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The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1475

“What's the matter, Auntie Zuniga? Is there something wrong?” she casually asked, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the bedsheet.

Over there, Auntie Zuniga's tone didn't sound too good.

“Ms. Garcia, your adoptive parents have arrived and insist on staying here. They're refusing to leave. I told them you've gone abroad, and they said they knew about it, but they also said they have nowhere else to go right now and need to stay here temporarily. I wasn't sure if they've contacted you, so I thought I'd call and ask you.”

Upon hearing these words, Neera's expression froze.

Her brows furrowed, her complexion taking a turn for the worse.

“How did they find their way here? I've never told them where I live.”

Auntie Zuniga also looked bewildered. “I'm not sure where they got their information from. I tidied up and left yesterday. I wasn't planning on coming today, but considering how the weather is about to get colder, I thought I'd move the flowers you left outside to the balcony. When I arrived, however, I found them both waiting at the door. As soon as they saw me, they asked me to let them in. They even brought their suitcases, and are now in the living room.”

As she spoke, she turned her head to glance at the living room. In one look, she saw Maggie rummaging through the bookshelf, her eyes gleaming as if she had discovered some extraordinary treasure.

Immediately, she couldn't help but exclaim, “Please don't touch anything, Mdm. Webb! Those are Ms. Garcia's favorite ornaments!”

Upon hearing this, Maggie was far from pleased. She turned her head and shot her a glare.

“I'm just touching them. I won't break any, so what are you fussing about? Besides, this is my daughter's home, and these are my daughter's things, so why can't I, as her mother, touch them? My daughter's home is my home, so I am also a master here. You are just a housekeeper! Who are you to boss me around?”

Feeling much better after giving Auntie Zuniga a piece of her mind, she continued, “Are you done with your call yet? She's probably very busy right now, so it's best not to disturb her. All you have to do is let her know we're here. Or do I have to call her myself?”

Auntie Zuniga's forehead was throbbing, but she could only bear with it and ignored Maggie. She then turned her head and continued her phone call with Neera.

“Ms. Garcia, are you sure you want to let them move in? I... If I may overstep, I think it's best not to let them in. I'm worried...”

Neera understood that she was only trying to help. She also heard Maggie's rather rude remarks, which made her expression look all the more gloomy.

She immediately tried to calm her down by saying, “I understand, Auntie Zuniga. I'm sorry for the inconvenience I've caused you.”

Auntie Zuniga quickly shook her head. “No, I'm fine. I just thought that it would never end if they keep bothering you. That's why I didn't let them call you directly. If you don't want them to move in, I'll send them away. But if you want them to stay temporarily, then I won't go back. I'll stay here to keep an eye on things.”

Neera pursed her lips, falling silent for a moment before she said, “Have them leave. There are still buses back to the countryside, so they can make it if they leave now. If they refuse, threaten them with calling the police. They wouldn't dare to stay.”

Auntie Zuniga let out a sigh of relief. “All right, then. I'll do as you say.”

“Thanks.” After hanging up the phone, Neera's brows remained furrowed.

Upon hearing this, Jean's expression slightly darkened. “Your adoptive parents went to your house?”

Neera nodded slightly. “I don't know why either. They didn't tell me anything and just suddenly showed up at my house. Who knows what they're scheming? They think they can have whatever they want just because they're my adoptive parents. I've gotten used to it by now.”

Jean's brows furrowed when he heard that. “Do they often seek you out like this? You've only been here and it's already happened twice.”

Neera bit her lip lightly. “Remember how I had given them some money before? Well, they got too used to it and started asking me for more. I didn't want to owe them anything, so I sent them money a few more times until I felt that I no longer owed them anything. I didn't want to let them leech off of me anymore, but they still kept asking me for more money. During that time, they said all sorts of nasty things simply because they couldn't get what they wanted. Upon seeing that I was no pushover, they eventually stopped contacting me.”

Jean could figure it out by himself without having to ask any further. His expression immediately turned gloomy at the thought of the harsh words the couple had said.

Meanwhile, Auntie Zuniga conveyed Neera's intentions, emotionlessly asking them to leave.

Of course, Maggie and Nigel wouldn't possibly agree to leave.

They immediately put on stern faces as they yelled, “Trying to kick us out? Who do you think you are? As I said, this is my daughter's home, so what's hers is ours. How dare you, a mere employer, try to drive out the owners? You'd better be careful! I might just fire you if I get upset!”

Auntie Zuniga felt disgusted by their shamelessness. Her brows furrowed tightly, but instead of arguing with them, she responded coldly, “It's fine if you want to fire me, but remember that it was Ms. Garcia who hired me. If anyone is going to fire me, it should be her. No one else has that authority. If you two have any complaints, feel free to report me to her. Naturally, I will leave if Ms. Garcia gets upset with me. As for asking both of you to leave, it wasn't my intention to do so. I've just consulted with Ms. Garcia, and this is her firm decision. If you have any dissatisfactions with her decision, you can contact her directly about it. If she agrees to let you stay here, I will certainly take good care of you, ensuring your satisfaction.”

She spoke these words neither humbly nor arrogantly, yet they were subtly filled with derogatory undertones. She was mocking Maggie and Nigel, the couple, for their relentless persistence and shamelessness.

Naturally, Maggie and Nigel were able to read between the lines and understood what she was implying. Their faces instantly turned a myriad of colors, now green, now red, quite a spectacle indeed.

With a fierce slap on the table, Nigel rebuked angrily, “Nonsense! How could Neera be unwilling to let us stay? We are her adoptive parents!”

Auntie Zuniga didn't even glance at him, her gaze cast into the void. She didn't want to waste her energy with them, responding only with a cool indifference, “I really don't know about that. As you just mentioned, I'm merely a housekeeper. It's not my place to question the decisions of the household. I simply do as Ms. Garcia instructs. Now, I kindly ask you both not to put me in a difficult position. Please leave as soon as possible. Otherwise, if Ms. Garcia blames me, it's a responsibility I can't bear.”

Upon hearing these words, Maggie abruptly stood up, her face full of anger.

“You're full of nonsense! You must be the one who doesn't want to serve us, deliberately driving us away! How could a good child like Neera just abandon us? You even suggested we confront her over the phone. Are you intentionally trying to ruin our relationship? What kind of housekeeper are you? We don't need your services here. I am Neera's mother, and I will make decisions for her. You're fired!”

Auntie Zuniga took a deep breath, emphasizing once again, “As I said, it's fine if you want to fire me, but it should be Ms. Garcia who gives me the word, not you. She's the one who pays my salary, not you. Even if you are Ms. Garcia's adoptive mother, you don't have the right to overstep her and fire me directly.”

“How dare you speak to the homeowner like that? Is this your work ethic? Believe me, if you don't leave now, I'll call the police and accuse you of trespassing!”

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