Chapter 55 Blocked Them All!
Rihegde.
Harmonious Convalesce Court was a fancy retirement community where wealthy seniors lived, mostly because they didn't want to stay with their kids. The place was set up like a neighborhood, with each person in their own unit.
The living conditions and staff here were top-notch.
Simon brought Elodie and Clara to Harmonious Convalesce Court early in the morning, but they were stopped at the gate by the security guard, Frank Olson.
"We're family, why can't we go in?" Elodie snapped at Frank. "Do you know who we are? How dare you stop us?"
Frank glanced at them. They looked well-off, but he'd seen plenty of rich folks in his years here and wasn't impressed.
"Sorry, rules are rules. No appointment or access card, no entry," Frank said firmly.
Simon, the CEO of Kennedy Group, was annoyed but couldn't make a scene in public.
Clara didn't expect this hassle on her first visit. She also didn't know Thalia lived in such a strict place where visits needed to be scheduled.
"Mom, didn't you come here before? How come you didn't know about the appointment or access card?" Clara asked, confused.
Elodie remembered they got in before because Victoria was with them.
"Victoria was with us last time," Elodie said, annoyed.
Clara was surprised. Victoria?
"Why could you get in with her?" she asked.
"I don't know," Elodie replied. She never wanted to visit Thalia, so she didn't pay attention to the details.
Clara had an idea.
She stepped up to Frank and said, "Victoria asked us to pick up Thalia. We came in a hurry and forgot the access card."
Frank looked at her and asked cautiously, "What's your relationship with Victoria?"
"I'm her sister, and these are our parents," Clara said.
Frank looked at Elodie and Simon again, feeling suspicious. They didn't resemble Victoria at all. Even Clara, though pretty, wasn't on Victoria's level.
Clara didn't know what Frank was thinking. She was already being unusually polite to a security guard.
"Are you sure Victoria asked you to come?" Frank asked again.
Clara kept her cool and said confidently, "Yes, that's right."
Frank thought they didn't seem like scammers, so he said, "Alright then." Clara started to feel relieved, and Elodie praised her, "Clara, you really are something."
Simon also looked pleased, but then Frank added, "But I still need to make a call to confirm."
The Kennedy family's faces went stiff. Confirm with whom?
Frank quickly dialed Victoria's number, and she picked up right away.
"Hello, Victoria? This is Frank Olson from Harmonious Convalesce Court," Frank said politely, a stark contrast to his cold demeanor with the Kennedys.
Victoria frowned, recognizing Frank's voice. "Yes, what can I do for you?"
"Three people here say they want to take Thalia home. They don't have an appointment or access card and claim to be your parents and sister. I'm calling to confirm," Frank explained.
Victoria didn't expect Simon to bring Elodie to visit Thalia.
Frank then said, "Okay," and hung up. Clara asked, "Did you confirm?"
Frank looked at her indifferently. "Victoria said her mother only had her and passed away over a decade ago."
Clara, Elodie, and Simon's faces stiffened. Victoria was clearly messing with them.
"Dad, maybe my sister didn't know it was us," Clara said, trying to provoke anger while pretending to be understanding.
As expected, Simon's face darkened. "Don't defend her. She did it on purpose!" He dialed Victoria's number, but all he got was a cold automated message, "The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and dial again."
Elodie saw Simon's face darken even more. "What's wrong?"
"That ungrateful person has blocked me!" Simon fumed.
Frank looked at them disdainfully. "Alright, stop the act. Just leave. You don't look like bad people, so I won't kick you out. Just don't block the entrance."
Feeling humiliated, especially with people passing by, Elodie and Clara tried their phones but couldn't get through. Victoria had blocked them all!
Meanwhile, at Vertex Holdings Group, everyone was in shock. Their usually stern CEO, Alexander, was smiling and responding to greetings. This was unheard of, and everyone wondered if it was a sign of impending anger, making the whole company extra cautious. Even simple tasks like getting water or going to the restroom required careful consideration to avoid jeopardizing their upcoming three-day holiday.
In one department, people couldn't help but gossip:
"I've been here a year and have never seen Mr. Howard smile."
"A year? I've been here three years and haven't seen him smile either."
"Mr. Howard is really handsome, but his aura is so strong, I can only look down when I see him."
"Who do you think his future wife will be? He's so good-looking, he must find someone equally good-looking, right?"
"Well, it's definitely not us! Besides, with Alexander being so aloof, as the ruler of a top-tier dynasty like this, is there any woman in all of Stellaria who could possibly captivate him?"
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