Chapter 575 Earn What She Wants
Back then, Elodie never thought she'd soon lose her precious daughter.
Later, she got locked up and lost another child. These were the scars of her life. She'd given up hope, but now her daughter had come to find her!
Elodie grabbed Elara's hand, her voice trembling with excitement, "Elara, where did you see it? Please, it's super important!"
Elara, taken aback by Elodie's intensity, slowly replied, "Last time I was here, there was a gift on the table outside, wrapped in silk with this pattern."
"A gift..." Elodie tried to remember, but her head started to ache.
Elara noticed and panicked, "Madam, are you okay? Sit down, quick."
She gently helped Elodie to the bed. Seeing Elodie's reaction, she started to piece things together.
Elara reminded her, "It was the day I told you someone was having a wedding. I saw it on the table outside."
Elodie pinched her palm, trying to control her racing thoughts.
She asked, "Elara, whose wedding was it?"
Elara replied, "Madam, it was the Perry Family."
Seeing Elodie's confusion, Elara explained, "The Perry Family is really powerful and famous around here, just like the Charles Family, and they know Mr. Hernandez."
Elodie's eyes widened a bit. The Perry Family knew Arthur?
Did Arthur know something?
Elara suddenly remembered, "That gift might've been a wedding gift from the Perry Family."
"You said the bride was beautiful. Do you remember what she looked like?" Elodie asked, hope in her voice, "Does she look like me?"
Elara looked at Elodie apologetically and shook her head, "Madam, I didn't see the bride. I wasn't invited to the Perry Family's wedding. A friend of mine, who was serving the guests, told me the bride was very beautiful."
Elodie felt a bit let down, but she was convinced it had to be Harper. No one else in Emerald Isle knew that pattern.
She had Elara buy herbs, and then someone from Dreamlandia married into Emerald Isle and brought a gift with that herb pattern.
Even if the bride wasn't Harper, she had to be connected to her.
Or maybe it was Jasper. Maybe he found Harper, and she told him about the pattern.
The more Elodie thought about it, the more it made sense, filling her with hope.
She looked at Elara and softly asked, "Elara, can you help me?"
Elara looked puzzled, not sure what Elodie wanted.
Elodie handed her a rough piece of embroidery, "Can you give this to that bride?"
Elara's face changed, and she immediately refused. "I'm sorry, Madam, I can't do that."
She handed the embroidery back, her face pale, muttering, "I don't dare. Sorry, Madam."
If Arthur found out she did something he didn't approve of, the consequences would be terrifying. Elara couldn't take that risk.
Last time, Elara helped Elodie buy herbs, but she only dared to do it in disguise.
And back then, Elodie was homesick, so even if Elara got caught, it probably wouldn't cost her life.
This time was different. Elodie wanted Elara to take the embroidery to the Perry Family and find the bride, which meant Elodie had a connection with her.
This involved outsiders, and Arthur would never allow it.
No matter how brave Elara was, she couldn't do it.
Elodie suddenly got up from the bed and knelt in front of Elara. "Please, I beg you, Elara."
Elara quickly helped her up, nervously saying, "Madam, I'm really scared of Mr. Hernandez, he..."
"He won't," Elodie reassured, gripping Elara's hand. "You don't have to do it yourself. Just find someone trustworthy to pass it on."
Elodie promised, "As long as it gets to the bride, I guarantee she will help your whole family leave Emerald Isle, go anywhere you want, and provide you with compensation."
Elara hesitated. This was her dream; she wanted nothing more than to leave Emerald Isle.
Faced with such a huge temptation, Arthur's threat seemed less daunting.
Besides, Arthur hadn't killed anyone recently; maybe he was mellowing out, or maybe Elara just hadn't seen it.
Either way, Elara was tempted! She looked at Elodie and made up her mind, "Madam, I'll help you. How much compensation are we talking about?"
Elara had been a servant in Emerald Isle for over twenty years. She was a legit doctor but got no respect.
She moved among wealthy families, and those people looked down on her.
In Emerald Isle, even middle-class families could have a family doctor, but Elara didn't want to go. Although she didn't want to come to the Hernandez Mansion either, she had no choice back then.
Now that she had the opportunity, she wanted to become wealthy.
Elodie didn't expect Elara to ask this question. The compensation she offered wouldn't be small, but she wasn't very familiar with current prices.
She thought that if they could get out, she would provide equivalent money based on outside prices.
Elodie thought for a moment and mentioned an amount that was considered high twenty years ago, "I can give you one million dollars."
"One million dollars?" Elara was stunned.
Then, Elara said with some disdain, "Madam, one million dollars isn't enough to buy a necklace from your jewelry box."
She had seen Elodie's jewelry box, and any piece of jewelry in it was worth tens of millions of dollars, all top-quality items.
Elodie had never seen this side of Elara before. That concealed greed was finally revealed.
Elodie asked, "How much do you want?"
"I want 15 million dollars," Elara said.
Originally, Elara wanted 20 million dollars, but she was afraid of asking for too much and blowing the deal, which would be a loss.
So she proactively reduced it by 5 million dollars, which seemed just right.
Elodie was shocked, but this was good. She didn't like owing favors. She would pay, and Elara would do the job, fair and square.
Elodie nodded, "I agree."
Elodie's assets outside were over 100 million dollars at the time, all in real estate. If she got out, she could sell some and give the money to Elara.
After the agreement, Elara hid the handkerchief in her close-fitting corset and said, "Madam, I need to make this clear first. I'll deliver this embroidery for you, but my responsibility ends once it's received by the other party. Whether your plan works or not, you must fulfill your promise."
Elara didn't want to make a trip for nothing. She wasn't so selfless as to help others for free, especially since this was a very risky task.
Her previous kindness to Elodie wasn't because Elodie had helped her that time, but from that help, she realized that Elodie was trapped here and really needed a partner, and she happened to be a suitable choice.
So Elara helped Elodie buy that herb and flattered her in various ways, all to earn what she wanted from her.
Elara called it an equivalent exchange. Everything she did had a purpose, and it was never out of genuine goodwill.
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