Chapter 105

The message went unanswered. Latisha clutched her phone, waiting anxiously. Twenty minutes passed, and still, there was no reply.

Mrs. Dashiell watched as the light in Latisha's eyes slowly faded. She squeezed her hand. “Latisha, I appreciate the thought. Thank you. I really, really thank you."

Having finished a plate of oranges, Preston turned back to them. “Well? Are you done yet? The Lambert family is rolling in money. Don't tell me you can't even come up with five hundred thousand."

Latisha glanced at the old woman's face, bit her lip, and dialed Clifford's number. The call connected, but it wasn't Clifford who answered.

"Clifford's busy right now. Just text him if you need something." It was Yesenia's voice.

Latisha's heart sank. Her last sliver of hope was gone.

Yesenia hung up and placed the phone back on Clifford's desk. "That mute girl called you. No idea what she wanted."

Clifford picked up his phone, glanced at the WhatsApp message, and his eyes flickered for a moment. Then, choosing to ignore it, he tossed the phone aside.

The gesture brought a wide smile to Yesenia's face. She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his. "I'm going to sign with the agent this afternoon. You promised to make me a star. You're not going to back out, are you?"

Clifford put down the file he was reading and gently took her hand. "Are your things packed?"

Yesenia shot him a playful glare. “They're packed! Are you that eager to get rid of me?"

His gaze drifted down to her flashy manicure. "It's not that I want to get rid of you. It's just that you're not suited for this job."

"You're still looking down on me!" Yesenia pouted, pulling her hand away.

He glanced at her. "Do you have any idea how many people here complain about you?"

"So what?" she retorted, completely unabashed. "You're the one who let it happen. It's half your fault they hate me!"

Clifford raised an eyebrow but didn't argue.

Yesenia leaned down, hugged him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Well, I'm off then."

"Be careful on your way."

With that, Yesenia released him, returned to her desk, and gathered her belongings. Her mind was already filled with visions of stardom—the spotlight, the glamour, the adoration of millions.

She wasn't a fool. She knew that as long as Clifford refused to marry her, she had no real security. So, she might as well use his connections and resources to build something for herself. Clifford had kept her in comfort for years, but if he ever decided to leave her, she'd be left with nothing. Money in her own hands was the only thing she could truly count on.

Her ditzy, air-headed persona was just an act to appear harmless in his eyes. As Clifford himself had once said, people who wore their hearts on their sleeves were the easiest to control And look how well it was working out for her ble gave her everything she asked for

She couldn't even be bothered to pick fights with Latisha anymore. For one, she never won. For another, there was no point. The key to marrying Clifford was Clifford himself, not Latisha. The power in ther marriage had never been in Latisha's hands. She'd have to be an

idiot to target Latisha.

...

Meanwhile, having given up on Clifford, Latisha reluctantly messaged Nikita.

Nikita replied almost instantly: [Latisha, what do you need that much money for? All my cards are frozen right now, I don't have that much cash. But don't worry, I'll ask my brother.]