Chapter 759 You Will Believe Me, Right?
"Man, Phillipe's got some deep pockets. This chess set he gave me? Must've cost a bomb. It's a real gem, no clue where he dug it up from. Dude's got a heart of gold," David said, giving Phillipe props.
Vanessa jumped in, "Oh, and that painting Phillipe gave me? It's a masterpiece. Every flower, every tree in it has some deep meaning. It's like he's wishing me all the best in life."
Vanessa couldn't stop grinning.
Caleb, holding a vase, added, "Phillipe really went all out. I saw this vase at an auction earlier this year but missed out. Been kicking myself ever since. No idea how Phillipe found out, but he snagged it from another collector and gave it to me, original packaging and all."
He was seriously impressed.
The collector who originally had the vase was notorious for never letting go of his treasures, no matter the offer.
For Phillipe to score this vase was a big deal.
"Last time Phillipe was here, he must've noticed I love tea, so he got me this tea set." Bonnie's eyes softened.
This tea set had caused quite a buzz at the auction because of its unique design and historical value. Tea lovers were all over it for the amazing flavor it produced.
Bonnie had wanted it bad, but a business partner was also eyeing it, so she had to back off for the sake of business.
"Phillipe totally made up for that." Bonnie's smile was beaming.
"Phillipe's showered us with so many awesome gifts. It's clear he really cares about Abella and respects us as her family. I feel bad we couldn't host him properly last night with everything going on," David said, looking a bit guilty.
Vanessa reassured him, "Let's have Abella ask Phillipe when he's free to visit again, and we can give him a return gift. Bonnie, you always have great ideas. What should we give him?"
It couldn't be something basic; it had to be something he'd love. Vanessa was stumped.
"Abella knows him best, right?" Bonnie smiled at Abella.
Now, all eyes were on Abella.
"Yeah, Abella must know what he likes," they said, crowding around her, eager to know.
Abella realized she hadn't really paid attention to Phillipe's likes and dislikes, and now she was drawing a blank.
"Abella, what makes him happiest when you give him something?" Vanessa asked, curious.
"Me?" Abella replied honestly, "Even a cup or a tie makes him happy."
"Phillipe's not picky," Vanessa got it. "That makes it easier. We'll give him something rare and valuable."
"I think Phillipe just wants our family's approval. It doesn't matter what we give him; even inviting him over would make him happy," Bonnie said, but she knew they still needed to give Phillipe a gift to show their appreciation and recognition.
Lola, seeing them talk about gifts, stormed off to her room. Checking her phone, she saw Henry still hadn't hit her up.
"That damn Henry, how dare he ghost me?" Lola fumed, chucking her phone aside, refusing to be the one to reach out first.
Meanwhile, Henry sat at his desk, his usually clear eyes clouded with gloom and sadness.
His staff had no clue how to cheer him up.
Since morning, Henry had been glued to his desk, silent, not working, just lost in his thoughts.
His mind kept replaying last night's drama.
Lola had been so sincere, calling out Phillipe's name and saying all that stuff.
She said how much she liked Phillipe, that Phillipe was her boyfriend, and Henry was nothing, not even worth being her boyfriend.
When Henry tried to give her some medicine, she told him to get lost and not to mess up her date with Phillipe.
She had kissed the tree with such passion, so deeply and shyly, totally different from how she usually was with him.
The more Henry thought about it, the more it stung.
Then his phone screen lit up with a message from Lola.
He opened it right away.
Lola had sent a photo of her injury, along with a crying emoji.
Lola: [It hurts so much.]
Henry called her immediately, asking what happened.
"Last night, I had some whiskey and said some dumb stuff. Abella misunderstood and thought I was into Phillipe. She barged into my room and beat me up. She slapped me a bunch of times and hit me with a dressing stool. I'm in so much pain now. The doc said my injuries will take about a month to heal, and my palm is fractured." By the end, Lola's voice was full of grievance.
"What? That's insane." Henry's anger flared up. "Does she always act like this at home? What about your family? Do they stand up for you?"
"I didn't want to mess up the family's harmony, so I kept quiet."
"How could you be so foolish! She treated you like this!" Henry was furious. "I'll go confront her."
"Henry, I don't want to upset my family. I want to stay in this home."
"She was wrong to hit you first. Mr. David Harris and Mrs. Vanessa Harris would definitely stand up for you if they knew. If you don't want them to know, I can handle it privately."
"She'll definitely tell on me! Besides, she has Phillipe backing her. Forget it, Henry. I was wrong last night. I said things I shouldn't have, causing a misunderstanding," Lola, seeing the atmosphere was just right, pitifully asked, "You don't misunderstand me, do you?"
Henry suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Lola added, "Have you been busy with work today? I know, even if everyone misunderstands me, you'll always stand by my side, right? After all, you're my boyfriend, the person I trust and love the most in the world."
Henry was moved, his heart trembling, and he called out in a low, hoarse voice, "Lola."
"Thank goodness for you. No matter how the world changes, no matter how much crap comes my way, as long as you're here, I have a place to belong."
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