Chapter 147: The House Cards
1933words
'Sapphire Aldine," She said simply and the receptionist's head whipped up so fast Sapphire was shocked that it didn't snap from her neck. Her eyes widened when she realized that she was truly the one.
'Wait a moment, pls." She said, pressing on the intercom that was at a side, it was obvious that it was a special service for special people, and Sapphire nodded, turning to look around the lobby.
The Smiths really do have one of the best hotels to ever exist, it was really extravagant.
A woman came from a corner and walked straight to them with a friendly smile on her face.
'She is Mr. Smith guest," She told her simply and the woman nodded before leading away from the lobby.
They went through the lift and stopped at the twenty third floor, they walked down the hallway before she led her into the second room.
'Here we are, Ms. Aldine," She said and Sapphire nodded, the woman left.
Sapphire saw that all the members of the Smith family were present in the room, she walked to them in slow strides and stopped at the table.
'Have a seat please," Mrs. Smith said and Sapphire nodded with a smile, she looked genuinely pleased to see her.
'Thanks a lot, Mrs. Smith," She replied with a polite smile.
Mr. Smith was observing her with a blank expression but there was a hint of interest in his eyes.
The first daughter of the family, Heather's sister who still didn't remember her name, was staring at her with respect in her eyes.
'It is an honor to meet you, Ms. Aldine," Mr. Smith said.
'The pleasure is all mine," Sapphire replied.
'You said that you wanted to discuss something important with us, I hope you don't mind the presence of this daughter of ours, she couldn't help being curious when she heard that you have some information about Miranda and Heather. The fact that we haven't mentioned this girl in over a decade made it hot news for us," Mrs. Smith informed and Sapphire nodded.
'I understand, Mrs. Smith," Sapphire replied with a nod. She opened her bag and dropped a brown envelope on the table. 'Check that," She gestured to it and they nodded.
Mrs. Smith took it with shaky hands, she opened it with all concentration fixed on it. She gasped in shock when she saw the pictures.
It was pictures of Heather and Miranda in the same frame. With the same date and time on each of the pictures, Heather in her prison uniform looked every bit like a woman in prison while Miranda was in the pack, looking very happy, beautiful and healthy but the resemblance was still blinding.
'How do we know that this isn't Heather from years ago but with edited time and date on it?" Mr. Smith asked, it was obvious that they already saw the difference but think that they can never be too careful.
'Check the rest of the pictures," Sapphire said simply. 'These pictures were taken today, that picture of Miranda was taken with my kids, I am sure that you recognize them, in a park. My kids happened to be classmates with Amy, daughter of Miranda's friends, so they had a playdate together and we went there together. Now why would Heather take a happy picture with my kids willingly, she hates my guts and I despise hers.
The fifth picture was a picture of her and my kids' teacher, she came to pick Amy. You of all people know that there is nothing on this earth that would ever make Heather go to pick some kids from school.
There is information you can use to investigate that and track her to figure out if I am lying or not" She added, pointing to the papers attached to the pictures.
'Oh my god," Mrs. Smith and her daughter gasped, the mother's hand running smoothly over the picture of both daughters with teary eyes.
'So what do you want from us in return for this?" Mr. Smith asked and Sapphire smiled before leaning forward.
'I would like you to pay Heather a visit on Friday, from two p.m. to six p.m.," She said straight to the point and they stared at her in surprise.
'What? Why?" Mrs. Smith asked in surprise.
'Why? You can't do it? Surely, spending the total of four hours with your daughter who has been lost for more than ten years is not too much, is it?" Sapphire asked with a raised brow.
'Why do you want us to visit her, I am sure that you don't give a damn about us visiting Heather, what do you really want?"
'There is going to be some sort of attack on Heather on that day, depending on whether you go or not and follow my instruction or not, Friday might be Heather's last day on earth." Sapphire said with an even expression, letting them know that the decision is up to them.
'What?" Mrs. Smith asked with wide and scared eyes.
'Your daughter's fiancé is trying to kill her and he plans to use me as scapegoat, I am not really sure about how effective that would be on me, but I am not taking my chance, but your daughter is surely not going to survive this. If there's something we all know about Oliver Gray, it is the fact that he is a very nasty man who won't give up his bad ways," Sapphire answered.
'Oliver Gray?" Mr. Smith growled with a fierce expression.
'If he also discovers that our damsel in distress has a sister who is pretty much her doppelganger it won't be funny. It would be good for you if you get to her before Oliver does," She continued.
'What? That snake would do that to Miranda? Honey, We have to work with Ms. Aldine, we just found her after a decade. We can't lose her again," Mrs. Smith exclaimed with a horrified expression.
She put her phone on the table and played the recording of the discussion between Oliver and Sebastian.
'So? Are you ready to move according to my plan?" she asked, staring at them straight in the eyes.
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The maids opened the door for Sapphire as soon as they noticed that she was the one at the door and they lined up to welcome her.
She is, after all, the master of the house.
'What the hell are you all doing? Don't you have more important things to do?" Melissa snapped at them as she came down from the stairs.
'That is hardly any way to welcome the person that allows you to live in her house rent-free," Sapphire replied after waving the maid away and Melissa scoffed.
'What the hell? Are you kidding me right now? Who the fuck do you think you are to tell me nonsense? I am sure that you had some sort of dirty business with that Gary man, grandmother wouldn't be so stupid to do all of those to you," Melissa said and Sapphire rolled her eyes at her, staring at her from head to toe.
'Dirty business? That is the first time in five years that we met. Since when did I have time to resort to doing things the way you guys do it? If there is anything stupid that grandmother did, it is giving all of those even though she knows that you would be an ingrate," Sapphire said nonchalantly, as if talking some old magazine because there was nothing else to do.
'Who the hell are you calling an ingrate?!" Melissa yelled and Sapphire winced.
'Won't you have a sore throat with all that yelling? I would advise you to reduce it, it is not healthy for the general manager of my company to behave like that,"
'General Manager of the company, your foot?!"
'Wasn't that the position you asked grandmother for? She was kind enough to give it to you or are you going to quit working there because it is now mine? What a shame! Ten years of achievement down the drain over a matter of pride," Sapphire said in mock pity.
'Stop saying nonsense! The company is mine! You hear that? All mine! I am the C.E.O and you are just some trash that needs to be discarded, nobody needs you there! Grandmother was delusional to think that her death would stop me! You are the one that is going to give up, not me,"
'Thanks for wasting your time yelling out those crazy words, I wasted no time listening to it, you should learn new ways of speaking to me, I put a roof over your head." Sapphire said and Melissa's face turned red in anger.
The door snapped open and Marylynne rushed in with a panicked expression. She looked like she went shopping. Melissa stared at the bags her mother was carrying and stared at her in surprise.
'Were you robbed, mom?" She asked, Sapphire stood to the side watching their interactions with a small smirk on her face. Normally when Marylynne go shopping, she spends thousands on clothes, bags and whatever shits she had to buy and end up hoarding a lot of things home that three of four maids are usually needed to do all the task of carrying, arranging and sorting it out, but at the moment, she was only carrying four bags.
'No, I wasn't robbed, the attendant told me that the card was denied or something, I am sure that something is wrong or did you do something to my card?"
'Ah~" Sapphire said and they turned to look at her, that was probably the time Marlynne noticed her, her face scrunched up in disgust.
'What the hell are you doing here?"
'You mean in my house, that's a question you should whack a kid for asking," Sapphire said and Marylynne gasped. 'And about that denied card, I am pleased to inform you that your card isn't denied. I am the one that restricted it. From today on, everyone in the house would have a fixed amount that they can get and spend on things. Anytime it requires a huge amount of money, you would have to ask me for approval."
'What the hell are you talking about?" Arielle asked, coming in from the side door.
'Those cards are the house cards, everyone in Conrad has it and they spend money through it. Now, I inherited the mansion, so I am automatically in charge of those cards because they are now mine, and as the lady of the house, I am limiting the amount you can spend, when it exceed the amount I set for you, you can kindly use your personal card which I am sure has disappointing amount of money."
'The hell I would allow that!" Marylynne yelled.
'You can easily move out of the house in order to avoid that but remember to leave my card behind or you are doomed," Sapphire said, glaring at them all with the same fiery eyes she had when she first came back from Gisborne. Then she smiled out of the blue.
What do you think? Aren't I nicer than you all were some years ago? At least I am not telling you to call me for every little thing you want to use money for, or should we proceed to that level?"
Sapphire asked and Melissa couldn't help the shocked scoff.
