Chapter 7: Knowing How to Repay Kindness

Nathael fell into deep thought, remaining silent. Maggie avoided eye contact and hurriedly left, as if fleeing in panic. How embarrassing!

Exiting the door, she saw Marcello squatting on the front steps, a cigarette dangling from his lips. His beautiful peach-blossom eyes held a mischievous glint. Hearing the door, he turned and glanced at her. Recognizing Maggie, he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Wow, that was quick. My little uncle really can't handle it."

Maggie's face flushed crimson. How humiliating! Marcello chuckled, extinguishing his cigarette. He entered the room only after she had disappeared from sight. "I wondered why you were acting so strangely while digging your own grave," he teased. "It turns out it's all for a woman."

Nathael remained expressionless. "Just shut your mouth," he replied calmly.

Marcello raised an eyebrow. "What's your plan for the Chronopolis project? Those elders nearly lost their minds when they heard you switched partners from the Adams to the Camerons. None dared to ask you directly, so they sent me."

Nathael considered this, Maggie's words resurfacing in his mind. A few seconds later, he lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "No change."

Marcello laughed. "Okay. You've said it. Everyone can rest easy. But, Uncle, you've had your way with the girl and now you're turning your back on her. That's not very gentlemanly."

Nathael picked up an apple from the coffee table and threw it at him. "Shut up."

Marcello, unfazed, caught the apple. "Take it easy. The adopted daughter of the Camerons is pretty, but I'm afraid she's not good enough to be my sister-in-law."

"Get out!"

Marcello smirked, tossed the apple, and left. He wasn't surprised by Nathael's reaction. Though his uncle in name, they were only a few years apart. Whenever Maggie was involved, Nathael acted… differently. Marcello couldn't quite describe it, but it was as if a genius had suddenly become a fool.

After arriving home, Maggie ignored numerous missed calls from Joseph. After showering and cleaning up, she opened her laptop and carefully reviewed the information copied from Nathael's computer. She began editing the content. She remembered that in her previous life, the Crestview District land was bought by the Taylors, who invested in a shopping mall and lost everything due to a subway route change.

"Well, I'll do a good deed and give it to the Camerons," she thought. She edited the bidding content and added it to Nathael's target projects. Next, the Halms Island resort. In her previous life, it ended up in the Baileys' hands. The island was a large egret habitat, making the resort highly anticipated. However, water contamination led to the egrets' deaths, causing an uproar and the project's abandonment.

"Well, give it to the Camerons. As a person, I should know how to repay kindness." She added the Halms Island project. She also noticed Greenlight, an environmental technology company developing highly efficient, cost-effective wastewater purification equipment. With Nathael's investment and effective marketing, Greenlight had achieved great success.

Rony Technology, a competitor founded by Rony Blackwoods, was known for its flashy but impractical equipment. Blackwoods was all talk. Maggie remembered Ronald's investment in Rony Technology in her previous life, resulting in a loss to the Garcias.

Without hesitation, she changed Nathael's investment plan from Greenlight to Rony Technology. "As a good person, I should accumulate good deeds." After over half an hour, Maggie looked at the modified document with satisfaction. Ignoring Joseph's calls, she emailed the document to him.

Looking at her silent phone, Maggie's almond-shaped eyes grew cold. With these projects, even if the Camerons didn't perish, they would surely suffer! "In this life, I will never let them have a good day!"

Soon, her phone rang. Expecting Joseph, she saw Vanessa Brown's name. Maggie was momentarily stunned, a trace of self-mockery flashing in her eyes. This was her so-called best friend from her previous life—the one who had stolen her identity, hurt her family, and betrayed her by getting together with Joseph. Maggie answered the call.

"Maggie, why didn't you answer? How are you? I heard that you were…" Vanessa's voice was anxious, almost tearful, but a hint of schadenfreude was detectable.

"How did you find out?" Maggie asked casually.

Vanessa paused, sensing the distance in Maggie's tone, attributing it to her distress. "I heard from Joseph. Maggie, how did this happen? How are you? I'm worried about you. I'll come over after work."

"Tomorrow night. I need some time alone," Maggie replied, her voice deliberately fragile.

Vanessa agreed. "Okay. I'll come over tomorrow. Maggie, this is nothing. Joseph won't mind. We'll support you!"

Vanessa's words sparked mockery in Maggie's eyes. In her previous life, she had been too distraught to notice Vanessa's true reaction. Now, many things made sense.

After hanging up, Maggie retrieved a jade pendant from a drawer—a lock-shaped pendant with a magpie carved on it. It was her only possession from the orphanage, proof of her identity. In her previous life, it had gone missing after Vanessa's visit. Now, knowing the Adams were her parents and Vanessa was about to assume the role of their lost daughter, Maggie understood the implications.