Chapter 143 Making Elizabeth Happy
"So what if you really like him? You were with James not long ago. Besides, you are fooling around
with Colby, Norman, and who knows how many others. You''re a murderer, to boot," Elizabeth said
loudly. Her sharp eyes stared at Maria, trying to find any trace of a guilty conscience.
Arthur! She was talking about Arthur!
If it were anyone else, Maria would have pped them for saying that. She did not murder Arthur.
But this was Lawrence''s grandmother, who didn''t know any better. She was the grandmother of a
man who had helped her a lot. And she wanted the best for her family. Could Maria fault her forthat?
Maria''s smile faded. She asked politely, "Mrs. Lu, can I ask how you know I killed my kid?"
Elizabeth didn''t expect her to be so direct. She was startled for the moment. But she kept it together
and answered, "Everyone in H City knows."
"You got that right. But did you see me kill my son? I mean with your own eyes? You''re a mom, too.
Would you kill your own son?"
Elizabeth was silent.
She asked Judy about it. The Xi family and Lu family knew each other for generations. And Judy
told her that Maria had killed her child. "So you''re trying to say you didn''t do it? I didn''te here to
talk about your crime."
"I get it. Look, your grandson helped me out a lot. He''s been my rock through all this. I don''t want
you to buy into all the lies."
Maria wanted her to know she had Lawrence''s best interests in mind, and respected his family.
Elizabeth took a sip of coffee.
"You might want to watch your caffeine intake," Maria reminded her. "Even in the afternoon, it can
keep you awake at night."
"I know what I''m doing. Besides, coffee''s good for me." Elizabeth liked to try new things. She kept
herself young by trying things that young people liked.
Maria chuckled. "Mrs. Lu, since you came all the way here, I''m not going to go against your wishes.
Don''t worry. I won''t marry Lawrence."
She had offered to go and see Lawrence''s grandmother on the phone, but Elizabeth had said she
knew Maria had a cafe and insisted on going there to talk, so Maria had agreed.
Hearing this, the old woman raised her eyebrows and put down the coffee cup. "Really?"
"Really."
"Does my grandson know that?"
Maria nodded. "Lawrence didn''t tell you we were getting married, did he?" She was pretty sure
Lawrence didn''t tell her. They both knew they were not really getting married, anyway.
Elizabeth was embarrassed. "Second-hand info," she admitted. She wondered if she had jumped
the gun.
Well, it was all her grandson''s fault. He didn''t exin it well.
''Second-hand? Like from someone else?'' Maria understood. She bet that someone else was
James. She smiled and exined, "We aren''t really in love. Please don''t worry!"
Maria had to let her in on it. She wasn''t going to worry this old woman over nothing.
Hearing her promise, the old woman felt much better. The rest of their conversation was much more
rxed.
Before Elizabeth left, Maria gave her a box of instant coffee gift box. There was an exquisite cup
inside. Although it was a small gift, it represented Maria’s kindness. Elizabeth was so happy-she
grinned from ear to ear. After getting in the car, she kept inviting Maria to visit her when she was
free.
Meanwhile, Lawrence went to see James in his office at HL Group.
When he pushed the office door open, he saw that James wasn''t reviewing documents, but instead
picking out a new suit.
Various staff members were milling about him, asking him about this or that, measuring here and
there.
James picked out a dark grey suit and tried it on for size. He knew Lawrence was here, he just
didn''t have anything to say to him until now. "How do I look?"
Lawrence stood still with one arm around his chest and the other against his chin. "Well, I can tell
you what I heard. A youngdy said, ''Mr. Xi looks handsome no matter what he wears. Too bad he''s
not a model.'' I couldn''t agree more."
Hearing his well-rehearsed ttery, James cast a cold nce at him, took off the suit, and handed it
to his assistant. He said to Lawrence, "If you came here to butter me up, just get out now."
Lawrence smiled. He sat down on the sofa and said, "Grandma''s in Maria''s cafe."
James held the same expression. He looked through several rows of watches and said, ''Til buy your
grandma a cup of coffeeter." "She''s there for Maria." As a matter of fact, Lawrence was rattled by
the development.
"Congrattions!"
Lawrence knew James was mocking him, so he chose grace over grousing. "Thanks," he said.
Neither of them said another word.
After choosing a few new arrivals, James sent the staff out. He nced at the man rxing on the
sofa and asked, "Why aren''t you with your grandma?"
"Because I trust Maria," Lawrence said confidently.
James frowned at the intimate way Lawrence said Maria''s name. He felt the name was so foul,
coming from Lawrence''s mouth.
James sat back down at his desk and picked up a file folder beside him. "I''m busy. See you."
Without saying a word, Lawrence kicked back on the sofa. He feltfortable. No wonder Ethan
liked to lie here and y games.
Roughly fifteen minutester, Lawrence put away his phone, jumped up from the sofa, and walked
over to James'' desk. He propped himself up, and said "Grandma left the cafe. And you know what?
She was grinning so happily her eyes disappeared." He knew Maria could make his grandmother
happy, but he didn''t think she''d handle her that well.
James stared at him expressionlessly and said nothing.
He couldn''t help but wonder whether Maria was born to charm the elders. She had his
grandparents, her own grandfather, and now Lawrence''s grandmother all wrapped around her little
finger.
"Don''t look at me like that. What''s wrong? I''ve been single for more than twenty years. Now I finally
have a girlfriend against all odds. Aren''t you happy for me?"
Hearing Lawrence''s question, James sneered.
There were so many women chasing after Lawrence in H City that you could line them up single file
and they''d still reach the Pacific Ocean. How hard was it to find a girlfriend?
James was supposed to be happy for him somehow. And maybe he was. But he had another card
to y. "If you had another girlfriend, I''d have a wedding gift by now," James said.
Tm kinda stuck on Maria. What are you trying to say?" Lawrence was happy and anxious at the
same time.
He felt anxious, because sooner orter James would see through their ruse.
But to see James pissed off like this made him really fucking happy!
"Get out!" James pointed at the door.
Lawrence rubbed his nose tip. It seemed that this was the first time that he had been kicked out of,
well, anywhere, really. "Would you like to go to Maria''s cafe for a coffee with me?"
Usually, he was the one kicking everyone else out. No one was going to do that to him. James was
the only one who had done so.
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"No," answered James coldly, still pointing at the door.
"All right." Lawrence stretched his body. "Then I''ll go shopping with Maria and buy you an
engagement gift."
A cold nce swept over him, but Lawrence ignored it. He turned and walked out of James'' office.
James put down his pen and leaned back in his chair, sulking.
The woman who had kept bugging him was getting married to someone else. He wondered if she''d
really given up.
He remembered the night when showed up, blood all over her body. He remembered what she said.
"I gave up.
I''m not as cheap as you think."
The words echoed in James'' mind. Annoyed, he pushed the files away from him, and threw the pen
across the room.
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