Chapter 653
The voice was clear and melodious.
Though it wasn’t loud, it carried an undeniable, commanding presence that demanded attention.
The hospital suite instantly fell silent.
Douglas, who had his phone in hand ready to dial his subordinates, froze completely
at the sound.
That voice p>
It sounded incredibly familiar.
He looked up.
With just one glance, his usually unshakeable dark eyes contracted sharply.
The girl standing in the doorway had a slender, striking figure. She wore a simple white t-shirt and jeans. A baseball cap shadowed half of her face, but it did nothing to conceal the cool, untouchable aura she radiated.
Seeing everyone staring at her.
The girl reached up and pulled off the cap, revealing a makeup-free face that was nothing short of breathtaking.
A waterfall of long hair cascaded freely down her back.
Her expression was lazy and detached, yet polite.
Her features were absolutely flawless-striking, radiant, and intensely captivating.
Her face was unfamiliar to him.
But… those eyes.
Aloof, arrogant, and piercingly sharp.
They were identical to the woman in the silver mask he had just seen at the underground auction p>
Exactly the same.
The very same woman who had the audacity to bid against him, and after losing the auction, had resorted to brute force to snatch a billion-dollar microchip right out of his hands.
Exactly the same.
This insanely skilled, audacious woman who had handed him his first real defeat.
This woman was supposedly his country-bumpkin, high-school-dropout, troublesome, sensitive, stupid, insecure, and fragile… niece?
How the hell could those descriptions possibly match the same person?
Douglas found the entire situation completely absurd.
He narrowed his eyes, quietly studying Serena, his gaze heavy with scrutiny and intense curiosity.
Isabella, completely oblivious to the turbulent undercurrents in the room, merely scoffed internally.
She noted that Serena had actually shown up in a cheap white tee and jeans without even bothering to change.
The basic gift boxes dangling from her hand were clearly last-minute buys from the local shopping street.
And seeing her uncle glaring coldly at Serena.
She assumed he had bought every word she said—that Serena was just an unpresentable, uneducated hillbilly.
No one here was ever going to accept her.
Thrilled by this thought, Isabella masked her glee with a look of gentle concern. Playing the role of the sweet older sister, she stepped forward, reaching out affectionately grab Serena’s arm.
“Serena, you finally made it. We were worried sick p>
“Why are you so late? Did you get lost? I was just telling Grandpa and Grandma that you might have
Granng the hospital since you
trouble
don’t speak the language. I even asked Uncle Douglas to go look for you p>
Taking on the air of the household’s
welcoming host, she began her introductions. “These are our grandparents. You really need to apologize to them. Everyone skipped lunch and has been terribly worried
just waiting for you p>
“And this is our Uncle Douglas. He was just about to call some friends to track you down p>
She kept rattling on.
Her hand was inches away from touching Serena.
She knew full well Serena would never let herself be touched.
That was the whole point.
She wanted her grandparents and uncle to witness exactly how poorly Serena treated her on a daily basis.
If she could make her grandparents despise Serena before her mother arrived in the United States.
Serena would be completely isolated.
She could use her grandparents’ disdain to crush whatever pathetic self-esteem Serena had left.