Chapter 49: Buy Him a Gift

The scene was chaotic. Reporters rushed forward frantically. Monica fell to the ground, her feet and legs trampled by the crowd. She screamed in pain. Patrick had left, but Gabriella remained, quickly stepping forward to protect her mother.

"Hey! Hurry up and disperse! You're stepping on my mother!"

The reporters immediately focused on Gabriella.

"Gabriella, I don't think you're a good person either," someone shouted. "Since Olive returned from the orphanage, your mother and you have framed her multiple times."

Another voice added, "Gabriella, you deserve to be abandoned. How could Sir Derrick even like you?"

Gabriella's arrogance crumbled. She felt her body stiffen as the crowd trampled her feet, tears of pain streaming down her face. Monica and Gabriella huddled together until security guards arrived, rescuing the injured mother and daughter.

Monica and Gabriella returned home. Gabriella panicked.

"Mom, Dad is really angry. What if he kicks us out? Everyone hates us; we have nowhere to go."

Monica was furious, almost throwing a punch. She hadn't expected things to end so disastrously. Olive had planned it perfectly, manipulating her into making a terrible choice and then suffering the consequences. Monica had dedicated her youth to Patrick and the Hart family. The position of matriarch was hers, and she refused to lose it.

She patted Gabriella's hand. "Gabriella, go to your room. Don't worry, Mummy will handle this."

Gabriella retreated to her room. Monica sat quietly, then called Olive.

Olive answered, her voice calm yet mocking. "Hello, Ma, how are you doing?" She seemed to have anticipated the call.

Monica clenched her fist. "Olive, do you think Patrick will divorce me? Do you think you've won?"

"Uhm, Ma, do you still have other tricks?"

Monica sneered. "Olive, you still don't know your father well enough. As long as I'm still beneficial to him, he won't let me go. I assure you."

Olive pursed her lips. "Okay, I'll wait and see. I hope you can show some real villain skills and not pull petty pranks again."

Monica hung up, furious. She almost smashed her phone, but thought better of it and called Patrick. He hadn't returned yet; he'd been staying out late recently. She called repeatedly, but he didn't answer. She then sent a message: "My godfather is coming. He wants to attend our wedding anniversary."

Moments later, Patrick called.

Meanwhile, in New York, Olive visited North. North handed Olive a coconut with a straw already inserted.

"Olive, I'm certain Monica is beside herself by now."

Olive put down her phone. "The Monica I know never gives up. I'm sure she has a big plan. The only reason she's still married to my dad is because she used her connections to help Hart Medical. It won't be easy for him to discard her."

North bit her lip. "We should follow her vigilantly."

Olive snorted. She only needed to wait patiently.

North reclined on a wooden chair, wearing a red dress with suspenders. Her skin was flawless, her face exquisitely beautiful.

"Olive, ever since you returned from the orphanage, it's been a constant war. Why not let Elvis deal with them?"

"No, North. I want to maintain my independence as a woman."

North glanced at Olive. "Olive, men conquer the world; women only need to conquer men."

Olive blinked vaguely. "North, I'm not you. I don't have a degree in conquering men."

"Then train for it. With the required skills, you can achieve anything you want."

Seeing Olive's soft, charming appearance, North was about to cry. She stood and said, "North, let's go shopping."

North blinked. "Buying a present for Mr. Augustine?"

Olive smiled. "Yeah, with the money Monica sent to my account, I have a lot to spend. And besides, Elvis bought me a gift when he was on a business trip."

Monica didn't remember Olive's childhood dependence on medication. In the hospital, Olive had feigned fainting and used a silver needle to subdue the men in black. North, in the entertainment industry, had found a girl resembling Olive and they'd taken pictures.

The one hundred thousand Monica deposited into the men's account ended up in Olive's pocket. Olive hadn't realized how valuable she was; one hundred thousand was a significant sum, more money than she'd ever had before.

The driver took the two beauties to the mall. Upon arrival, they immediately became the center of attention.

North asked curiously, "Olive, what gift did Elvis buy you?"

"Phoebe, a kitten."

"It seems Mr. Elvis is trying to coax you like a little girl."

Olive replied sweetly, "North, what gift do you think I should buy for him?"

This was Olive's first time buying a gift for a man; she was unsure what to get. North lowered her hat, trying to blend in.

"If it were me, I'd buy sexy pajamas and wear them, then give myself to him."

Olive instantly regretted asking for North's opinion. She looked at the men's clothing, realizing Elvis's clothes were always custom-made. Her eyes fell on a leather belt in the window. Her mind flashed back to the night he'd asked her to remove his belt.

She heard North cough. "Olive dear, is there something you haven't told me?"