Chapter 377 You're Too Naive
All Abella wanted was for her family to be content. As long as Lola kept to her own business, the cheerful atmosphere at home could continue.
Lola thought to herself, '"If one day Abella saw that I have turned over a new leaf, would she regard me differently and finally accept me as her sister?'"
If so, Lola was willing to keep trying.
Just as she was stepping out of the Medical University, Lola overheard two familiar voices.
"Lola, what are you doing here?"
Mr. and Mrs. Medici had just gotten out of their car, their hands full. They were obviously here to visit Abella.
"Dad, Mom... Maria, what brings you guys here?"
"We thought we'd check in on Abella and see you too. Maria mentioned she missed you, so she came along," Mrs. Medici inquired curiously, "But Lola, what are you doing here?"
"I brought some milk and bread for Abella, but..." Lola paused, realizing she couldn't imply that her gestures had been rejected without inadvertently casting Abella in a negative light.
So, she quickly changed course, "I didn't run into her."
"Oh... so you didn't see her."
"Did you call her?" Mrs. Medici asked with concern. "I heard you've been visiting the Medical University quite a bit lately. Why all the frequent visits? Hey, when did you start reading medical books? Don't tell me, this is also for your sister?"
"Yeah... She might be busy. I'll come by another time." Lola saw Mrs. Medici reaching for her phone to call Abella and quickly intervened, "Please, don’t mention my visits to the Medical University. I want to deliver these books and some other treats to Abella myself next time. You guys go ahead and visit her. I’ll head back to Stanford."
"Well then..." Mrs. Medici looked at Maria and said, "Can you drop Lola off at Stanford first? We'll head over in a bit."
"Sure."
Maria had been sensing a change in Lola. After Mr. and Mrs. Medici left, she couldn't hold back her curiosity about what had happened.
The second she heard that Lola had tried to befriend Abella but kept hitting a wall, Maria became quite anxious.
"Lola, you're being naive! How could someone like Abella ever want to be your friend? She's clearly just making things difficult for you!"
"It's my own doing, showing up here all the time. Plus, I've made my share of mistakes in the past. It's only natural she wouldn't trust me straight away," Lola replied while walking towards Stanford University. "I've thought it through. Instead of secretly making her an enemy, it’s better for us to get along. At least then I can stay with the family to enjoy the love from my parents, grandparents, and brothers."
"Miss Lola, you're being foolish! Abella has just returned to the family. She hasn't formed a deep bond with Mr. and Mrs. Medici yet. This is your best chance to turn things around. Once she becomes close with everyone and they start holding her in high regard, how can she possibly accept your existence?"
"As long as we get along, she will accept me. The Medici family is large. Surely there's a place for me. She's not petty."
"Lola, who’s leading you astray? Do you even know her? How can you be sure what kind of person she is?" Maria grew more frantic. "The best of relationships crumble when interests are at stake. You're young and unaware of the treacheries of human nature and the darker sides of society. Without blood ties and compatible vibes, you two will never get along..."
"Maria, she has never once went out of her way to trouble me. We were always the ones to start things. Even then, she only pushed back a little, never too harshly. Why can’t we live in harmony?"
"That's because her connections within the family aren't deep yet. She needs time to settle, and that's why she’s not making waves. Wait till she has her full strength, and you’ll see how she deals with you."
"Okay, Maria, I get that you’re looking out for me, but I have my own plans," Lola tried to reassure Maria as her thoughts drifted to Ethan's look of disappointment. "I really can't stand seeing him disappointed again."
It used to be her eldest brother who was disappointed in her, and now Ethan...
If the whole family were to grow disappointed in her, it would be too late to turn things around.
"Mr. and Mrs. Medici came to her school before going to Stanford to see you, and the gifts they brought were different... Don’t you get it...? Your standing in the Medici family is precarious..."
"Maria, I'm aware," said Lola.
Maria sighed and fell silent, her brow furrowed with deep concern.
"Let's go check out the new restaurants near Stanford. We can invite Mom and Dad to join us for dinner there."
Seeing Lola's smile—so pure and untainted—Maria couldn't help but sigh.
'Fine, I won’t try to persuade her now. It's no use. She'll just have to learn the hard way after being rejected by Abella a few more times. Then, I might have some luck talking her around. What on earth did that wildcat Abella do to influence Lola so much? That girl... she is becoming too much to handle.' Maria contemplated.
Meanwhile, Abella received a call from Abigail.
"Abella, the three months are up... HR’s asking me to start the handover... What am I going to do? I can't bear to leave you," Abigail said, her voice choking with emotion.
Originally, with Steven and Abella's help, Abigail had managed to reclaim her family’s home and business from her uncle's grasps. She had hoped to stay and learn from Abella for three, or five, and maybe even ten years...
But Abella only gave her three months because she saw potential in Abigail. Abella thought, 'She ias bright and ambitious, and there's enough time to lay a solid foundation before taking the helm at her own company.'
"Remember, if you ever hit a snag with the company, just call me," Abella said with a reassuring smile.
"You're amazing. If I hadn't met you, my life would be completely different. I’d probably mope in some corner, lost and defeated..." Abigail replied, then shifted the conversation toward recent school matters and eventually onto the upcoming competition. "What should I do? The international competition is just around the corner…"
In their last venture together, they had secured first place in the national design competition. The top three winners from each country were eligible for the next round of the international design showdown.
However, this time, it was a solo contest, and Abigail had to face it alone.
"You'll do great. Making top five is a sure bet," Abella encouraged her.
Recently, the latest design drafts sent from her company caught Abella's attention. Abigail’s entries showed remarkable improvement from just a month ago. But they were up against some famous designers this time. There were strong competitors with impressive work.
"My eldest brother's going to be one of the judges," Abella mentioned.
"Really? Mr. Medici will be there too? That's fantastic!"
Knowing someone from the inside was certainly a confidence booster, especially in foreign territory, which could otherwise be quite nerve-wracking.
---
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
