Chapter 8
Having endured three years of inhuman treatment, she found
dwelling on the past pointless.
“Romina…” Elliana softly called out to her.
Coming back to her senses, Romina was about to say something
when her phone rang.
It was a call from the police.
They said they had found her lion statues and wanted her to
come down to the station as soon as possible.
After hanging up, Romina threw off the blanket and got up.
“What’s so urgent? What happened?”
Elliana pulled her slender wrist, looking worried.
She put on her slippers quickly, her expression icy. “The police
said they’ve found my lion statues. I’m going over now.”
“But you’re still running a fever. Besides, you’ve just taken the
pills. You shouldn’t…”
“Don’t worry,” she interrupted, gripping Elliana’s arm
reassuringly. “I’m OK.””
Since she insisted, Elliana said nothing more and just walked
her downstairs.
Half an hour later.
As Romina stepped into the police station, she saw three
familiar figures from afar.
Once again, they struck her as a family.
“Ms. Sandoval, we indeed found your lion statues at the
entrance of Ms. Lambert’s villa. Since they’re too big, we’ll have
to ask you to confirm from the photo whether they’re yours.”
She frowned as she saw the photo.
They were indeed hers.
“Yes. They’re mine,” she said.
Immediately, Jericho’s deep, grating voice rang out behind her.
“Romina, I’ve gifted them to Nadine. She didn’t steal them from
you. Cut out the nonsense and explain to the police now!”
She turned around and saw his sullen face.
“Daddy’s right,” Kashton echoed, pouting. “Those statues were
ours, and Daddy willingly gave them to Nadi. How could you
say Nadi’s a thief?”
Ignoring him, Romina fixed her gaze on Jericho’s face
indifferently. “Those lion statues are my pre-marital property.
You have no right to deal with them without my permission, let
alone gift them.”
“Gosh, Romina. Just name your price, and I’ll buy them. Satisfy?”
Jericho said impatiently, compromising.
She frowned.
Recently released and still unemployed, she indeed needed
money.
“Besides,” Jericho continued bluntly, “do you have any evidence
to prove they’re your pre-marital property?”
Nadine, who had been standing aside, chimed in, trying to
mediate, “Ms. Sandoval, Jericho’s right. You’re a married couple,
and everything’s shared. There’s no such thing as pre-marital
property!”
Frowning, Kashton said, “Mommy, those statues aren’t cute at all. What are you gonna do with them anyway? Just drop it…”
The three teamed up against Romina.
How laughable.
She let out a cold smile. “I carved them. What are you gonna say
about that?”
Jericho and Kashton instantly fell silent.
Biting her lip, Nadine still didn’t want to give up. She looked at
Jericho, her eyes brimming with tears. “This is all my fault,
Jericho… But those lion statues were shown in the interview
already. It’s not that I don’t wanna return them. It’s just…”
Once she returned them, it’d be no different from admitting she
was a thief.
Hearing this, Jericho immediately spat, “Enough is enough,
Nadine. Stop making a fuss over some statues. How much do
they cost? I’ll pay for them.”
Pay for them?
Romina grinned. “You’ll do this for Nadine? How touching. Sure.
Why not? It’s 500 thousand dollars.”
Those lion statues were her own hand-carved creations, the
only pair in the world.
500 thousand dollars wasn’t too much to ask.
“What? 500 thousand dollars? Ms. Sandoval, that’s ridiculous!”
Nadine’s face flamed red with anger.
Jericho sneered, “I knew it. You just wanted the money.””
Romina couldn’t be bothered to explain.
She was set to relaunch her career, and this money would be
the springboard.
“Tell me your card number. I’ll transfer you the money right
away,” Jericho said impatiently, the disgust and contempt in his
eyes undisguised.
To him, Romina refused to come home out of spite. And now,
she pulled this stunt.
y
It only deepened his disgust toward her.
