Chapter 299 Heartless
"Boss, isn't this project a bit too rushed? We haven't even finished yesterday's work."
"We're being paid a lot for this job." The man showed six fingers.
"This kindergarten must be loaded."
"It's not the kindergarten, it's the Lancaster Group that's paying."
"That Lancaster Group?"
"Yes."
Sophia pretended to pass by nonchalantly, then got back into her car, shaking with anger.
She had just climbed the wall yesterday to see her child, and today Gabriel had ordered the wall to be heightened.
Was Gabriel trying to push her to her limit?
Sophia laid her head on the steering wheel, crying out loud, brokenhearted.
...
With just the pre-surgery treatment, Caroline was already facing considerable expenses and was gradually running into difficulties.
She had reached out to many of her old contacts from the orphanage, but very few were able to lend a hand.
That's reality for you.
She couldn't force anyone to give money, so she had to find another way.
She had very few close friends in the country, and Ben Doolittle was the only one left.
Ben Doolittle poured Caroline a cup of coffee.
"Are you running into some trouble?" he asked.
Caroline was surprised, "How did you know?"
Ben Doolittle smiled, "You look a little worn out. You must not have been sleeping well."
Caught off guard and seeing that Ben had broached the subject, Caroline dropped the pretense, "I came to ask if I could borrow some money from you."
Without hesitation, Ben inquired, "Sure, how much do you need?"
"A million dollars," she said, bluntly.
Taken aback by the substantial amount, Ben knew that while a million wasn't a lot for him, it wasn't exactly pocket change either.
An embarrassed Caroline explained, "The matron of the orphanage where I grew up is seriously ill, and the surgery she needs is expensive. I don't have the funds right now."
Ben knew that Caroline had been raised in an orphanage, and it was her resilience and excellence in the face of adversity that he admired and liked about her.
The boycott initiated by Nicholas had hit Caroline particularly hard.
Without any hesitation, Ben said, "Okay, I'll transfer it to you tomorrow."
Caroline was profoundly grateful.
"Ben Doolittle, thank you," she said.
In her eyes, anyone willing to lend her money at such a time was a true friend.
She made a silent promise that if Ben ever needed help in the future, she would be there for him.
With a mixture of relief and gratitude, Caroline's anxiety eased somewhat, and the two of them continued their conversation happily, unaware of the sneaky figure that had left from outside the door.
Filled with joy, Caroline left the Doolittle residence, confident she would be able to repay the money. Once the matron's surgery was done, she planned to take on commercial performances to make up the funds.
However, unbeknownst to her, as soon as she left, Ben had been summoned to his father's office.
CEO Doolittle looked at his son with disappointment, "Have you lost your mind, just giving away a million dollars like that?"
Ben clarified, "It's not giving, it's a loan. Caroline will pay it back."
"And if she doesn't? Are you not even planning on having her sign a promissory note?" CEO Doolittle was exasperated.
Ben had faith in Caroline, and, in truth, he wasn't particularly concerned about getting the money back.
"Ben Doolittle," his father called out sternly, "What's her status, and what's yours? You two are not suitable. The Doolittle family would never allow a woman with no background to be part of this family."
His father added, "You are not to give her the money."
"Father!" Ben wanted to protest.
"Get out!" Ben Doolittle wanted to say more, but his father's authority was unchallengeable, so he had no choice but to back down.
Upon seeing Lucy Doolittle, Ben grabbed her hand in a fit of anger. "Lucy Doolittle, I pamper you so much, and this is how you repay your brother?"
"Brother, I did it for your own good. It's a million dollars we're talking about. That's no small sum." Lucy had to make her brother see the reason. Caroline had him completely smitten, and Lucy felt compelled to snap him out of it.
"I even spoke to Dad about not making you a mistress, and you..." Ben felt indignant. Was this his sweet and obedient sister? She even claimed that being a mistress wasn't wrong. He felt a strong urge to slap some sense into her.
Lucy pulled her hand back and walked away. She disliked Caroline, and she didn't want her brother entangled with her. That day, she had accidentally overheard Caroline asking her brother for money.
Normally, she would have pretended not to hear; after all, a million dollars was just enough to keep her brother happy.
But Caroline had slapped Nicholas at the birthday party and caused Lucy to be scolded by their father. She couldn't let that go.
Meanwhile, Ben hadn't planned to obey his father. Caroline needed the money for a life-saving purpose, not out of vanity. But when he tried to make the transfer, he found out his cards had been locked.
He called the bank's customer service and it dawned on him. His father had cut off all his cards!
Caroline had just finished discussing surgery options with the doctor when she saw a message from Ben Doolittle.
Ben: [I'm sorry, I might not be able to lend you the money.]
Leaning weakly against the wall, Caroline felt a wave of despair as she replied to his message.
Caroline: [No worries, I'll figure something out.]
But what could she possibly do? She was at her wit's end.
Feeling incredibly guilty for breaking his promise, Ben wanted to make it up to her.
Ben: [I know of a reality TV show that pays well. Would you be willing to give it a try?]
For Caroline, in her current situation, this was like a miracle from heaven.
Caroline: [Yes!]
Ben: [I'll take you to meet the producer tomorrow.]
Caroline: [Thank you so much.]
Before long, Ben sent another message.
Ben: [Nicholas wants to see you.]
Nicholas was up to something again.
For an hour, Caroline stood outside the towering Watson Group skyscraper. It was her second time setting foot in the building.
As soon as the receptionist heard her name was Caroline, they led her in with beaming enthusiasm.
"This is the CEO's private elevator; you just press the button for the top floor," the receptionist informed her warmly, explaining how to get up.
The level of service was a complete turnaround from her last visit, leaving Caroline bewildered.
Nicholas disliked crowded spaces, so his executive office was sparsely populated with only three or four people.
Upon entering, Caroline's first encounter was with Marlow Kurtz, whose eyes held a trace of irritation upon seeing her.
"Come in," Marlow said while ushering her in.
Caroline followed Marlow Kurtz into Nicholas's office.
"Get out," Nicholas commanded.
Caroline turned on her heel to leave, thinking the man must be crazy to summon her only to send her away.
"Not you," Nicholas said.
She stopped mid-stride. As Marlow Kurtz passed her, he gave her a fleeting but indifferent glance before closing the door behind him.
Oh, so it wasn't her he was dismissing.
"What do you want?" Caroline asked, her tone icy.
Nicholas lifted his gaze to her, his eyes sharpening. She had lost weight. He slid a contract across the table to her.
With a furrowed brow, Caroline picked it up, glanced over it, and then laid it down.
"I'm not going to teach Josie violin at the Watson family," she declared firmly.
Her second refusal seemed to stoke the fires of resentment within Nicholas, his eyes blazing for a moment as if he might devour her.
No matter how tempting the offer, she would never set foot in the Watson household again. But she would consider teaching Josie somewhere else.
"Caroline," he said through clenched teeth, "is your heart made of stone? Are you that heartless?"
Heartless?
Please, who was the one truly ruthless and cold?
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