The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1480

Nigel glared at her. “Why are you so short-sighted? Don't forget our goal. If we can get a sum of money from the Beauvort family, we won't have to worry about anything for the rest of our lives! We'd be able to buy whatever we want after that! What's the use of just staring at people's faces? Focus on their wealth instead!”

Maggie replied somewhat irritably, “All right, I get it! They've already let us stay, so they'll definitely give us the money.”

Nigel, however, was not entirely at ease. “We should get paid, but it depends on how much. A small sum of money, as if they're just brushing us off, won't do. We've taken care of that wretch for a long time, so it should at least amount to a significant figure. If they're stingy and won't pay us, then we can't accept that. We'll just stay put and refuse to leave!”

He then sneered as he continued, “That stingy wretch may be a miserly person, but it doesn't matter. We don't need her money anymore. The Beauvort family is so rich that they're practically oozing wealth. We can definitely milk them for a huge sum!”

After having dinner that evening, Frederic and Wrenn invited Nigel and Maggie for a chat in the living room.

Throughout the conversation, Frederic remained expressionless and hardly spoke to Nigel and Maggie.

Wrenn, on the other hand, spoke a lot more.

She carried herself with an elegant and noble demeanor. Her expression toward the couple was cold and distant, yet she maintained basic courtesy.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and inquiring about their well-being, Wrenn steered the conversation toward the main topic.

“I understand that both of you are living under strained circumstances, and it's out of desperation that you've had to approach us. I empathize with your situation. When the Garcia family abandoned Neera, you both kindly took her in and provided her with a shelter from the storm, which allowed her to grow up safely. I believe that Neera will always remember your act of kindness. Now that Neera is my daughter-in-law, not only will she remember your kindness, but our Beauvort family will also engrave it in our hearts. I understand that you two have traveled a long way to get here. It must be difficult to ask for help upon our first meeting, but rest assured, we don't find it presumptuous. Since you are willing to be adoptive parents, we are naturally willing to lend a hand when you encounter difficulties—”

She spoke these words calmly, without any particular emotion. They were all surface-level remarks, high-sounding and dignified, yet they carried a hidden depth of meaning.

In truth, she held great contempt for this couple, who had the audacity to come knocking on her door for money.

Since they were Neera's adoptive parents, she didn't mind giving them some respect.

If anything, she simply considered it as helping Neera send them off so that she could have some peace of mind.

That was why she had allowed them to stay for the night.

However, Maggie, with her eyes shining brightly, hastily and impolitely interrupted her before she could finish her sentence.

“Absolutely, Madam Beauvort, you're absolutely right. It's truly an honor to have such a reasonable and understanding in-law like you. It's just that, Neera is really out of line. How could she neglect her duty to serve her parents-in-law and go out to enjoy herself? It's really inappropriate! It seems to me that she has completely forgotten the lessons I've taught her in life. To be honest, she has been acting all high and mighty ever since she started following that aunt of hers. Not only does she look down on others, but she even ignored my calls this time. My husband and I are at our wits' end, which is why we've come to you. We hope you won't take offense. Once that girl comes back, I'll give her a good talking to, and make sure she serves you properly in the future!”

An almost imperceptible frown creased Wrenn's brow when she heard that.

Even Frederic had a hint of displeasure flicker across his eyes.

He, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly said, “She chose to marry into our Beauvort family, not to serve me and my wife. All she and Jean need to do is live their own lives well.”

His sudden remark left both Maggie and Nigel taken aback.

Wrenn sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she calmly took over the conversation by saying, “Exactly. She chose to marry into our family to be Jean's wife and our daughter-in-law, not a maid or housekeeper. She is one of the owners of this house. As for the tasks of serving our family, we have hired housekeepers for that. She doesn't need to serve me and my husband either. While it would be nice if she wishes to show her respect to us, that is completely done of her own accord. We wouldn't want her to have to work hard to serve us. Moreover, if she and Jean want to go on honeymoons and travel around the world, it's not a problem as long as they're happy. Even my husband and I wouldn't say a word against it, but rather, we would fully support them. Others have even less right to point fingers. It's better not to criticize her like this, Mrs. Marrow. As for your claim that she's arrogant and naive, that's utterly absurd. It seems that you haven't been in touch with Neera for a long time, Mrs. Marrow. Or perhaps, you don't truly understand Neera at all. I'd say she's a wonderful girl. I had some misunderstandings about her before, but later I recognized her excellence and realized how precious she is. Her aunt has raised her very well. Be it her character or knowledge, abilities or talents, there's nothing to pick on. She wasn't the lucky one for marrying into our Beauvort family. We are the ones lucky to have her.”

Maggie and Nigel were taken aback, completely unprepared for the high praise Frederic and Wrenn had for Neera.

They had assumed that a match of equal social status would be of utmost importance for a prestigious family like the Beauvort family. Therefore, logically speaking, Neera shouldn't be their ideal candidate for a daughter-in-law.

That was why Maggie thought of seizing the opportunity to badmouth Neera to get closer to Frederic and Wrenn.

To her surprise, her strategy backfired.

Suddenly, Maggie and Nigel's expressions turned somewhat unnatural. They exchanged a quiet glance, neither of them uttering a word.

Wrenn looked at the couple indifferently, then changed the subject by continuing the previous topic.

“Neera is a sensible child, so she probably didn't ignore you two on purpose. Perhaps she has her hands tied with something at the moment. It's okay, though. My husband and I can help you two out, so it's all the same.”

As she spoke, she pulled out a card and placed it on the coffee table, sliding it toward them.

“There's five million inside this card. Although it may not be a huge amount, it should be more than enough to help you both out of your financial difficulties. Consider it as a repayment for the kindness you showed Neera all those years. I hope you won't find it offensive. Please, accept it.”

That was probably the first time she had shown so much respect when speaking to someone.

Back then, she would definitely not say a word more than necessary upon encountering these two. Instead, she would have directly kicked them out of the house.

Everything that she had done so far was all for Neera's sake.

Five million was already an astronomical figure for Nigel and Maggie.

However, as the two of them glanced at each other, neither reached out to take the card. Instead, they both showed a hint of dissatisfaction in response.

Maggie hesitated for a moment, let out a couple of awkward laughs, and clasped her hands together, gently rubbing them as she said, “Um... Madam Beauvort, I'm really sorry to say this, but... Isn't this amount a bit too little?”