Chapter 128

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His question came out of nowhere .
Aria’s eyes flashed with surprise . She knew he didn’t mean the past few months .
She’d had the same thought last time .
Their gazes locked – calm and steady , without tension or sparks flying .
“ I don’t think we’ve met , ” Aria said after a moment .
She studied him closely , then something clicked . “ You know , you kind of remind me of my friend’s kid . ”
Maybe that was why Owen felt so familiar to her .
Owen smiled faintly . “ If I ever get the chance , I’d love to meet him . ”
The conversation naturally ended .
Aria got to work , calling out the names of instruments one by one , and Owen handed them to her with precision .
He seemed incredibly familiar with the lab equipment .
With his help , Aria’s efficiency soared .
Derek returned to the hospital and ran into his grandmother and cousin , who were visiting his mother .
Lexie frowned in confusion . “ It’s just 30 million dollars ! Why are you making such a big deal out of it ? I’ll transfer 66 million to you right now . ”
Gloria quickly stopped Lexie . “ It’s not about money . I just don’t understand . He’s her real grandfather ! How could she just cut ties with him like that ? It’s heartless ! ”
Derek scoffed , retorting , “ Mom , it was Grandpa who heard those nasty rumors and decided to sever ties first . How could you blame Aria for that ? ”
Hearing Derek defend Aria , Fryderyk raised his eyebrows in surprise . ,
Gloria countered , “ Your grandfather was only thinking about the Saxon Group when he made that mistake in haste . He’s old . Why should Aria hold a grudge against him ? ”
“ I’m already twenty – two , Mom , and you still treat me like a child . Aria is only a few months older than me . If Grandpa wanted to cut ties , why couldn’t she be upset about it ? ”
Gloria took a deep breath , and Lexie immediately patted her back , glaring at Derek . “ Don’t upset your mother !
“ Fryderyk , take this little rascal out of here . ”
Derek glanced at Gloria , guilt flickering in his eyes , but his resolve remained firm . He knew he wasn’t wrong .
“ Mom , just focus on getting better and stop worrying about the Saxon family’s mess . Aria’s your niece . Helping her out financially is only fair . You ent up to one hundred million dollars fixing Grandpa’s leg , but when it came to Aria , you hesitated over a fraction of that . ”
With that , he walked out without looking back ,
Gloria froze , her mind racing as Derek’s words echoed in her ears .
Over the years , over one billion dollars had been spent on Joseph’s leg condition .
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If this ginger essential oil could ease his pain , they’d pay 300 million dollars for it without hesitation , not to mention 30 million .
And yet , Aria had only asked for 15 million dollars at the beginning .
Lexie sighed . “Derek’s right . You shouldn’t be as stubborn as Joseph . That girl , Aria , had a tough life . She finally came home , but her biological parents already have another daughter and don’t treat her wholeheartedly . Her uncle disliked her , her grandfather wanted to cut ties , and even her aunt misunderstood her …
“ Honestly , you’ve all been too harsh on her . You’ve given her nothing but still expect her to follow your every whim . ”
Gloria hesitated , her voice tinged with disbelief . “ Are you saying we , as elders , should go out of our way to please her ? ”
Lexie said firmly ,. “ There’s nothing wrong with that . You raised Silvia to be so perfect , but those adoptive parents ? They abused Aria and even sold her off . You should be thankful that girl had the strength to survive . If she were weaker , she might not have made it back to the Saxon family .
Gloria frowned , doubt clouding her expression . “ Lexie , you actually believe that ? ”
Lexie looked shocked . “ You don’t ? ”
Gloria shook her head . “ That’s just baseless gossip . Clearly fake . ”
Lexie’s expression grew complicated , but she chose to stay silent .
Outside the hospital room , Fryderyk glanced at his younger cousin . “ You went to see Aria ? ”
Derek nodded . “ Yeah . ”
“ How is she doing ? ” asked Fryderyk .
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