Chapter 380 +25 BONUS

Carissa continued counting the money. When the banknotes ran out, gold bars were brought forth to cover the shortfall. Eleanor apparently had substantial reserves; producing over two hundred thousand silver coins was no trouble for her. Carissa had underestimated Eleanor.

Over the years, Eleanor had supported household soldiers, maintained hundreds of servants, frequently entertained guests, and adorned herself in luxurious clothing and fine jewelry. Every item of her attire was of the highest quality.

Yet, seeing Eleanor’s pained expression as she handed over the money, Carissa knew this sum was a significant blow. This transaction completely shattered the veneer of civility between them.

At least Carissa had recovered what rightfully belonged to them and had been deceitfully taken. She had suffered no loss. As for the rift, it was nothing new. There was no need to maintain a façade of hypocritical harmony.

With that, Carissa left.

Eleanor and Jessica watched Carissa walk away. There was none of the politeness she had displayed upon arrival. Her straightened back radiated arrogance and defiance.

“Carissa!” Eleanor ground her teeth in frustration, but at that moment, she was powerless.

Jessica was equally distraught. “All the hard work over the years has gone to waste, all because of that vile woman! I won’t let her get away with this!”

Though Eleanor was furious with Carissa, she warned her daughter sharply, “Don’t provoke her! You’re no match for her. The problems with The Gilded Tower are due to your negligence. How could you let them so easily find the account books? And you kept all the account books at The Gilded Tower. How did you manage things?”

Jessica was both angry and aggrieved. “I was afraid that if I took them back to Fronridge Estate, my mother-in-law would discover that I was managing The Gilded Tower.”

“Then why didn’t you send them to another location? You don’t only have one residence. If nothing else, why not destroy them after every year’s accounts were settled? After all, it’s not a long-term business.”

“It was Eric who said we couldn’t destroy them. Among all our shops, only The Gilded Tower has paid its taxes in full. We kept the account books just in case.”

Eleanor frowned. “Forget it. No one expected Helen to actually move out of the palace, and no one anticipated that Rafael would marry someone like Carissa, a formerly divorced woman. With her family gone and having been discarded by Barrett, she’s clearly got nothing left to lose. It’s not worth clashing with someone like that. Just make sure your other dealings are clean, so she doesn’t get anything on you.”

“Those other businesses have nothing to do with her or Helen.”

“Didn’t you hear her? She’s determined to target us,” Eleanor said with a hint of frustration, her heart aching at the loss of so much money. “Anyway, follow my instructions. Be extra careful and don’t provoke her. Understood?”

“Got it.”

Though Jessica responded, she harbored deep resentment towards Carissa and was determined to retaliate.

As Carissa and Helen exited Harmony Palace, they saw Rafael and Dylan waiting on horseback at the end of the alley.

Upon seeing them, Rafael rode up and asked Carissa, “Is everything taken care of?”

He exhaled a cloud of breath into the cold air. The weather was extremely chilly, and the biting wind was harsh. He didn’t know how long he and Dylan had been waiting.

“It’s all taken care of. Why are you here? You didn’t need to come.” Carissa hurried towards him, placing her hand on his arm to prevent him from dismounting. His hands were as cold as ice, so she quickly urged, “Let’s hurry back. We can talk about it later.”

Helen stood nearby. She raised her hand and grinned widely. Even as the cold wind whipped around her, she didn’t seem to notice the chill—her heart was warmed by the moment.

“Yes, let’s talk about it after we get back.”

Rafael’s gaze briefly swept over his mother. It was rare to see her smiling so broadly.

“Alright. Get in the carriage quickly. Don’t catch a cold,” Rafael said.

“Okay, I’ll get in now,” Helen said, genuinely pleased that her son was finally showing concern for her.

The dim lighting made it hard for her to see exactly whom Rafael was looking at, or to whom he was speaking. But as long as the speaker and listener understood, that was enough.