Chapter 526

“Sis, Jared really treats you like a queen! First it was Shaville, then Braylin–what’s next, is he gonna send you abroad?” Aiden grinned, clearly looking up to Jared. He always saw him as the ultimate role model–so young and already killing it in business.

“We’re divorced now, so stop calling him your brother-in-law,” I said flatly.

Sophia was busy texting, but when she heard that, she looked up in surprise. “Victoria, how could you let a guy like him go? Seriously, men like that don’t come around twice. You’ll have a hard time finding another one like him.”

Aiden couldn’t help but get jealous. “Sophia, aren’t I good enough for you?”

Sophia kept her head down, still texting a client, and replied offhandedly, “I mean someone who’s top-tier in every way. At the bank, I’ve met plenty of rich guys, but they’re either old or just plain unattractive. Honestly, hardly any of them can compare to your brother-in-law.”

Aiden wiggled his eyebrows at me. “Hear that, sis? Guys like Jared–good-looking and killing it at work–why not give him another shot?”

I shook my head. “I’m not the type to go back to my ex. I can stand on my own two feet now.”

“Sis, that’s not really true. Sure, you say you’re independent now, but it was Jared who set you up with all these opportunities. If you had to start from zero, you wouldn’t have it half as good,” Aiden shot back, not pulling any punches.

Sophia glanced up at me, her eyes complicated–clearly a bit jealous that I had a high-powered ex as my reference.

I just smiled. “Only a fool wouldn’t use the resources they’ve got. He gives me the platform, I make him money. He’s not losing out either.”

Sophia didn’t even look up, just muttered, “Guess you’ve got nerves of steel, sticking with this half-baked deal for so long.”

I was caught off guard. Ever since Sophia started working, her words had gotten a lot more biting.

I didn’t want to be the kind of sister-in-law everyone hates, but I couldn’t help making my own judgments. If Sophia was genuinely a good person, then even if she came at me a little aggressively, maybe she’s just pushing herself to get ahead.

But if she was just lashing out at everyone for no reason, I’d straight up tell Aiden to break up with her.

“Sophia, you probably don’t really know what my sister and her ex have been through together, so maybe ease up a bit,” Aiden cut in, trying to defuse the tension.

Sophia immediately set her phone aside and smiled sweetly at me. “Sorry, Victoria. Work’s been stressing me out lately. The senior staff just love picking on us newbies, so my temper’s been running a little hot. Hope you don’t mind.”

I gave her a tight, polite smile. “No worries. A little attitude can be a good thing.”

As I listened to them chat about their jobs, Aiden was practically walking on air, full of that cocky confidence that made me a bit uneasy.

Sophia, by contrast, came across as much more mature, with a steady, composed vibe that said she knew exactly what she was doing.

Still, with her working at the bank and meeting all sorts of people now, I couldn’t help but wonder–would she really stay interested in someone as naive and clueless as my brother?

After dinner, I gave Sophia a welcome gift–a bracelet worth over $3,000.

Her eyes sparkled as she accepted it with both hands. “Thanks, Victoria! Next time, I’ll make sure to get you something nice too.”

I also sent Aiden some money. I wasn’t about to be his personal ATM, but since he hadn’t gotten his paycheck yet, he needed something to cover his networking and social expenses.

“Sis, just wait. Once my job’s stable, I’ll definitely take care of you,” Aiden said with a swagger, slinging his arm around my shoulders.

“Aiden, you really need to stay sharp at work. Handling money is a whole different ball game,” I reminded him.

Aiden patted his chest, all confident. “Don’t worry, sis. I’m on it, I promise.”

“Victoria, can you guys move your company account to our bank? I’m under a ton of pressure to hit my deposit quota, and it’s killing me,” Sophia suddenly grabbed my arm, looking all hopeful.

I knew bank staff always had quotas to meet, so I told her I’d move some of our company’s money over. When I didn’t turn her down, Sophia instantly warmed up–her attitude was way friendlier than before.

Time slipped by in a rush of work and the growing closeness between us. Before I realized it, I’d already spent a month in Braylin.

As the year drew to a close, the festive spirit of Lunar New Year was filling the city, getting stronger by the day.

During the three-day New Year holiday, Ryan asked me how I was planning to spend it.

I told him I wanted to go back to Hachester–my parents would be coming too, and I was hoping to have a little family reunion with Yvonne there.

“Can I come with you?” Ryan asked quietly.