Chapter 24 The Praise I Anticipated

Elena Garcia's POV:

I couldn't wait to get home.

As soon as I walked in, I bumped into Isabella in the living room.

She gave me that look, like she suddenly remembered she should be keeping tabs on me in this new city. "Where'd you go?"

"I was downtown in Los Angeles."

"What were you doing there? You don't know anyone in LA."

"Do I need friends to go out?" I shot back. Sometimes Isabella acted like such a stickler, always up in my business about where I was and who I was with.

I wasn't her soldier; I didn't need to report my every move.

Especially since she only acted this way with me, not Sofia.

Was it because Sofia made her feel more at ease?

That difference still stung.

Maybe Isabella still saw me as the troublesome kid from before.

In her eyes, I was still a handful, which is why she kept nagging me.

"I went out to get you a gift, Mom." I handed her a gift bag.

After chatting with Emily about my dad, she invited me to go shopping with her and her kid, and I didn't say no.

I really liked her kid; he reminded me of how I was with Rosa. He adored his mom, and Emily adored him right back.

It made me a little jealous.

"You haven't been to LA before, right? I heard you used to live in Chicago. Since you're downtown, why not get some gifts for your family?" Emily's words got me thinking a gift might help smooth things over.

So, after getting her advice, I picked out a beautiful scarf for Isabella. "Mrs. Garcia often wears scarves to events. I think she likes them, and she usually goes for blue tones."

I bought a gorgeous blue scarf with cloud patterns and gold-threaded edges. It looked super fancy and, yeah, it wasn't cheap.

But it wasn't about the price. I just hoped Isabella would like it.

Isabella seemed surprised, her movements a bit stiff as she took the gift bag.

Her look of dissatisfaction shifted to something more complicated. The gift broke the tension between us, leaving her a bit unsure.

In the end, she accepted it, though she didn't open it. But that was enough to make me happy.

As I was about to head to my room, Isabella called out, "Elena."

"Yeah, Mom?"

"Do you like having afternoon tea? If you do, maybe you could join me tomorrow?" Her tone was a bit awkward.

I thought her attitude towards me had changed a bit since this was the first time she had actively invited me.

Isabella usually had afternoon tea alone.

I felt so good I could hardly keep from smiling.

"Watch your smile; it's too exaggerated," Isabella reminded me.

"Okay, Mom."

But this time, her harsh words didn't sting like they used to.

I felt like I was floating, practically skipping down the hallway like a happy little bird.

When I ran into Albert and Marco, I even greeted them, mostly Albert, of course.

I was still a bit wary of Marco.

Albert noticed my good mood and asked, "Looks like my suggestion worked out? Did Mrs. Fisher actually agree to keep working with that idiot James?"

"No, I didn't convince Mrs. Fisher to continue the collaboration. She might still refuse."

Albert looked puzzled, raising an eyebrow.

"I just hoped she'd give Dad a chance. She agreed. If he's willing to make a public apology for his rudeness, at least he can compete fairly like other financial fund managers."

"Well, James would definitely be willing; he wouldn't turn down money. If Mrs. Fisher refused to even meet with him, it would affect more than just their collaboration."

I nodded.

Marco looked at me. "Are you happy because you helped James?"

"That's part of it."

Then I told them about Isabella inviting me to afternoon tea. It might not mean much to them, but I was so happy I just had to share.

"You're easily satisfied," Albert commented.

That didn't bother me. I made a face at him and ran back to my room.

Being easily satisfied isn't a bad thing!

It wasn't until the next day at breakfast, when my family and Marco were all gathered around the table, that I started to get excited.

James seemed more relaxed too. I think Emily had reached out to him.

Emily had promised to put in a good word for me with my dad when she heard I felt unappreciated by my parents. She thought it was a bit childish but was totally understanding.

I glanced at James.

After finishing his meal, James put down his knife and fork, looked around the table, and cleared his throat.

I put down my utensils too, waiting for his praise.

Under the table, Albert gave me a light kick and winked.

Marco smiled at me.

They were the only ones who knew the truth and how much I was looking forward to this moment.

But when James spoke, he called out his foster daughter's name. "Sofia, my dear daughter, I am so grateful for everything you've done for me. I don't know how you found out about this, but I'm proud of you for helping me out."

Sofia looked surprised and confused, but James didn't notice and kept praising her. "You are the pride of the Garcia family."

Sofia just smiled.

Then James turned to me with a tone of dissatisfaction. "And you, Elena, I hope you can learn from Sofia instead of getting arrogant just because you got an acceptance letter. Don't become a jealous person."

I took a few deep breaths. I should defend myself right then and tell James how wrong he was.

Emily had praised me, but he thought it was Sofia.

Before I could speak, Marco put down his glass with a loud thud, drawing everyone's attention.

Marco stared at James, his face expressionless.

Even though he didn't say a word, I saw James shut his mouth and become extremely docile.

He was scared of Marco.

Marco spoke up, "James, does criticizing your daughter in front of guests make you feel superior?"

"No, Marco, I'm sorry for disturbing you. I shouldn't let my family matters interrupt your meal."

"You should indeed apologize, but not for interrupting me." Marco's voice was icy. His index finger tapped the table slowly but with a strong sense of pressure.

When he exuded that sense of danger, no one could ignore him.

Marco asked, "Did Mrs. Fisher tell you which daughter helped you?"

"She just said my daughter gave me a chance to apologize, she didn't—no, she did say it, but at the time I..." James was probably so happy he didn't listen carefully to Emily's words.

Now he was scrambling to find an excuse for not hearing the name.

He continued, "But it must be Sofia. She's great in social situations, always excellent, and everyone likes her. Only she could do such a thing. Right, Sofia?"

Sofia should have denied it, but she seemed hesitant.

This made me unhappy, and I spoke up, "Why can't you believe your other daughter could do such a thing too?"

"Elena, now is not the time for you to speak. You don't have that capability," Isabella interjected, then turned to Sofia. "Sofia, why don't you say something?"

I was also expecting Sofia to refute, but she stayed silent, seemingly considering something.

I could only shout, "But it was me. The person Mrs. Fisher mentioned was me."

"Are you kidding? You?"

"I'm not kidding. I went to see Mrs. Fisher after I went out yesterday." Anger and sadness began to fill my mind again, and my eyes felt sore.

But at the same time, joy rose in my heart.

I said it. I revealed the truth.

James misunderstood me, which was why he said those hurtful words, but once he knew, he would definitely apologize and take back those harsh words.

He would be surprised by his daughter, thinking I was equally excellent and valuable.

I raised my head and met James's eyes.

But his eyes were full of disbelief, his mouth open like a fish out of water.

Then the confusion on his face turned into anger. "Elena, who told you about my business without my permission? Did you go to see Mrs. Fisher yesterday?

Damn it, you have no social experience. Do you know you could have messed up my affairs?"

I was completely shocked.