“Remember the woman who talked to us after lunch yesterday? Jessica?”
“Oh shit.” The words slip out before I can stop them.
“She insisted on talking to me. She claimed she wasn’t stalking me, but who knows? I didn’t want her making a scene, so we went to Starbucks, which is where I got my second latte.”
“Oh, no.” Fucking Jessica. She has no shame and no brain, but makes up for it by being extra obsessive. I can just picture the unpleasant conversation that must’ve ensued and make a mental note to give Yuna some kind of hazard bonus. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was highly entertaining. Apparently, you’re only worth two hundred bucks. And all this time, I’ve felt like a second-rate loser because I was only worth two hundred million won.”
“You’re going to have to explain.” For one thing, my net worth is well over a billion because of a few lucky crypto investments I made. I cashed out when they shot up like a rocket. After that, I diversified into other things, which helped push my portfolio higher into the billions. “And what’s two hundred million Korean won in American dollars?”
“A little under two hundred thousand.”
What the fuck? It’s ridiculous that anybody could think I’m worth only a couple of Benjamins, but even more ridiculous to think Yuna’s worth only about two hundred K. The woman’s fingers alone are worth a million each.
“Okay, what did Jessica do?” I ask.
“She told me to leave you.”
I resist an urge to bury my forehead in my hand. Jessica’s a drama queen, but this is going too far. I should consult Aiden about legal options. There should be something for this level of crazy.
“So I told her I wouldn’t do it for free and to make me an offer,” Yuna says, warming to her story. “Her offer was two hundred dollars.” She laughs. “Can you imagine?”
Honestly? No. “It’s hard to imagine Jessica having any money at all.” She spends every penny the second it lands in her account. I’m glad Yuna finds it funny, because for me it’s just exasperating. Jessica should’ve accepted that we were over when I told her. I made it extra clear by not attending her birthday party or sending a present for the occasion. Hell, I didn’t even text her. Her obstinance is irritating, and harassing Yuna two days in a row is completely beyond the pale.
“Anyway, don’t worry about it,” Yuna says. “She’s no match for me.”
Her confidence uplifts my mood. I expected a bit of helplessness on Yuna’s part…maybe even annoyance, based on past experience. This attitude is fresh and just too damn sexy. It’s all I can do to not press a kiss on her hand, then her smart, smiling mouth.
“Oh,” Yuna says, “and if you run into her again, ask her if she needs a recommendation for a lawyer specializing in medical malpractice.”
“Medical malpractice?”
“Uh-huh. You’ll appreciate her reaction.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Declan
When we’re back at the house, I get a call from Chantel. I call her my stepmom, but our relationship is more complicated than that.
Phillip Winters was a shit-tastic human being. He had an affair with my mother while he was married. Then, when he got caught, he dumped her like a rotten fish and went back to his wife.
He didn’t care that my mom got pregnant. Or that she died before I turned ten and I got put into a shitty foster home with a woman who only wanted the checks she was getting from the government.
While Phillip looked the other way, it was Chantel—his wife—who agreed to take me in and raise me. She didn’t have to do that, especially when she must’ve had some deeply rooted resentment against Phillip and my mother. So I consider it my responsibility to take care of Chantel in return, even if I actively despise her daughter Ella.
“Hello, Chantel,” I say, keeping my voice friendly. It isn’t her fault her daughter is a bitch. “How are you?”
“Oh… I’m all right, I suppose.” She sighs.
She can’t lie very well. Which is why I like her. “Truth?”
An embarrassed laugh. “Well. It’s… I could be doing better.”
“What can I do for you?” I ask, since she wouldn’t be calling if she didn’t think I could help. She knows I’m busy and tries to avoid bothering me as much as possible.
“It’s about Ella.”