Chapter 538

Juan’s cold response infuriated Melody. She pointed at Debra and demanded, “Is it truly that you refuse to get involved, or is she stopping you?”

Debra suddenly found herself drawn into the fray. With an innocent expression, she blinked and said, “Grandma, what do you mean by that? Why drag me into this? What does any of this have to do with me?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!” Melody’s eyes were wild with accusation. “Juan was in surgery, so how could he possibly have handed over evidence to the Vargas family? Do you think I’m senile and foolish? This is clearly your doing. You’re trying to drive a wedge between me and Juan.”

Debra just gave her a small smile. “It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?” Melody sneered, her voice dripping with contempt. “Don’t try to fool me. I don’t care what tricks you used to deceive Juan, but let me remind you, Juan is my grandson. He would never choose you over me.”

“Enough!” Juan’s voice cut through the tension. His brows furrowed as he glanced at Sophie. “Pack up the things. Joe will come by soon to take my grandmother back.”

“Yes,” Sophie replied.

“I’m staying right here tonight,” Melody declared, standing her ground. “Let’s see who has the guts to try and make me leave.”

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed back to her room. Sophie helplessly glanced at Juan and Debra, knowing that when Melody’s temper flared like this, no one could reason with her.

“Juan, you should go get some rest,” Debra suggested. “I’ll talk to Melody and see if I can calm her down.” Juan hummed in agreement and went upstairs.

Debra approached Sophie and asked, “What’s inside this little box?”

Sophie held it up, opening the lid. “Oh, it’s a family heirloom. Mrs. Nichols Sr. said she wanted to give the sapphire ring to the Vargas family.”

Debra’s eyes were immediately drawn to the ring. Its cut was exquisite, and the ring was mounted with diamonds that whispered of history. She leaned in, her knowledge of fine jewelry piquing her curiosity. The craftsmanship and quality were remarkable and undoubtedly worth a fortune.

“Don’t be fooled by its size,” Sophie added, noticing Debra’s interest. “This ring is worth at least one billion dollars on the market. It’s a royal piece. I never thought Mrs. Nichols Sr. would hand something so valuable to them.”

“A royal piece?” Debra raised her eyebrows.

“That’s what Mrs. Nichols Sr. said, but I don’t know the full history,” Sophie said, a hint of reluctance in her voice. “Madam, should we really hand this over to the Vargas family? I’ll help deliver it.”

“I can’t really trouble you with that,” Debra replied.

“It’s okay. Besides, I need to talk to them,” Sophie insisted.

“Alright, thank you for your help.” Debra accepted the offer. She handed the ring box to Debra, who placed it in her bag. “You can go ahead and take care of things. I’ll have a word with Melody.”

“Mrs. Nichols Sr. is still fuming. If she says something harsh, don’t take it to heart.”

“I’ll manage.”

Debra made her way down the long hallway towards Melody’s room. She knocked on the door, and Melody’s sullen voice came from inside.

“Don’t bother. I’m not leaving.”

“It’s me.”

The room fell silent.