Chapter 272: The Hammer Family Is All About Romance
On the other end of the line, Madison's voice came through, sounding cheerful. "Hope, thank you so much. The dress you designed is amazing. Right after the awards ceremony last night, a top luxury brand contacted Juniper for a global endorsement deal."
I was thrilled. "Really? That's fantastic!"
For an artist like Madison, only top luxury endorsements were worth it.
Though for Madison, it was just icing on the cake.
Madison chuckled, her tone softening. "When the contract is signed, there will be a celebration party. Would you like to come?"
I sensed a hint of caution in her voice, like she was afraid of upsetting me.
I decided to be direct. "Ms. Ortiz, last time I mentioned Larry, you seemed a bit upset. Is there any bad blood between you two?"
Madison was silent for a moment.
I pressed my lips together. "Ms. Ortiz, he's my father. If you mind my relationship with him, Elissa can handle the work-related matters with you instead."
"Don't misunderstand," Madison quickly responded, laughing a bit. "You might find out about me and your father in the future, but no matter what, it won't affect our relationship. I also apologize for my rudeness last time. Hope, the invitation to the celebration party is sincere."
I felt relieved and smiled. "Okay, I'll go!"
If I wanted to become a top-tier custom designer, breaking into the fashion scene through the entertainment industry was the fastest way. No reason to refuse such a good opportunity.
After hanging up, Madison felt a bit lost, holding her phone for a long time.
Juniper placed a freshly brewed cup of coffee in front of her. "Why not just tell her the truth?"
"How should I say it?" Madison snapped back to her senses, took a sip of coffee, and said, "Tell her she might be my biological daughter? The paternity test results aren't out yet. If it turns out Sarah is my daughter, my relationship with Hope will only become awkward. It's better to wait until everything is settled."
Madison rubbed her temples. Ever since she started suspecting Sarah's identity, she hadn't had a good night's sleep.
Her heart was in extreme conflict, blaming herself for not being cautious enough and letting someone with ill intentions take advantage.
In the past few days, Juniper had also looked into Hope's past and found out that she had been kidnapped and lost, raised by foster parents until she was eight.
After her foster parents passed away, she lived with the Beata family, relying on part-time jobs to support herself since middle school.
Juniper had also learned from her former neighbors that regardless of the season, she could only sleep on the balcony and had to make breakfast for the whole family before going to school in the morning.
After getting married, she was unlucky in love, suffered a lot, and even had a miscarriage!
Thinking that Hope might be her biological daughter, Madison's heart felt like it was being cut by a knife!
Even if she gave Hope everything she had, Madison felt it wouldn't be enough! The guilt almost consumed her.
Seeing Madison's expression, Juniper knew she was sinking into pain again.
Over the years, Madison had always been open-minded, except when it came to her only daughter, often not forgiving herself.
Juniper knew that saying more was pointless, so she simply said, "I'll push the agency to get the results as soon as possible."
This time, to avoid alerting anyone, the samples were sent abroad by private jet to two different agencies, and the round trip took two to three days.
Although slow, it was done very discreetly.
If there were any more tampering, Juniper would be curious whether the other party was human or a ghost!
Madison nodded and urged, "Hurry up. I won't feel at ease until it's confirmed."
Once Sarah's identity was confirmed, the relationship between Hope and her would be almost certain. Of course, they would also do a formal test to confirm the blood relationship thoroughly.
While having breakfast, Elissa suddenly suggested we consider opening a branch office in Maple Valley. She had mentioned this to me a while ago, but there hadn't been much need before. The company in Jacquar was enough for ElevateJoy's operations, so I thought we could wait a bit longer.
Elissa said, "Now that ElevateJoy and you have gained widespread fame, the current company size is clearly insufficient." She analyzed methodically while drinking oatmeal. "Our first offline store is in Maple Valley. When you return to the Harris family, your focus will definitely be here. So, opening a branch office in Maple Valley is a good thing for both you and ElevateJoy."
I agreed without hesitation, "Okay."
Madison helped us a lot, and the financial data just came in, showing that the cash flow from last night to now was already in the millions of dollars. Given Madison's status, this wave of orders had just begun. Opening a branch office was imperative.
Elissa was surprised at how quickly I agreed. "Are you sure?"
I placed a piece of luncheon meat on Nolan's plate and chuckled, "Of course."
Elissa smiled broadly, letting out a long sigh. "Hope, I never thought we could get to where we are today!"
Many moments from the past flashed through my mind. When I first met Elissa, we had done all kinds of part-time jobs together—handing out flyers, waitressing, tutoring. We had endured countless sneers but were still too poor to even afford to go to the hospital when we were sick.
I smiled. "It's all in the past, Elissa. Things will only get better from now on."
We must get better and better.
In the midst of this sentimental moment, Nolan suddenly looked up from his plate, blinking his big eyes, and asked, "What's getting better? Is it your love with Jerry?"
I couldn't help but laugh and tapped Nolan's head. "Do you even know what love is?"
"Of course!" Nolan nodded vigorously, his eyes darting around as he spoke seriously. "I don't like kids who cry, but if she cries, it's okay! And I need to coax her when she is crying!"
I was slightly taken aback by his thought process and language skills.
Elissa, however, burst into laughter. "Wow, knowing about love at such a young age. Is everyone in the Hammer family obsessed with love?"
"Ms. Wilson, are you implying something?"
Ellen had just left quietly, and Jerry happened to come in and hear the conversation. He changed his shoes, walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down, raising an eyebrow.
Caught gossiping about someone, Elissa felt a bit awkward. "Love is great. Hope just loves lovesick guys."
I looked at Jerry. "Do you want oatmeal or a sandwich?"
Ellen had arranged breakfast well, with two main courses and a balanced diet.
Jerry smiled, his eyes full of teasing. "I'll have whatever you want me to have."
"I'm full." Elissa put down her fork. She picked up Nolan to go to the living room and asked, "Are you full, too?"
Nolan protested about being forced to leave the table, shouting, "I still want milk!"
I served Jerry half a bowl of oatmeal and couldn't help but bring up his visit to the Hammer Group yesterday. I asked worriedly, "Are you still going to the Hammer Group today?"
Jerry took a bite of his sandwich. "Yes. Actually, I'll be at the Hammer Group most of the time from now on."
I tensed up. "Why?"
Whenever Jerry went to the Hammer Group, I got worried!
Jerry comforted me, "Don't worry. Carlos is no longer at the Hammer Group. It's not easy for him to come back."
I couldn't help but ask, "Did you kick him out? How did Austin agree to that?"
Jerry hesitated for a moment. "Christopher had a hand in that."
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