Chapter275ALittleMoreDebtIsn’taBigDeal


    “Huh?”Millydidn’tquitegetwhatho


    meant.


    Shehadjustsuggestedhegobackandrest,sohowdidrechargingconnecttothat?


    “Whatdoyoumeanby‘recharge?”


    Georgesmiledsoftly,hisexpressionbrightandwarmliketheearlyautumnbreezeoutside,stirringsomethinginher.“Imeanhuggingyou.CanI?”


    Millywassurprised.


    Itwasn’tthefirsttimeshe’dheardsuchadirectrequest.Intheentertainmentindustry,peoplefromallwalksoflifewouldsaythingslikethatcasually,asifitwasnobigdeal.Usually,she’dfrownatsuchremarksindisgust,butthistime,shedidn’tfehintofaversionatall.


    Inhermind,Georgealwaysseemedaloofandincontrol.Hisstatusandauthoritymeantheneverhadtoactsubmissive.Yet,inthatbriefmomentjustnow,shesensedahintofvulnerability inhim.


    Thinkingaboutitmorecarefully,itseemedlikethatwashowhealwaysspoketoher,butshehadn’tpaidattentiontoitbefore.


    Georgenoticedhertenseexpressionandcouldn’thelpbutshakehishead.Lackofsleepreallymakespeopleslow!


    <i>How</i><i>could</i><i>I</i><i>blurt</i><i>out</i><i>my</i><i>inner</i><i>thoughts</i>like<i>that</i><i>?</i>


    Hewaswewareofhowresistantthislittlebratwastohim.Yetherehewas,blurtingouthisinnerthoughtsjustlikethat.Notgettingoutofthecarwasprobablythemostrespectfulgestureshecouldmuster.


    “Ahem,Ididn’tmeanit thatwayjustnow,”Georgeexined,furrowinghisbrow.Ifyoulookedclosely,youcouldseeahintofregretonhisface.


    “Nevermind,justchalkituptometalkingnonsensefrockofsleepthesepastfewdays.Itendtospeakwithoutafilter,sodon’ttakeittoheart.


    “It’sbeentoobusythesedays,evenmissedthestartofyourschoolyear.Ifoundatsmallvinearyourschool.It’sinagreatlocation,andIthoughtofitasaback–to-


    en</b>manunaaandallthechattermight


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    JttleMoreDebtIsn’taBigDeal


    +5Pearls


    notsuityou,especiallysinceyoustillhavetofilm.Movingoutseemsmoreappropriate.”


    Afterhefinishedtalking,hehandedoverabunchofvi keyswiththrgeemblemoftheRiversideVi.


    ShehadseenthiscebeforewhenJordanowedheraround,butshehadstronglyobjectedbackthen.Thisareawasprimerealestate,witheachsquaremetresellingfor150thousanddors,anditsresidentswereeitherhigh–rankingofficialsorwealthyelites.


    Atthetime,shethoughtitwastooextravagantandwasworriedaboutexiningtoherssmatesiftheyfoundout.So,shedidn’twantthehouseinthatarea.SheneverexpectedGeorgewouldgiveherahousehere.


    “Iappreciateit,butJordanalreadyboughtmeanapartmentinagoodlocation.Thisviistooluxuriousformetoept,”Millydeclined.


    Georgenoddedknowinglywhenheheardthatshewasn’tlivinginthedormsnow,asifhehadalreadyguessed.


    Still,hecedthevikeysinherhand.“It’snotabigdeal,justahouse.Tome,it’snotworthmuch.Ifyoudon’ttakeit,I’llhavetospendtimefindinganothergift,andmytimeisworthmuchmorethanthishouse.”


    Millyremainedsilent.


    Themindsetofwealthypeoplereallycouldn’t beunderstoodwithordinarythinking.


    Shesighedsoftlyandgrippedthevikeysworthtensofmillionsofdorswithbothhands.Sheaskedsomewhattimidly,“Whencanwetransfertheownershipofthishouse?”


    Georgechuckledsoftly,lookinggenuinelypleased.Eventhefurrowonhisbrowrxed,recedwithopenaffection.“Dannyhasalready transferredthehousetoyou,andallthefurnitureandarrangementsinsidearedone.Youcanmoveindirectly.Ifthere’sanythingelseyouneed,justletDannyknow,he’lltakecareofit.”


    MillywassurprisedbyhowquicklyGeorgehadacted.Everythingwasalreadysorted


    <b>out</b><b>,</b>makingherfebitoverwhelmedbythesuddengenerosity.


    Shehadnochoice;seeingtheButsonthebrinkofbankruptcy,shehadto


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    11aBigDeal


    quicklysavemoneytoavoidendinguphomeless.


    +5Pearis


    Thetimingofthishousecouldn’thavebeenbetter,instantlysolvingherhousingissue.


    AsforowingmoneytoGeorge…


    Withalreadysubstantialdebtstohim,alittlemoredidn’tseemlikeabigdeal,did


    it?


    Georgetappedhiskneethoughtfully,asifhehadjustrecalledsomething,andasked,“YougetalongwellwiththeScathingfamily’sheir?”Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.


    Millywastakenaback.“Whotoldyouthat?<b>”</b>


    Georgedidn’tintendtohideanything:“Iheardfrommygrandpa.HesaidthatLuciushasbeenincontactwithyotely.TheScathingshaveastrongbackgroundinmilitaryandpolitics,whichseemsrespectableonthesurface.JustbecautiouswithLucius.Hemaynotbeasharmlessasheappears.”


    Millynoddedvigorously.Shewasalreadyawareofthis;otherwise,shewouldn’tbesowaryofhim.“Yeah,Iknow.ButIdon’tthinkthere’saneedtoworrytoomuch.”


    EventhoughLuciusiscurrentlyquiteattachedtoher,itwasn’tabigissue.OnceStephanieshowedup,he’ddefinitelybedrawntoher.Shejustneededtoholdoutforawhilelonger.AssoonasLuciusshowedinterestinStephanie,shewouldbefree.


    SeeingMilly’sconfidentdemeanour,Georgefurrowedhisbrow,unsurewhyshesuddenlyseemedsosureofherself.


    Hewasabouttoaskwhensuddenly,ackphonebesidehimstartedshingbrightredandvibratingintensely,asifsomeonewasurgentlytryingtoreachhim.


    Georgetookthephonewithoutchanginghisexpression,andpressedabuttontostoptheintensevibration.“There’ssomebusinessatthpanyIneedtodealwith.


    Itwas clearsomethingimportantwashappening.Shecouldfeelhisaurachangedistinctly,filledwithanindescribablecoldnessanddanger.Despitethis<b>,</b>heseemedtobemakinganefforttohideit,perhapstoavoidscaringher.


    Millywantedtosaysomethingbutdecidedtostayquiet.


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    Inherimpression,theTates’sbusinessdominatednationwide,andcriseswereunthinkable.Yet,Georgedidindeedlookexhaustednow.Coulditbebecausethemaincharacterhadenteredthescene?


    AlthoughtheearlierpartsofthisbookspentalotoftimedescribingStephanie’sfavouredstatuswithoutrevealingwhoherofficialpartnerwas,basedonherexperienceinacting,themaincharactersusuallyhaveagreataura.Nomatterhowformidablesomeonewas,theywerenomatchfortheprotagonist’saura.


    MillysuddenlyfeltatwingeofpityforGeorge.


    Howeverhardhetried,hecouldn’petewithaprotagonistwhohadthataura.Itwasanirreversiblw.


    Millytookadeepbreathfortinghim,“I’llheadoffnow.Takecare,andif…”


    She paused,unabletofinishhersentence.


    Atthatmoment,Georgelookedather,seemingpuzzled.“Ifwhat?”


    “Oh,it’snothing.Iwasjustwonderingifyoustillwantedtorecharge?”