‘husband’?”

After a good deal of thought, Adrian said, “Both. Each name has its own charm. When you call me ‘husband’, your voice gets soft and sweet, which I find especially endearing.

Did she really sound like that when she called him “husband”? Cindy never noticed.

“When you call me Adrian, it makes our relationship sound especially intimate, like a husband and wife, like partners. So, I like both,” he said.

With that, Cindy did not know which one to choose.

Adrian then suggested, “Call me by both often. I like both. Call me ‘husband’ when you want to act spoiled.”

Only then did Cindy realize that she had unwittingly enjoyed playing the cute and spoiled with Adrian.

As she was lost in thought, Adrian suddenly leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Even in day time, when it’s just the two of us, you can call me ‘husband’. I like that the most.”

Cindy’s face turned beet red, lightly pounded his chest.

What did he mean by day and night? As if they were doing something during the day.

Then she remembered, they really had had some moments during the day.

Before she knew, Adrian was already lifting her off the floor

The next second, Cindy found herself being pressed down on the bed by Adrian

Cindy let out a small shout of surprise. Fortunately, Adrian’s place was big and filled with rooms, so she didn’t have to worry about waking the little one up.

Holding Cindy’s wrists, Adrian chuckled, “I love hearing you call me ‘husband’, especially when you’re in my arms, losing all rational thought while calling out my name tremulously.”

Cindy knew exactly what Adrian was referring to, and her face turned even redder.

Adrian then urged in a low voice, “Call me now, let me hear.”

With her face flushed, Cindy clenched her lips tightly, unable to utter a word.

Adrian put on a disappointed face, “You were just asking me about my preference, and also felt you haven’t been treating me well. Why are you backing out now?”

Chapter 653: Not Planning to Give You a Single Cent

Adrian Zhekova spoke in a pitiful and wronged tone, “How can you go back on your word? I’m heartbroken.”

Cindy Clarke: “…”

Adrian Zhekova acted like a big, pitiful Alaskan dog shedding tears in front of her.

Thinking about her words just now, Cindy also felt that she was a bit of a jerk.

So, under Adrian’s pitiful gaze, Cindy whispered, “Hus…husband…”

This excited Adrian, who forcefully covered Cindy’s lips and said, “Call me that more.”

***

On Wendy Clarke’s end, she returned to the hotel where Christy Xenos and Joshua Clarke were staying. She didn’t even have time to go back to her own room to pack before rushing to Christy and Joshua’s room.

Christy opened the door for her, and as soon as Wendy entered, Christy hurriedly asked, “Wendy, how did it go? What happened tonight? What was Cindy’s reaction? Is she scared and panicking now?”

As soon as this topic came up, Wendy’s face turned cold.

Whether Cindy was scared or panicking, she didn’t know.

But now she was panicking, offending Cindy and being disdained by Edward Lopez.

Wendy had thought about Edward all the way and knew that she couldn’t count on him.

After so much effort, everything had come to naught.

Meanwhile, Cindy had gained an ally in Adrian Zhekova. Even Edward was terrified of Adrian, showing that Adrian’s threats were not just empty words.

Wendy couldn’t help but worry. If Cindy said something to Adrian Zhekova, would he take revenge on her on Cindy’s behalf?

Would he target their family, target her, and target the restaurant she had worked so hard to build?

Now Wendy could only hope that Adrian didn’t think highly of Cindy’s background, and that his feelings for her were just ordinary, not enough to cause trouble for Wendy.

As for Adrian Zhekova retaliating against Edward Lopez for Cindy,

Wendy thought, either Adrian loved Cindy very much.

Or it was because the matter concerned Adrian’s pride as a man, and had nothing to do with Cindy.

No matter whether his wife was Cindy or someone else, if someone else encountered such a situation, Edward Lopez would have hurt his face, and Adrian would naturally be unhappy.

Retaliating against Edward Lopez wasn’t for Cindy, but rather for himself and for the face of the Zhekova Family.

If this was what Wendy thought, then Adrian might not seek revenge on her for Cindy’s sake.

But Wendy kept thinking optimistically, always analyzing in a way that was beneficial to her.

She forgot that if Adrian’s feelings for Cindy were really that ordinary, how could he marry her?

After all, if it were just an ordinary marriage, why not marry someone with matching social status? That would cause less trouble and not require guessing from others.

“Wendy, just speak up! What exactly happened?” Christy urged.

Wendy snapped back to her senses, took a deep breath, and said, “Dad, Mom, I told you, you’ve been deceived.”

“Last time you came, Cindy told you how poor her life in Belfard was, and she even asked our family for 500,000.” Wendy said coldly.

“But in reality, where would she look down on 500,000 now? Even if you gave her 5 million or 50 million, she wouldn’t even glance at it.” Wendy said sarcastically, “Cindy, now she is on the top of the world!”

“What do you mean?” Even Joshua Clarke’s attention was drawn.

Wendy’s whole body trembled with jealousy.

If she could marry into the Zhekova Family, marry Adrian Zhekova, even if she was bound by the Zhekova Family and had many things she couldn’t do, even if she had to sever ties with her family, so what?

She would be more than happy to trade places!

Wendy, full of jealousy, said, “Dad, Mom, do you know? Cindy, she married into the Zhekova Family.”

“The Zhekova Family? Which Zhekova Family?” Christy didn’t think of The Big Eight families.

“The one from The Big Eight families, the Zhekova family.” Wendy said, “And, her husband is Adrian Zhekova! The heir of the Zhekova family! The current CEO of Pingla Group and the future Family Head of the Zhekova clan!”

“Before, during the live broadcast of the competition, Zoe Silverstone and Iris Doone both said that Cindy had gotten through the Pingla Competition thanks to her connections and back doors.”

“But no one believed it then, and everyone thought that Zoe Silverstone and Iris Doone were framing Cindy. They thought it was because their abilities were not good enough, so they tried to drag Cindy down.”

“Who could have imagined that Cindy is Adrian Zhekova’s wife? The Pingla Competition is organized by the Pingla Group. As the boss’s wife, participating in her own company’s competition, who else would take first place if not her?”

“The judges claim that they are fair and will not score unfairly because of someone’s special status. But facing their boss’s wife, do they need a score? Who can be more special than their own boss’s wife?”

“When did this happen? When did she marry Adrian Zhekova?” Joshua Clarke immediately asked.

“I also asked about it.” Wendy said.

“Last time you came, didn’t Cindy complain about being poor to you? To avoid misunderstandings, I specifically asked her when she married Adrian Zhekova. You know what Cindy said? She said quite early.”

“What does ‘quite early’ mean? At least earlier than the last time you came. And even if we assume that the last time you came, she hadn’t married Adrian Zhekova yet, they must have been in a relationship, right?”

“A person like Adrian Zhekova couldn’t possibly have a flash marriage. The family behind him wouldn’t allow a flash marriage either. How could they trust a woman to marry into their family without going through a period of getting to know each other?”

“Adrian Zhekova’s wife will be the future mistress of the Zhekova family. When Adrian marries, will the Zhekova family elders not investigate Cindy? It must have been only after getting to know Cindy that they agreed.”

“Which means, at least at that time, they were in a relationship. Dating Adrian Zhekova, and Cindy claims she’s poor?” Wendy sneered.

“Unless she pretended to be a rich girl and spent all her money pretending to be rich. But how could she deceive Adrian Zhekova? How could Adrian not know about their relationship? So, this possibility doesn’t exist.”

“The fact is, Cindy has never been short of money. All the words she said last time were lies to you. Even that house might have been temporarily found by Cindy.”

Wendy sneered, “After all, as Mrs. Zhekova, getting a house like that is a piece of cake, right?”

“Many things that we can’t do, that we find difficult, are simple in their eyes!”

“But she has so much money and still cheated you out of it. She didn’t plan to give you even a penny.”

Chapter 654: Why Did You Lie to Me?

Wendy Clarke sneered at Joshua Clarke: “Dad, this is the good daughter you’ve been thinking about!”

“If she was really poor, it would be understandable for her to struggle in Belfard. Even a hardworking person alone in Belfard isn’t so easy. But she’s clearly so rich, marrying into one of The Big Eight families!”

“What is The Big Eight families? They are the top families in Hearth Nation, only eight in the entire country.” Wendy brought this up, full of envy and jealousy, and couldn’t hide the awe in her voice.

“Even the richest person on the list can’t compare with them. The Big Eight families never participate in wealth rankings, so no one knows how wealthy they are or how much their fortunes amount to. But everyone knows that the sum of all known ultra-rich people in Hearth Nation doesn’t even come close to a single family among The Big Eight.”

“These eight families are like behemoths squatting in Hearth Nation, and Cindy Clarke married into the Zhekova Family, one of The Big Eight families.”

“She married not just any side branch, but an important member of the Zhekova Family. Of course, even a less important member of the Zhekova Family wouldn’t be an easy catch for ordinary people. And Cindy married the Zhekova Family’s heir, Adrian Zhekova!”

“Saying she has no money? If she doesn’t have money, there must be very few rich people in this world. Compared to Cindy, we are just poor folks buried in dust. Even the compensation for my restaurant, which pains me to give, is as simple as spending a penny in her eyes.”

“But she has so much money and still deceives you, claiming she has no money. She even went through the trouble to create a fake house to deceive you and ask us for money instead. When you last visited her and couldn’t come up with 500,000, Dad said he’d give some of his pocket money to Cindy every month and she agreed.”

“Dad has only 5,000 for pocket money a month, and gives Cindy 3,000. Doesn’t that money burn in her hands? Can she live with herself?”

“Not to mention that this 3,000 yuan a month might not even compare to three cents for her. Even the total 500,000 is just small change in her eyes. She just wants to purposely disgust and embarrass you, not wanting to give you a single penny. So she deceives you, and who knew that today I’d run into her and expose her lies.”

Joshua Clarke’s body swayed a few times, staggering back a bit, and only steadied himself by holding onto the chair back.

He felt terribly discomforted in his heart, his chest stuffy and breathing difficult, as if something weighed down on his chest, his whole body burning with frustration.

There was only dry heat in his mouth.

He had two children in his family, Cindy and Wendy. His favorite had always been Cindy.

He had high hopes for Cindy since she was young. He knew that Cindy was bullied by Christy Xenos and Wendy, and he tried to make up for it by treating her as best as he could to ensure that even if she lacked a mother’s love, she would at least receive a father’s love.

But who would have known that all his fatherly love was wasted, as Cindy didn’t care about his efforts at all.

Cindy might not care about Christy and Wendy, but how could she not care about him, her father?

She even guards against him, fearing he would ask for money.

But how could he ask her for money?

Joshua Clarke’s heart was completely shattered, immersed in the despair of being deceived by Cindy.

“Why… why did she do this?” Joshua Clarke murmured, “Why did she deceive me?”

She clearly married so well, becoming the Young Madam of the Zhekova Family, which is a family that so many people can only dream of marrying into.

With just a change, Cindy became Adrian Zhekova’s wife. Not to mention that he would never ask Cindy for money, even if he wanted Cindy to support him, no matter how much money it was, it would be just a drop in the bucket for her.

The wealth of the Zhekova Family was immeasurable. As a daughter, was Cindy unwilling to even show basic filial piety?

Christy Xenos’ face changed unpredictably, immersed in the shock of Cindy marrying into a rich family. The Zhekova Family was not just any wealthy family. For Cindy, it was almost like marrying into royalty.

However, Christy was extremely conflicted, because she particularly hated Cindy, the very daughter she could never stand.

From a young age, she felt that Cindy was not smart, stubborn, and hard-headed, like a thorn in her side.

Though Cindy did well in school, Christy believed it was just because she studied hard by devouring books.

Studying all the time, she memorized every book. How could she not do well on exams?

As for intelligence, she never saw any outstanding aspects in Cindy.

Wendy had always been the smartest person in the family, and Christy didn’t like Cindy’s stubborn attitude either. She was completely unyielding, and once she was set on something, no one could change her mind.

As Cindy’s mother, Christy couldn’t control her in matters of education, exams, choosing majors, or career paths. Cindy never listened to her.

Christy felt that Cindy was born just to be against her.

With such a terrible attitude, Christy firmly believed that Cindy would have no future, in her marriage or her career. Who could endure such a stubborn person?

Those who would be her boss or supervisor would dislike her, and any boyfriend or husband would certainly not tolerate her.

But who would have thought that the very daughter she had no faith in would marry Adrian Zhekova, and be a part of such a top-class wealthy family?

It was as if Christy was slapped hard across her face, as if Cindy had personally proved to her that her notions were all wrong.

Originally, if she had a daughter who could marry into the Zhekova Family, it would have been a huge celebration, like saving the entire universe in a past life.

However, it was exactly this daughter – Cindy – who married in, and Christy didn’t know whether to be happy or angry.

Having a daughter marry into it should be a good thing, as they could receive some of the riches that came with it.

Even just a little of what the Zhekova Family had to offer would be enough for their family to enjoy endlessly.

However, it was the very daughter who had always been against them who married in.

With Cindy having such a stubborn attitude, it was unlikely she would give them any money.

Previously, they had come, and Cindy would rather pretend to be poor and deceive them with a house, rather than giving them money.

They wouldn’t be able to get the slightest benefit from Cindy marrying into the Zhekova Family. So what good was having such a daughter?

This was the reason why Christy was so conflicted at this moment.

Any family would be happy to celebrate if something like this happened to them, but she was incredibly suffocated.

“She’s just too unfilial, that dead girl!” Christy cursed angrily, “If she really had no money, it would be fine. We wouldn’t ask her for any and wouldn’t force her to support us.”

“After all, it’s not easy for her to struggle in Belfard alone. But now she is the Young Madam of the Zhekova Family.”

Chapter 655: I Don’t Care About Money

“Joshua Clarke, we’ve raised her for 19 years. Not only does she not give us any money, but she also asks us for more, as if she’s afraid we’d take advantage of her. Who treats their parents like that?”

“I told you she was an ingrate, and you didn’t believe me! Look at what she’s doing now! All these years you’ve spoiled her for nothing!”

“Wendy went to find her, and you were worried. You even told Wendy not to make things difficult for her. Hah, it would be nice if she didn’t make things difficult for us!” Christy Xenos said sarcastically. “Wendy has been earning money and supporting our family all these years without neglecting us. But what about Cindy Clarke? Even though she didn’t have any money before, now she’s a Young Madam in a wealthy family. And as she gets richer, she’s less and less willing to deal with us.”

“We’re not just some strangers; we’re her parents!” Christy Xenos continued, becoming more and more aggrieved as her tears began to fall.

Wiping her tears, she said, “Now she just wants to cut ties with us and break off the relationship. She’s afraid that people will find out we’re her parents!”

“We’ve raised this ungrateful wretch for so many years in vain! Joshua Clarke, all your love for her has been wasted!”

Joshua Clarke didn’t say anything because he couldn’t refute a single word.

What Christy Xenos and Wendy said were all true.

“That’s not all,” Wendy said. “Cindy really has guts.”

“What do you mean?” Christy Xenos became excited and agitated as soon as she heard Cindy’s name.

Wendy explained, “I think she must have married Adrian Zhekova with a child already. After all, Cindy’s child is so big now, and it’s impossible for her to have known Adrian Zhekova five years ago.”

If Cindy had known Adrian Zhekova five years ago, she would not have been cornered like that, and fled to Belfard in a hurry.

In other words, she must have married into the Zhekova Family with a child.

That child could not possibly be Adrian Zhekova’s.

Christy Xenos thought Wendy’s analysis made sense. As Wendy said, Cindy’s child was already 4 years old. She could not have known Adrian Zhekova five years ago, let alone have had his child at that time.

So, no matter what, Cindy’s child could not be Adrian Zhekova’s.

Christy Xenos couldn’t understand it. “What was Adrian Zhekova thinking? As the heir to such a large family, he must have seen all sorts of worldly experience. Why did he choose Cindy? He doesn’t even mind that she has a son and is willing to play the role of a father. Does Adrian Zhekova have such unique taste?”

Wendy hadn’t figured it out herself yet.

She wasn’t worse looking than Cindy, and at least she didn’t have the burden of a child.

Not to mention marrying better than Cindy, but she hasn’t even caught a glimpse of a wealthy family.

Given the same conditions, where was she inferior to Cindy? How could there be such a big difference?

Wendy glanced at Joshua Clarke before speaking to Christy Xenos: “Who knows what kind of enchanting soup Cindy fed him? There aren’t many rumors about Adrian Zhekova, but no one has ever said he’s a fool.”

“Not only Adrian Zhekova, but even the Zhekova Family surprisingly agreed to allow a woman with a child to marry their heir and become the next matriarch of their family.”

“I really wonder how the minds of the people in Zhekova Family work, that they would agree to this.” Christy Xenos thought for a moment and then asked, “Do you think Cindy concealed some of her background?”

“The Zhekova Family must know about our situation, because Adrian Zhekova warned me tonight not to use our relationship with the Zhekova Family to our advantage. They don’t seem to think highly of our family and seem to think that agreeing to let Cindy marry in is a great concession. They never intended to acknowledge her birth family,” Wendy said.

“And Cindy agreed to that?” Christy Xenos asked immediately.

“What can’t she agree to? She only cares about her own well-being. She’s married into the Zhekova Family to enjoy wealth and luxury, cutting ties with us and no longer acknowledging us as her family. She’s become a person without a birth family. But she’s gaining more from the Zhekova Family, so what’s it to her if she doesn’t acknowledge us?”

Joshua Clarke finally spoke: “In order to marry into the Zhekova Family and enjoy wealth and luxury, she doesn’t even acknowledge her own family anymore, not even her own parents?”

His heart felt cold and he was extremely sad.

“How did Cindy become like this? I don’t recognize her anymore.” Joshua Clarke murmured.

Christy Xenos said coldly, “Maybe she’s always been like this. It’s just that she was living in our house before, and she had to rely on us to support her, so she had to endure it.”

“But now she’s in Belfard, and she no longer needs us, so naturally, she’s unwilling to acknowledge us.”

Christy Xenos then asked, “If Adrian Zhekova knows about our family, is it possible that he doesn’t know about Cindy having a child?”

Wendy shook her head: “I don’t think it’s likely. With Adrian Zhekova and the Zhekova Family’s capabilities, surely they could find out? We all know about such a big thing as Cindy having a child. The child even appeared in her videos, which she didn’t delete. How could Adrian Zhekova not know?”

“And besides, Cindy doesn’t seem to want to hide anything from the public. At the banquet tonight, she even openly mentioned that she’s married and has a son. That son couldn’t possibly be hers with Adrian Zhekova, could he?”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Christy Xenos said. “Maybe she hid the child she had before and had another son with Adrian Zhekova after they got married.”

“Let’s not think about these things for now. They’re all just speculations. To confirm things, we’ll have to wait until later. It’s pointless to guess now,” Wendy said irritably.

When discussing things with Christy Xenos, she would always go off-topic and analyze things off-point.

Christy Xenos wasn’t upset and simply said, “So what do we do next?”

“Cindy married into the Zhekova Family, and with the Zhekova Family backing her up, wouldn’t we have no ability to resist if she wanted to bully us? Must we just take their abuse? What gives her the right to marry into their family and bully her own family?” Christy Xenos became more and more aggrieved.

She turned to Joshua Clarke and shook his arm: “Joshua Clarke, you tell me, what’s going on? How can Cindy be so cruel to us? She’s stepping on her own family’s heads! Anyway, let me tell you, I can’t swallow this insult!”

Joshua Clarke sighed: “I don’t care about the money. Our life is good now, and we have enough money. Wealthy families and ordinary families only differ in terms of money.”

“But we have nowhere to spend so much money anyway. We’re already earning quite a bit now. Those wealthy families might earn a lot, but they can’t spend that much on a regular basis. Our current lifestyle is already beyond the reach of most people, so I don’t have any other demands in this regard.”

Chapter 656: Bride Price

Upon hearing this, Christy Xenos became displeased, and Wendy Clarke felt that Joshua Clarke always had a petty bourgeois mentality and was not very knowledgeable.

Considering the money they now earned, Joshua Clarke actually thought it was enough and felt pretty well-off.

He really didn’t know how colorful a wealthy family’s life could be.

Joshua Clarke said, “I just want to ask Cindy, whether she still recognizes me as her father, and us as her family members. Isn’t she going to abandon her own family for the sake of the Zhekova Family?”

“Cindy is our daughter, and the Zhekova Family can’t just bully people like this, look down on people, pretend we don’t exist, and even think our existence is a disgrace. Does Cindy really want to abandon her own relatives for a family like this?”

“No matter how good the Zhekova Family is, can they be better than her own blood-related family? In times of difficulty, the only ones you can rely on are your own family members.”

“I just want to see what the Zhekova Family’s attitude is.”

Christy Xenos actually agreed on this point.

She nodded vigorously, “The Zhekova Family can’t ignore us!”

Even though she hated Cindy to the extreme, the fact that she could marry into such a family made Christy Xenos very unhappy.

But since they had such a powerful in-law, why not take good advantage of it?

She also thought that even if she hated Cindy, she should take advantage of her situation to gain benefits from the Zhekova Family.

“We are the Zhekova Family’s legitimate in-laws, and they can’t just treat us like this! Since Cindy is their properly married daughter-in-law, they must give us the bride price, right?”

“As one of The Big Eight families, could the Zhekova Family really do something as shameless as not giving the bride price? And if they give too little, it will be embarrassing for them as well! Even if the Zhekova Family is unwilling to deal with us, after all, they have married our daughter. Can they just marry a daughter-in-law without giving anything? Is that appropriate?”

Wendy Clarke nodded with satisfaction, glad that Christy Xenos finally made a good point.

Joshua Clarke hesitated, “But it’s already not easy for Cindy to marry into the Zhekova Family, not to mention that she also has a child. It’s not easy for the Zhekova Family to accept this situation. Should we just forget about the dowry?”

Joshua Clarke thought, in an ordinary family, marrying a single woman with a child might not necessarily be welcomed.

With such conditions from the woman’s side, it’s not good to ask for too much.

“Not to mention the huge disparity between our family and the Zhekova Family.” Joshua Clarke said.

“No way!” Christy Xenos immediately said, “Marrying Cindy is the Zhekova Family’s own choice and has nothing to do with us. We didn’t beg them to marry her, and we didn’t push them to do so!”

“Cindy and Adrian Zhekova got married without us even knowing about it. We didn’t force or threaten them. It was their voluntary choice. Since they voluntarily married Cindy, why wouldn’t they give us the bride price according to tradition?”

“We’re not talking about anything else, but just look at ordinary families. The bride price for marrying a daughter-in-law starts at 100,000 yuan! For families with slightly better conditions, not talking about the rich and privileged, just those with decent income, the bride price starts at 200,000 yuan.”

“This is the market rate among us ordinary folks. The Zhekova Family, being one of The Big Eight families, is marrying the future Wife of the Family Head, a position so important. How could they just marry her without any display of commitment? How could that be alright?”

“Since they are willing to agree to let Cindy marry into their family, she must have something that satisfies them. Since they are satisfied, they have to give us money.” Christy Xenos stated firmly.

Joshua Clarke hesitated and he wanted to say something in defense of Cindy, but felt cold in his heart about her actions and ultimately didn’t say anything.

Wendy Clarke chimed in, “Dad, don’t speak up for Cindy. Mom makes sense. In a proper family, when it comes to marriage, the required dowries should not be reduced. Cindy is our daughter, and they’re marrying her, so why not follow tradition?”

“If people find out that Cindy married into the Zhekova Family without giving anything, wouldn’t our family be laughed to death? People will say that the Zhekova Family doesn’t take us seriously, and our family is nothing.”

“This is not only about Cindy’s face, but also our family’s!”

At Wendy Clarke’s reminder, Joshua Clarke finally realized that what she said made sense.

Christy Xenos rolled her eyes and said to Joshua Clarke, “And think about it, didn’t Cindy ask us for 500,000 yuan? Although she has money, she asked us for it, so why should we owe her anything? We should ask the Zhekova Family for the bride price and give this money to Cindy so she doesn’t keep saying that we owe her.”

Christy Xenos sneered, “We raised her since she was little, and now we’ve reached the point where we owe her? This would be a laughingstock if it gets out!”

Of course, Christy Xenos was just saying this to persuade Joshua Clarke to agree and then go ask the Zhekova Family for money together.

In reality, once the money was in Christy Xenos’s hands, there was no way she would give it back to Cindy.

“Ordinary families give 100,000 or 200,000 yuan as a bride price, and the Zhekova Family, being such a huge family, should give at least a million-dollar bride price, right?” Christy Xenos pursed her lips, “In my opinion, a million is too little!”

Christy Xenos calculated the money in her heart.

Of course, she was not satisfied with only a little bride price.

But if she can get a million-dollar bride price now, there will definitely be more benefits in the future.

“Moreover, Wendy is planning to bring the restaurant to Belfard, right? Opening a restaurant involves a complicated series of procedures, dealing with various departments, and obtaining all the necessary certificates. All of this would take a long time.” Christy Xenos said.

“This doesn’t even take into account the restaurant’s decoration, promotional activities, and long-term development in Belfard. Compared to long-term development in Belfard, these initial matters are just small.”

“With the Zhekova Family’s help, do we need to worry about connections for our restaurant? Moreover, the Zhekova Family is in the catering business. If they are willing to help, we can’t even imagine the benefits we would get.” Christy Xenos contemplated.

Wendy Clarke nodded, “That’s right.”

She hadn’t expected Christy Xenos to think of this point.

Wendy continued, “Including the Zhekova Family’s procurement channels, procurement prices, and so on, they must have their own exclusive channels and preferential prices.”

“If we can get involved with the Zhekova Family’s procurement channels, not to mention anything else, just promoting that our restaurant uses the same ingredients as the high-end restaurants under the Flag of Pingla would be a great selling point.”

“I did some research before. Restaurants under Pingla Corp. have exclusive supply channels and only provide for them.” Wendy Clarke said.

Chapter 657: Going Straight to the Two Elders

“Moreover, the quality of their supply sources is extremely high. Take beef and lamb, for example. The best tasting beef and lamb comes from just a small area of the grasslands. And that small area is specifically for supplying the restaurants under the Pingla Group,” Wendy said.

“As for a variety of fruits and vegetables, let’s take watermelon, Hami melon, and grapes for instance. There are many varieties of each fruit, with each having their own place of origin. However, the place of origin only refers to a large area in general, and the truly delicious produce comes from just a small part of it.”

“Take the Freshwater Lake Crabs, for example. The truly delicious crabs only come from a small area, which is rarely sold externally due to limited production. There isn’t much left for sale after they supply.”

“Why are the high-end restaurants under the Pingla Group so famous? Apart from having Michelin-starred chefs and innovative, exquisite dishes that can’t be replicated elsewhere, it’s because the taste of the ingredients themselves can make the dishes even more outstanding, serving as the icing on the cake.”

“I haven’t tried the dishes from Pingla’s restaurants yet, but I plan to find time for us to go and taste them together. I want to see where they come from and how big the gap is between us. Even if it’s just their selling point to attract customers, as long as we can use the same source of ingredients as the Pingla Group, our restaurant doesn’t need to spend any advertising money. This alone would be our biggest selling point.”

“Some gossipy people may look into it, but how could they not know about our relationship with the Zhekova family? With this, plus our intentional or unintentional leaks of information, who in Belfard would dare cause trouble for our restaurant?”

Christy was excited and said, “Not only would they not dare to find trouble with us, but they would have to ingratiate themselves with us!”

Wendy nodded and proudly said, “At that time, our family wouldn’t just be the small Clarke family in Nork City. Although we have some status in Nork City, the old-fashioned ultra-rich there don’t even have us on their radar. They don’t take us seriously in Nork City, but they never thought that once we arrived in Belfard, our family would directly leap over the threshold, and even those wealthy tycoons in Belfard would have to treat us with respect.”

“We are related to the Zhekova family by marriage. Those ultra-rich in Nork City are like country bumpkins compared to us, not even on the same level, not even worthy of talking to us!”

Christy was lost in the beautiful scene painted by Wendy. Back in Nork City, even though their family had money, they were still looked down on by many upper-class people.

After all, Nork City isn’t big, and there are only so many local wealthy individuals. The residents of Nork City could count the rich people there.

Suddenly becoming wealthy, both Christy and Joshua had never seen the world, struggled to adapt, and lacked confidence when interacting with people.

On the other hand, Christy was all about showing off her newfound wealth.

She really lost face for Wendy.

So, later, Wendy didn’t let the two of them mingle in the circles of the rich in Nork City.

But even so, their reputation was already damaged, and people looked down on them.

In Nork City, those politicians and wealthy people often talked behind the Clarkes’ backs and made fun of them.

Wendy knew all about this, and Christy and Joshua were also aware of it.

Now in Belfard, they instantly became part of the Zhekova family by marriage, and it wasn’t those people who looked down on them, but they who looked down on them instead!

Christy nodded vigorously, her eyes creased with laughter as she imagined the beautiful scene, with layers of wrinkles forming at the corner of her eyes.

“From now on, we’ll do whatever you say!” Christy immediately said.

After speaking, she turned to Joshua and asked, “What do you think? You agree with this, right?”

Joshua nodded, “I want to confirm Cindy’s attitude first, and I also want to see what her situation is like in her husband’s family. If she’s really so unwelcome there, why does she have to suffer such humiliation? Wouldn’t it be better to come back to our family?”

Just for the money, she’s not even treated like a human in her husband’s family.

Moreover, their own family is also not treated as human by her in-laws. How could that be acceptable?

If it’s really like that, he would have to bring Cindy back no matter what.

He couldn’t allow her to live in the Zhekova family in such a submissive manner.

Seeing that Joshua didn’t object, Wendy and Christy didn’t need to persuade him further.

They both sighed with relief.

Wendy then said to Christy, “I’ll look up the location of the Zhekova family mansion later. The elders in the Zhekova family are still around, so the decision-maker in the family is definitely the Old Madam and the Old Man. We should go directly to the two most influential people in the Zhekova family.”

“Even if we talk to Adrian’s parents, don’t they still have to consult with the elders? Let’s just go straight to the most powerful ones.”

“When marrying a daughter-in-law, a bride price should be given; it’s only natural. No matter what they say, when it comes to our family, if the Zhekova family doesn’t want to lose face, they’ll have to pay,” Wendy said. “Otherwise, we’ll expose this matter by publicizing that the Zhekova family doesn’t even give a bride price when marrying a bride!”

“Aren’t they disgusted by our family’s reputation?” Wendy sneered, “Then let’s just be presumptuous without any scruples. We’ll publicize this matter and let them lose face together! No matter how some people may point fingers at us for being uneducated or unsophisticated, it doesn’t matter! In the end, it’s not just us who will lose face, but so will the Zhekova family!”

“Who asked them to have our family as in-laws? When they married Cindy, they should have considered this. Since they didn’t think highly of our family from the beginning, feeling that we were not worthy of them, they should have anticipated that our family would do these things. So don’t blame us then; blame them for marrying Cindy.”

Christy showed no sympathy for Cindy and readily agreed, “Alright, let’s do that!”

“You’re right, we should look for the most influential ones!” Christy didn’t even think about how, once they started making a fuss, how difficult it would be for Cindy to face the Zhekova family, especially since it was her husband’s family, where she was expected to spend the rest of her life. They didn’t care if she had a hard time there.

“You better search quickly!” Instead of being anxious, Christy even urged, “Once you find it, let’s hurry.”

She just wanted to get the money settled as soon as possible, as it would make her feel at ease.

Wendy nodded and went back to her room.

Chapter 658: Take advantage while I haven’t blocked you

She cleaned herself up, removed her makeup, took a bath, and comfortably got into bed. Only then did she leisurely call Cindy Clarke.

But Cindy wasn’t able to deal with her right now.

She was being entangled by Adrian Zhekova, both her arms and hands trapped, unable to move.

How could she reach for her mobile phone?

Furthermore, her mind was in a daze at this point, not even knowing where she had left her phone.

She only heard the continuous ringing of her phone.

“My phone is ringing.” Cindy patted Adrian’s shoulder to remind him.

“Ignore it; probably just some sales advertisement.” Adrian muttered softly.

Cindy couldn’t help but say, “Who would make sales calls in the middle of the night?”

“Anybody who calls at this time of night clearly doesn’t know better.” Adrian still had no intention of answering the call, nor did he want to give the phone to Cindy.

“You can’t just let the phone keep ringing.” Cindy’s face was flushed, and sweat dropped from Adrian’s forehead onto her cheeks.

Adrian thought about it and agreed; the phone’s ringtone was annoying and disrupted the atmosphere.

But he didn’t want to reach for the phone to end the call now, so he said, “Just let it ring; whoever it is will stop calling if no one answers a few times.”

Cindy had no choice but to go along with him.

Wendy Clarke, however, thought that Cindy was not answering the phone because she was uneasy, afraid to answer her call!

Therefore, she became even more relentless.

When the call ended due to no one picking up, Wendy redialled.

As a result, Cindy’s phone started ringing again after only a few seconds of silence.

Now Adrian was really annoyed; he had to reach over and grab Cindy’s phone.

Without looking at who was calling, he hung up.

Fearing that the caller would persistently call back, he turned off the phone altogether.

“Now it’s quiet.” Adrian happily kissed Cindy’s lips.

So when Wendy called again, the voice prompt informed her that Cindy’s phone was turned off.

Wendy threw her phone onto the bed in annoyance and sneered, “As I thought, she’s scared, not even daring to answer the call.”

Wendy scoffed, muttering to herself, “She thinks that by not answering the call, she’ll be fine? If she can, let her keep her phone off for the rest of her life! Now that I’m in Belfard, I won’t let her dodge me again.”

Cindy couldn’t keep her phone off forever. She could change her number by the end of the month, but Wendy was confident she could find Cindy’s new number no matter how many times she changed it.

Cindy couldn’t run this time!

***

Due to the upcoming New Year, the Cooking Competition was suspended and would resume after the holiday.

Early the next morning, with the Cooking Competition on hold and nothing else to do, Cindy was able to sleep in.

And last night, the stir caused by Adrian Zhekova had a significant impact, so she couldn’t get up at this point.

Usually, Cindy prepared breakfast for Adrian, but today she simply couldn’t.

So Aunt Jenkins prepared breakfast for Adrian and Morgan Zhekova.

After finishing breakfast, Adrian returned to the bedroom.

He kissed Cindy’s forehead, his gentle and moist touch waking her up.

She forced her eyelids open a bit and heard Adrian softly say, “I’m going to work now; you keep sleeping.”

Cindy sweetly murmured her agreement.

Her voice was slightly hoarse, and she lacked the strength to even nod at this point.

She simply gave Adrian a brief response before continuing to sleep.

Adrian chuckled and said to himself how she usually exercised and cooked, yet she had no stamina now.

It seemed he was too strong for her.

Adrian was in a great mood, kissing Cindy’s forehead and happily leaving the room.

Once Cindy fell asleep, she didn’t know anything else.

She slept heavily, not knowing how long it had been.

She drowsily woke up once in the middle, picked up her phone to check the time.

Realizing that Adrian had turned off the phone last night, she powered it on to see that it was only 10 am.

Since Adrian and Morgan were not at home, she decided to continue sleeping.

She slept for a considerable amount of time before being woken up by the ringing of her phone.

Cindy stretched for her phone and saw an unfamiliar number displayed, with no name indicated.

Apparently, it was not in her contacts, nor was it marked as harassment or sales advertisement.

Cindy answered the call: “Hello?”

She wasn’t fully awake yet, and her voice was still heavy with sleep and slightly weak.

As Wendy heard Cindy’s voice, she instantly knew Cindy was still sleeping.

Wendy almost laughed from anger.

What a big heart Cindy had – or did she have a strong backing and feel fearless?

She could actually still sleep!

Was Cindy not worried at all?

Wendy sneered and then said, “Cindy, it’s me, your sister.”

“Wendy?” Cindy had no intention of treating Wendy as her sister right now.

She only reluctantly acknowledged Wendy as her sister when necessary.

However, this situation clearly wasn’t one that required her to call Wendy her sister.

So Cindy was rude to Wendy.

“Cindy, when we were still in Nork City, you would at least call me sister. What? Now that you’re married into the Zhekova Family, have a support, and become the young Madam, you look down on your own family and won’t even call me sister? You even dare to call me by my name?” Wendy said coldly.

Cindy was mostly awake by now and sat up, leaning on the headboard, rubbing her eyes, trying to become more alert.

“What do you want from me?” Cindy’s attitude was very unfriendly.

This attitude infuriated Wendy, who had never seen Cindy so defiant before.

It was evident that marrying Adrian gave Cindy confidence and made her disregard Wendy.

Wendy felt helpless and small in Cindy’s eyes, unworthy of respect like little insects.

This feeling of being looked down upon by Cindy was unbearable for Wendy.

How could she accept the fact that she was inferior to Cindy her whole life, and the gap between them was so vast now?

Wendy’s face twisted, unable to speak. So, she didn’t immediately answer Cindy’s question.

Cindy impatiently said, “You better finish talking before I block you.”

Cindy’s attitude severely provoked Wendy, who was already livid and feeling extremely unbalanced psychologically.

It further solidified Wendy’s belief that Cindy was fearless because she had a strong backing.

Wendy felt extremely jealous; if only she could swap places with Cindy and have such significant support.

Chapter 659: This is the fact

Wendy Clarke clenched her teeth and said coldly, “Yesterday night, I told you over the phone that I had something I wanted to discuss with you. Unfortunately, you hung up before hearing me out. Today, when I called you, weren’t you even a bit curious about me knowing your contact number? If I remember correctly, you never gave your phone number to Mom and Dad.”

Cindy Clarke raised an eyebrow, “Not at all curious. Finding a phone number isn’t exactly a Herculean task. You run a restaurant in Nork City and have gained some resources, and you know Edward Lopez. Is it really such a challenge for you to find a phone number?”

Wendy initially wanted to frighten Cindy to let her know that if she could find Cindy’s mobile number, she could uncover more about Cindy as well.

But to her surprise, Cindy wasn’t scared a bit; instead, Cindy seemed to have expected this all along.

Was Cindy really this confident?

“I’ll give you a minute,” Cindy said impatiently. “After one minute, regardless of whether you’ve finished speaking, I’ll hang up the phone and block you.”

Cindy glanced at a beautiful clock on the bedside table and said, “It’s already been 10 seconds.”

Wendy wasn’t sure if Cindy was serious.

Would Cindy really dare to block her?

But she didn’t dare to gamble on it, so she hurriedly said, “I know you have a son.”

Cindy chuckled softly and said sarcastically, “Oh yes, so many people know.”

“Stop playing tough!” Wendy laughed coldly, “What I mean is, your son isn’t Adrian Zhekova’s. Does the Zhekova family know this?”

Wendy paused for a moment, then analyzed triumphantly, “Adrian Zhekova should be aware of it. After all, he knows when he met you and when he slept with you. It should be clear to him that your current son, being this old, couldn’t possibly be his.”

“I wonder if the Zhekova family knows,” said Wendy, “Or maybe Adrian Zhekova really loves you and would lie to his family for you.”

“Let me guess what he told them? He said that your son was both of yours, that you two knew each other a long time ago and were together, but then something happened and you broke up. Now you’ve reunited and found out that you gave him such a big son, am I right?”

Cindy raised an eyebrow; she felt that Wendy’s brain was indeed working rather well.

Except for the part about Morgan Zhekova’s identity, which she guessed wrong, her overall train of thought was quite accurate.

Of course, she and Adrian Zhekova didn’t break up because of a misunderstanding. However, the part about reuniting and finding out that she gave birth to Adrian’s son was correct.

Then, Cindy sincerely told Wendy, “The son is truly mine and Adrian’s. He is Adrian’s biological child, and Adrian didn’t lie to his family.”

As for the specifics, there was no need for Cindy to explain these to Wendy.

“Get lost! So what if my guess was right?” Wendy snapped, “These are just excuses that Adrian made to his family! You are quick to seize upon my guess as if these were actually Adrian’s excuses!”

“These aren’t excuses, but the truth,” said Cindy.

Unfortunately, Wendy didn’t believe her, “If you knew Adrian a long time ago, even if you broke up later due to a misunderstanding, there would not have been a misunderstanding when you were together initially, right? At that time, with Adrian around, would you have been so susceptible to my manipulation that you were suffering? Would you have had no status in the family, incapable of fighting back when being bullied by me?”

“Cindy, do you really think I’m stupid, or do you think that now that you’ve married into the Zhekova family you can spin a yarn as you please, and casually underestimate my intelligence?”

Cindy rolled her eyes; she hadn’t underestimated Wendy’s intelligence right until this moment, but now she wanted to.

Wendy didn’t believe her even when she told the truth.

“Your child can’t possibly be yours and Adrian’s.” Wendy contended.

Cindy snorted, “Oh? Then who do you think my child belongs to?”

“Mr. Lopez.” Wendy asserted resolutely.

Cindy seemed to have heard some joke, and incredulously asked, “What? Can you say that again?”

Cindy even scratched her ear. She feared she was under some illusion, or perhaps she hadn’t heard clearly and had misunderstood.

“I said your child is Mr. Lopez’s. Your son is Mr. Lopez’s, did I make myself clear?” Wendy slowed down her speech so that Cindy could hear more clearly.

Cindy raised an eyebrow and asked, “Who is Mr. Lopez?”

“You’re telling me you don’t know who Mr. Lopez is?” Wendy laughed coldly, “Stop playing dumb!”

“Didn’t you tell Dad before that five years ago, Mom and I plotted against you, schemed for you to be with Mr. Lopez, and schemed for you to have a child with him? How could you forget this so soon?” Wendy said shrilly, “Or are you afraid that Adrian will find out if you speak now?”

Wendy paused for a moment and suddenly thought, “Is Adrian right by your side right now?”

“If Adrian heard what you just said, would you be scared?” Cindy retorted right away.

Wendy felt a chill go down her spine.

If Adrian really heard everything, she wouldn’t be able to escape his fury while he scorned Cindy!

After all, this event was an embarrassment to Adrian, and Adrian would never be willing to let others know about it!

She wouldn’t be able to escape, either!

“Are you afraid?” Cindy asked with a grin.

Even though Wendy couldn’t see it, she could imagine the triumphant smile on Cindy’s face.

“Don’t try to bluff!” Wendy said hastily, “If Adrian was around, you wouldn’t be acting this way.”

Chapter 660: The Clarke Family Has Your Back

“You won’t reveal your true colors to Adrian Zhekova. In front of him, you’re still the frail, delicate little girl! Otherwise, even if I don’t benefit, you’ll be finished in the Zhekova Family!” Wendy Clarke steadied herself.

With this line of thought, she regained her confidence.

If Adrian Zhekova were to hear, she would undoubtedly be in trouble.

But Cindy Clarke would be in even more trouble.

So, Cindy wouldn’t discuss this matter in front of Adrian Zhekova.

Once Wendy processed this, she was no longer afraid.

“Why not I find an opportunity for us to meet, and you can expose my real identity in front of Adrian Zhekova?” Cindy chuckled coldly.

“Do you think I dare not?” Wendy took a deep breath, realizing that she couldn’t let Cindy lead her by the nose and dictate the pace.

“Cindy, don’t change the subject!” Wendy said coldly, “What, are you trying to dodge the topic now because you’re scared?”

“Actually, you have nothing to fear.” Wendy softened her voice again.

But this deliberately gentle voice made one’s skin crawl and seem as if she harbored ill intentions.

Not to mention how Cindy would perceive it, it would be even more obvious.

“We are all family, I still have parents, and naturally hope to see you doing well. We could never harm you.” Wendy said gently.

Cindy raised an eyebrow, originally planning to hang up, but now, she became somewhat interested and wanted to hear how Wendy was going to spin this.

Of course, Cindy would never really blacklist Wendy.

Obviously, this wasn’t because she couldn’t bear to do so.

Since Wendy had already come to Belford, why not let Wendy finish her act?

If she were to blacklist Wendy too soon, how would she cooperate with Wendy then?

“Not only won’t we harm you, but we’ll also help you.” Wendy said earnestly, “Life in Belford is difficult. It’s not easy for you to marry into the Zhekova Family, it’s unimaginable how much effort you’ve put in.”

“Now that you’ve finally made it, how can we let all your hard work go to waste?” Wendy continued.

“Since we’re family, we should help each other during difficult times. You had many complaints about me and mom back home, I know that. But any disagreements we had were just minor family feuds.”

“Which siblings and parents don’t argue occasionally? However, even if we fight at home, when we step outside, we stand united, don’t we?”

“We support each other as a family. Even if we had serious quarrels before, we can’t watch you struggle in crucial times, can’t stand by as you encounter difficulties and not lend you a hand, can we?”

“Perhaps you no longer consider us family, since you’ve married into the Zhekova Family. You’ve soared to great heights and become wealthy and powerful, looking down on us ordinary people. You haven’t contacted us for years, perhaps really intending to sever ties with us. But now that I’ve come to Belford, and since I’ve seen you, I can’t just stand by and do nothing about your situation.” Wendy spoke passionately.

“So what are you really trying to say?” Cindy reminded Wendy to get to the point instead of spouting sweet nothings.

Even Wendy herself didn’t believe these words, let alone Cindy.

If no one believes them, then what’s the point of saying them?

“I wanted to tell you,” Wendy began, “We know everything about you and Mr. Lopez, so you don’t need to hide it from us.”

“As for Adrian Zhekova and the Zhekova Family, we’ll help keep it a secret. As your family, we wish for your well-being. We don’t want you to be cast aside by the Zhekova Family after all the effort you put into marrying there. The fact that you bore Mr. Lopez a son, I won’t talk about it recklessly either.”

“After all, you must have gone through great hardship to marry into the Zhekova Family.” Wendy said, while also testing Cindy to find out how she accomplished it.

Cindy raised an eyebrow and said, “Actually, I didn’t struggle much. It was Adrian Zhekova who wanted to marry me. I guess it might have been because I bore him a son.”

“Cindy, that’s not fun. I’ve been honest and open with you, and yet you still don’t tell the truth.” Wendy replied unhappily, “You don’t have to talk about your relationship with Adrian Zhekova. But you have to admit that the son is yours and Mr. Lopez’s, right?”

“Or are you afraid to admit it?” Wendy added, “Are you worried that if you admit it, others will know? But it’s just the two of us on the call right now, and no one else can hear, so why don’t you admit it? Or are you afraid I will record our conversation?”

“Cindy, you’re really underestimating me! What do you take me for? I said earlier that no matter how much we quarrel or have conflicts in our family, in the end, we stand united when facing outsiders. Whatever issues you have, I will certainly help you.”

Cindy smirked coldly with evident sarcasm on her face, but verbally responded, “And after helping me? Why are you helping me so much? Don’t talk about us being family. From my perspective, you never do good things without a reason. You plotted against me before for 10 million. Now you’re helping me, what benefits do you want to gain?”

“Cindy, your words are really hurtful. We’re family, and we should help each other. Don’t always think that when people help you, they are trying to gain some benefit from you. Besides, since you’ve married into the Zhekova Family, our family and the Zhekova family are now related by marriage. We can help each other in business and cooperate.”

Cindy chuckled knowingly: “So all your talk boils down to your desire to gain benefits from the Zhekova Family through me?”

“Cindy, you can’t talk like that!” Wendy immediately objected, “No matter how you managed to marry into the Zhekova Family, just marrying in doesn’t mean you’ve succeeded and can completely relax. For a woman in her husband’s family, especially in a large family like the Zhekova’s, only her parents’ family is her strongest support.”

“They need their parents’ family to back them up in any situation. But as you know, our family and the Zhekova Family are worlds apart. If something were to happen and the Zhekova family causes difficulties for you, even if our family wants to help, we may not be able to do much. How could we support you then?”

“Therefore, while you can still have a say in the Zhekova Family, help our family advance. Once something happens, our family could also stand up for you. Let the Zhekova Family know that you didn’t marry into their family alone. With the Clarke Family backing you up, they won’t be able to bully you.”

Wendy’s fair words were nothing more than asking Cindy to use the Zhekova’s power to boost the Clarke Family’s status.

This was the same as ancient times when a monarch was willing to support a nobody, and that nobody became powerful overnight.