Chapter 572 Paying the bill
As soon as Elizabeth heard Jennifer's sharp voice, she felt a surge of impatience. "What do you want? Just get to the point already!"
"Elizabeth, where are your manners? Talking like that."
Elizabeth snorted. "Didn't I learn it from you? What good manners could I possibly pick up from you?"
Jennifer fumed. "Elizabeth, you—"
"What about me? Why did you call?"
Jennifer took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I heard you're back in the country. As your stepmother, shouldn't I welcome you back?"
Elizabeth scoffed. "Jennifer, are you serious? You want to welcome me? Who would buy that?"
"Enough. We haven't seen each other in a while. I'm heading out now. Let's meet at the café downstairs from your office."
Jennifer hung up before Elizabeth could respond.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
Dean asked, "What did Jennifer want? She wants to meet you? Did you agree?"
Elizabeth nodded. "She wants to meet at the café downstairs. She's already on her way."
Dean frowned. "Are you really going to see her? She's probably coming to gloat and rub it in your face."
Elizabeth started gathering her things and touched up her makeup in the mirror. "It's fine. I'm not afraid of her. Who knows who will come out on top? If I don't go, she'll just feel more triumphant."
At the café downstairs from the Jones Group, Elizabeth ordered a table full of desserts.
When Jennifer arrived, Elizabeth was already leisurely eating cake.
Jennifer set her bag down and sat gracefully. She looked at Elizabeth and sneered. "Elizabeth, did you order all this for a pig?"
Elizabeth remained unfazed. "If someone's paying, why not eat?"
Jennifer crossed her arms and leaned back. "Elizabeth, are you really that broke? Can't even afford food?"
Elizabeth took another bite of cake, not even glancing at her. "Yeah, thanks to you. Isn't this what you wanted to see?"
Jennifer laughed heartily. "Elizabeth, I never thought I'd see you admit defeat! This is so satisfying! I can finally avenge Patricia!"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Jennifer, what are you so proud of? You still haven't figured out how Patricia died? What kind of mother are you? Patricia must be restless in her grave!"
Jennifer's face darkened. "Elizabeth! You have no right to mention Patricia!"
Elizabeth shrugged. "Fine, I won't. Do you think I want to talk about your precious daughter?"
Jennifer's chest heaved with anger. "Elizabeth! Your company is about to go bankrupt! I advise you to drop that spoiled princess act in front of me! You're about to lose everything! Be careful how you act! You'll never be a match for me!"
Elizabeth put down her fork, sat up straight, and calmly wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Jennifer, are you serious? The Jones Group goes bankrupt, so what? I still have my husband to support me. I won't starve. What's there to be proud of? Do you really think I'll be devastated if the company goes under?"
She crossed her legs and folded her arms, looking at Jennifer with indifference. "Saving the Jones Group was just to fulfill my dad's last wish. Now, the company has far surpassed what it was when he was alive. He should be satisfied. Even if it goes bankrupt, I've done enough. After all—"
Elizabeth leaned forward, staring Jennifer down. "I'm not like some shameless woman who only wants to destroy his legacy. At least I tried to save it."
Jennifer's breathing grew heavier with rage. "Elizabeth! You're just like your dead mother! Always so annoying!"
Her eyes glinted with malice. "One day, I'll make sure you join her!"
Elizabeth's calm demeanor vanished. "Jennifer, I'll never forget that you killed my mother. Just wait, you'll get what's coming to you!"
Jennifer sneered. "Elizabeth, you think your husband will support you? You mean that loser Michael? Didn't you just come back from Majestic City? Don't you know he's trapped with the Murphy family and can't go anywhere? His Stellar Enterprises is now in the hands of an idiot. How long do you think it will take for that idiot to ruin it?"
Jennifer laughed maniacally. "Elizabeth, when Michael was around, I couldn't do anything to you. But now, he can't even help himself, let alone you. Besides, he's already married someone else in Majestic City and will soon have kids with her. By then, you'll just be his washed-up ex. Do you think he'll still want you?"
Elizabeth ignored her taunts and pressed the call button. A server approached.
Elizabeth pointed at Jennifer. "She'll pay the bill."
She stood up, grabbed her bag, and told the server, "Please pack all these desserts to go."
The server quickly packed everything.
Elizabeth walked to the door. "Oh, and send them upstairs to the Jones Group. Tell them it's a treat from Jennifer of FutureTech Robotics Group."
With that, she pushed the door open and left without looking back.
Back at her office, Elizabeth pondered her next move.
Initially, when she learned about the Jones Group's crisis, she thought it wouldn't matter if the company went bankrupt.
She could just liquidate it and distribute the money to the employees, helping them find new jobs.
But now, she couldn't think that way. How could she forget how her mother died?
She couldn't let Jennifer be too pleased. She had to find a way to save the Jones Group, no matter how much money and effort it took! She had to thwart Jennifer's plans!
The Jones Group's only hope now lay in their recently developed new product.
The core technology of the new product hadn't been stolen yet, so Jennifer couldn't monopolize the market for now.
The phone rang. It was Michael.
Elizabeth's lips curled into a smile. "Michael, how do you have time to call me?"
"I figured you might be thinking about me. I thought you might not be able to call, so I called you first."
Elizabeth chuckled softly. "Michael, it's only been a few days, and you're already saying sweet things."
"Is that considered sweet? Then I'll say more of it to you from now on."
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