Chapter 28
Talia couldn’t catch her breath all of a sudden
Without realizing it, she grabbed the edge of her sleeve, her fingernails digging into her palm.
If Kendrick didn’t love her, why did he have to humiliate her like this?
After a good while. Talia finally got her emotions under control. She looked up at Kendrick and smiled. “Ken, don’t use my feelings for you to insult me.”
Kendrick was taken aback. Maybe it had been too long since he saw Talia smile like that, and he couldn’t help but look at her a little longer.
But by then. Talia had lowered her head.
Kendrick loosened his tie and put out the cigarette between his fingers.
He didn’t want to admit it, but Talia had changed.
She didn’t laugh as much as she used to.
It was like a vase broke and the roses wilted.
It didn’t really affect Kendrick, but it made him feel kind of annoyed for no reason
What was he even annoyed about?
Pushing down his messy thoughts, he said, “I’ll take you back to the Taylor’s house for Valerie’s birthday later. Remember, be good and don’t mess with her. Valerie is not like you.”
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Talia was taken aback, and it felt like a stab in her heart.
To Kendrick, Valerie was like a proud rose, and Talia wasn’t even good enough to be a leaf.
An hour later, Talia was ushered into a car by Robert.
The hall in the Taylor’s place was packed with people.
Even though Valerie was adopted, the Taylor family threw a big birthday party for her every year.
It was to show off their status in high society. Also, it was to show how much they cared about Valerie and–to give her their support.
Anyone who was anyone in Maplehelm got an invitation from the Taylor family.
In the hall, some noblewomen were gathered together, gossiping about the usual high–society drama.
“Valerie isn’t even Mr. Taylor’s real daughter. Why is she so favored? There must be some hidde,
story, right?” someone wondered.
“She has got skills and talent. In our circle, that’s what counts the most. Blood ties aren’t important. What matters is bringing benefits to the family.”
A young lady nodded in agreement. “I heard that Valerie joined the company only half a year ago and has closed several big deals. The other day, David was so happy that he promoted her to deputy general manager. It looks like he’s grooming her to be the successor.”
“Well, that’s what they say, but she’s an outsider. Doesn’t that mean the Taylors are handing over the company to someone else? What about her biological parents? Why doesn’t she go back to them?”
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“She hasn’t found her biological parents yet,” someone in the know chipped in. “It’s strange. Technically, Chloe, who adopted Talia, should be Valerie’s mom, but they did a DNA test, and it doesn’t seem to match.”
When Talia heard that, she clenched her fists.
She still couldn’t figure out why Valerie and Chloe weren’t related by blood.
She thought maybe Chloe switched her with Valerie to give Valerie a better life, but Valerie wasn’t Chloe’s daughter.
No one knew exactly where things went wrong.
In the end, Chloe lost her daughter, Talia went back to the Taylor family, and Valerie’s background stayed a mystery.
Therefore, she had been living with the Taylors for over twenty years.
Since they raised her from a young age, they treated her as well as their own daughter, and maybe even better.
As the gossipers were talking, their eyes casually moved to Talia.
Sensing their gazes, Talia lowered her head and quickly left the hall.
As soon as she left, the woman who started the topic said, “Don’t you think the girl who just walked by looks a bit like Talia?”
The others looked in the direction she was pointing.
“Talia? No way! We all know how amazing her face and figure are. That skinny girl can’t be her. No kidding.”
They had different vibes. Talia was the type who would stand out even in a crowd of beauties.
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How could that unremarkable girl be her?
Talia, who had reached the second floor, had no idea she was the center of their discussion.
She got to her room and was about to open the door.
But the voices coming from inside left her stunned.
“Kendrick, I heard Talia got out of prison. Is that true?”
“Talia? The girl who used to follow Kendrick around? When did she go to prison? What did she do?”
The Taylor family wanted to keep up appearances, so no one outside knew Talia went to prison. David had the news covered up, saying that Talia had gone abroad to study.
Kendrick gave Milton Brewer a cold look.
Milton then realized he had said something wrong.
He slapped his forehead and tried to flatter Kendrick by handing him the good cards in his hand. “Look at my loose lips. I meant to say, Talia is back in the country.”
A rich guy biting on a cigarette said, “Back in the country? Not out of prison? Milton, it’s not that you have a big mouth. You just can’t think straight.”
Milton laughed. “Come on. My brain is working fine.”
The guy brought the topic back around. “With Talia back in the country, things are going to get interesting around Kendrick. If I remember correctly, you two got engaged three years ago. When are you planning to have the wedding?”
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Talia paused as she was about to push the door open.
She could tell they were playing cards inside. Had her room turned into a card room?
Milton chuckled awkwardly. “Engaged? Forget it. Marriage is about finding someone to control you. How boring. Kendrick is not the kind of person to be tied down by marriage.”
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