Other members of the Quint family admitted their mistake too. To think the high and mighty would genuinely acknowledge their fault to Darcy. Darcy’s eyes welled up. The burden of the past lifted at last as she finally found closure. As the Quints suspected, Darcy had a weak spot for them. Darcy pulled out her phone. “I’ll give Miru a call. Maybe she can get through to Dallas Moneylender.” “Hang on.” Kaze held her hand down. With Kaze threatening to foil their plans again, the Quints gnashed their teeth. “Kaze, Grandfather and the others have admitted their mistake, and they are welcoming us back with open arms,” Darcy told Kaze. “Come with me, babe.” Kaze pulled Darcy to the side and whispered, “Just pretend you can’t do anything for them. Test the waters. If they are genuinely apologetic, I’ll support you in getting the Quints out of the mess. But if they’re only doing it to trick you—” “I’ll go along with it.” Getting the message, Darcy nodded. She pretend
“The Vinlands? That’s the mega-rich family.” “Oh, Tanya’s family. Technically, we are related to the Vinlands.” “The Chrysant Vinlands are wealthier than the Sunrise Lees.” The older members of the Quints were ecstatic. They knew the history between the Quints and the Vinlands. Master Quint was the son-in-law of the Vinlands, taking their family name when marrying Tanya. Tanya, who passed away more than a decade ago, was the heiress of the Vinlands. Subsequently, Tanya had a falling out with her family. She walked away from her family with Master Quint and started a business in Lilyrose. That was how the Quints came to be. Over the years, the Quints and the Vinlands never kept in touch. The young members of the family like Samus had hazy memories of the Vinlands. They only learned the truth from their elders. “Don’t you remember me, Master Quint? I’m Hudson,” the middle-aged man standing before Master Quint said with a pretentious smile.Surprised, Logan exam
“Oh, please, Hudson. Please sort the problem out for us,” the other Quint family members pleaded. Even Master Quint stared fervently at Hudson. So much for the Quints being done for. The Quints were not destined for failure. Hudson showed what he was made of with one phone call. The Quints saw him as their savior. Hudson smiled. “The issues you’re facing are nothing to my family, but our help doesn’t come for free. We have one condition,” he said unhurriedly. “What is it?” Master Quint asked eagerly. He was willing to say yes to anything. With a grin, Hudson responded, “It’s not something major. The Quints are to take my family name.” Everybody, including Master Quint, made faces. A last name change was not something small. The concept of family history was strong in Arcadia. The change of family name was a huge deal. A family’s last name carried both its cultural heritage and bloodline.Since ancient times, only those who either needed a way out, sold t
Hudson was not kidding about making the Quints change their last name. Soon, the Quints, with paperwork in hand, lined up outside city hall to file a last name change petition with the court. Following the procedure, word about the Quints’ request to change their last name got out. The news caused a stir in Lilyrose. The public was skeptical at first. It was highly unlikely that the Quints would change their last name together. Just two days ago, the Quints said Darcy was not worthy of the family name. They disowned her and stripped her family name. That did not happen long ago, and the Quints now ditched the family name themselves. A public servant at city hall snapped a photo of the document and shared it. The public had no reason not to trust a legal form. Everybody exchanged looks when they read the new names on the record. The Quints had become complete jokes. They were the laughingstocks in the community. “Agnes! Hector! Have I got news for you!” Agath
“Grandfather and the rest of them are the worst. The joke’s on them, but they can’t stand to see us doing well for ourselves either.” Darcy put down her phone in frustration. “It’s alright. We don’t have to care. We’re not members of the Vinland family anyway.” Trying not to laugh, Kaze consoled her.The incident was not something to brag about. Darcy’s family quickly put the matter aside. They doubted the Quints’ last name change would affect them. Soon, the Vinlands held a press conference. They announced their commercial expansion into Lilyrose. The Vinlands stated that they would take over Quintessential Group. The family would also resolve and improve the myriad of issues with the online lending platform and delayed payment.Multiple financial issues arose with the assets acquired by the Quints from the top three families.The Quints’ inability to straighten things out made matters worse. The Vinlands’ statement calmed all parties’ fears. Many companies’ pro
“Hm.” Kaze nodded indifferently. He disapproved of Zenny. Kaze once rescued Brenda from being trafficked. Yet, Zenny made a false accusation about him. Kaze turned to Don for help, and Don was the reason Zenny lost his cushy job from pulling strings at the Traffic Department. Zenny had been unemployed since. Later, Zenny and his mother, Lyla, got into several rows with Kaze. Zenny’s family and Kaze went way back but not in a good way. Benedict, Zenny’s father, was a superior at Lilyrose Wholeness Medical Center. The medical incident five years ago was an elaborate plot to frame Agnes, and Benedict played a role in the conspiracy. Benedict was held in detention, waiting for trial now. Knowing that Kaze was not keen to see him, Zenny made a quick exit after saying hello. “Don’t let Zenny come here anymore. I suspect he might have something to do with Brenda’s abduction.” Kaze’s intention was not to talk bad about Zenny. Zenny’s behavior was rather suspicious b
The woman talking was Lyn Bluenid. She was part of the group of youngsters. Even though her companion knocked Brenda over, Lyn lashed out at Brenda and Winnie instead.“I’m sorry. My child didn’t mean to. She was bumped into. I’m so sorry.” Despite her rage, Winnie did not want to cause any trouble and apologized. “Your words mean nothing. Do you know the cost of Yume’s dress? It was 200 thousand dollars! Don’t try to run away from this. It’s not over.” Lyn glared at Winnie and Brenda. Her gaze darted back to the woman, catching the creamy smudge on her dress. Lyn reached for a napkin and attempted to wipe the stain off Yume’s dress. “Are you alright, Yume? Do you want the brat to compensate you?” the other men and women asked. Like a beacon in the crowd, the woman’s radiant presence drew everyone’s attention.Her long, beautiful hair framed her face. The strappy, long dress exposed her shoulders and complimented her flawless skin. She was slender in build, her w
“Hear that? 200 thousand dollars means squat, but your brat ruined Yume’s mood.” Lyn glared at Winnie. She asked with a smirk, “Why don’t I slap the general manager of whatchamacallit to make you feel better, Yume?” Yume would not even look at Winnie. “I heard that your late husband was close to Darcy’s family?” Winnie was taken aback by the question. She later nodded. Yume gave Lyn a nod and stopped talking. “Alright. Yume has agreed to move past the matter if I get to slap you.” Reading Yume’s mind, Lyn told Winnie. Eek. The onlookers gasped sharply. Yume’s group was a cocky bunch. Lyn wanted to get physical with Winnie just because Brenda accidentally ruined a dress. As the general manager of Shangrila Group, Winnie was a respectable figure in Lilyrose. If the offending party did not come from power or wealth, the consequences might be worse for all they knew. “Just forget it, Ms. Vinland. The child didn’t do it on purpose. She’s a good kid. She got