Chapter 81
Loan sharking?
Five hundred thousand.
He could never earn that much in his lifetime.
Sophia lowered her eyelids.
"I've saved some money over the years."
Isabella spoke suddenly.
"How did you save it?"
Her gaze was scrutinizing.
Sophia knew she couldn't hide it anymore.
The rumors outside, her mother must have heard some of them.
"Mom, I earned all this money myself. It's clean."
She was telling the truth.
Back then, Ethan Roscente had completely fallen out with his family to be with her.
Jiang Jiuyao cut off all his financial support.
Victoria Roscente didn't dare secretly help him either.
During their hardest times, they lived in a ten-square-meter basement.
The roof leaked when it rained, and the blankets were always damp.
Ethan wanted to start a business but lacked seed funding.
Sophia worked three jobs every day to save money.
Later, she joined a biotech company.
Her job was to trial beauty products and record skin data.
By chance, she wrote a program.
It could efficiently process large volumes of sample data.
The company offered five hundred thousand to buy it outright.
Sophia didn't agree immediately.
She went back and told Ethan.
He eventually closed the deal for two million.
It was his first pot of gold.
Two years later, the company went public.
Ethan became a rising star in the business world.
On the day of the bell ringing, he told Sophia the company was half hers.
That night, he gave her a check for 7.2 million USD and a land deed.
Their relationship was good then.
Sophia looked at him in surprise.
"Why are you giving me this?"
"From now on, you're a little rich lady."
She didn't want the money or to be a landlady.
She just wanted to be Mrs. Roscente, properly and rightfully.
Ethan insisted on putting the items in a drawer.
"I never take back what I give."
Sophia didn't pay it much mind.
She wouldn't use it anyway.
Later, they argued constantly.
But she never once thought of touching that money.
Not until she decided to leave him.
Thinking about it now, if Ethan had truly wanted to marry her,
he should have given her company shares, not cash and land.
The two million from six years ago, plus all her years of effort.
She could take this 7.2 million with a clear conscience.
She just didn't want her parents to know about these twists and turns.
It would only upset them needlessly.
Isabella could tell her daughter was holding something back.
But since she said it was clean, then it must be true.
"So I really get to live in a villa?" Isabella set aside her worries, her face full of anticipation.
Sophia nodded. "They're ready to move in. We can stay tonight. Everything is provided except personal items."
"There's a rockery and fish pond in the front yard. The backyard is perfect for planting flowers."
David Sullivan's eyes lit up. "It's that big?"
"You'll see when you go take a look. You can start buying seeds early..."
"I'm placing an order right now! A flower stand first, your mom loves wisteria... and a few hydrangea pots, their blooms will make Old Xie so jealous..."
Old Xie was David's colleague.
They were both gardening enthusiasts.
Professor Xie had moved out of the faculty housing complex long ago.
He bought a condominium on the first floor with a small yard.
The yard wasn't big, only suitable for a few potted plants.
He couldn't grow things like hydrangeas at all.
David excitedly scrolled through his phone.
Suddenly, he paused. "What about the old house when we move to the new place?"
Sophia: "We'll keep it."
"Is that necessary?" David was thinking of selling it to help his daughter.
Sophia saw what he was thinking.
"Even if we don't live there, let's keep it."
David was puzzled. "What are we waiting for?"
"You'll know when the time comes."
"Being so mysterious..." David muttered.
It wasn't that Sophia didn't want to say.
The fewer people who knew about the demolition, the better.
A leaked rumor would just cause trouble.
She knew about it thanks to Ethan.
She had accidentally seen the development contract in his study.
The planned area included the No.2 High School faculty housing complex.
The plan had only one word—Demolish!
"The sales office said to go complete the paperwork tomorrow."
David: "Should I move some potted plants over first?"
Sophia: "Sure, we have the keys. You can move anytime."
Isabella: "Then I'll pack some clothes to bring over."
...
Early the next morning.
David was busy moving flower pots.
Isabella was packing clothes and shoes.
David called a auto rickshaw.
The cargo bed was filled with flower pots.
He squeezed into the passenger seat.
"Sophia, I'll go ahead. You go with your mom to the sales office. I'll find you after I'm done."
"Okay."
10 AM, sales office.
Gigi was already waiting at the door.
Seeing Sophia, she smiled and waved.
The paperwork was completed quickly.
Ten minutes later, mother and daughter walked out of the VIP room.
"Sister-in-law? Sophia?" A voice came from behind.
Isabella turned. "Second Brother?"
Charles Sullivan was dressed in a suit, his hair slicked and shiny.
He looked more imposing than his boss, William Sullivan.
"What are you doing here?"
Isabella: "We came to..."
"You disappeared in the blink of an eye. I told you to listen carefully to the presentation..."
Chloe Sullivan Sullivan's complaint cut off abruptly.
She saw Isabella and froze instantly.