?<strong>Chapter 66:</strong>


    When Joelle mentioned Reba’s illness, a thought shed through Leah’s mind. “Do you know what kind of disease Reba has?”


    Joelle shook her head. All she knew was that Reba had a brain tumor. It caused her to faint and lose her memory from time to time.


    Leah said, “When you weren’t around, she fainted often and would forget things. At first, I thought she was faking it, but then I noticed Adrian never questioned her. That’s when I started to believe there was really something wrong with her brain. But as for the exact illness, I’m in the dark. Do you know any doctors? Maybe you could ask one of them.”


    Joelle’s mind went to Rafael. As Adrian’s friend, he should know more. “That’s a good idea, Leah. Thank you.”


    Leah waved her hand dismissively before lowering her voice again. “Have you thought about how to get Reba out of the picture?”


    Joelle sighed, shaking her head slowly. “Not yet. She’s sick, after all. If we force her out, we could look really bad.”


    Leah nodded thoughtfully. “You’re right. I hope you find a solution soon.”


    “Thank you.”


    Engrossed in their conversation, neither noticed Reba standing behind the door, listening to every word. The moment she heard Joelle’s n to drive her away, panic surged through her. Without wasting a second, she fled upstairs.


    She had finally moved into Adrian’s home. She hadn’t even had the chance to enjoy her time alone with him before Joelle’s unexpected return. And now Joelle wanted her gone? No way!


    Heart racing, she grabbed her phone and dialed Erick’s number. Meanwhile, Erick was drunk and draped with two flirtatious women, one on each arm.


    When his phone rang, he answered with a growl of annoyance. “What do you want?”


    Reba’s voice trembled with anxiety. “The n failedst time. Did Joelle suspect anything?”


    Erick groaned, rubbing his temples as his headache intensified. “Rx. I told those guys to say they were following Adrian’s orders. Even though the n didn’t work, it still drove a wedge between her and Adrian.”


    Reba wasn’t convinced. “Why do you keep failing? The more mistakes you make, the more suspicious it bes. Are you helping me or setting me up?”


    “Why are you so impatient?” Erick’s patience was wearing thin. “Even if Joelle were raped, Adrian wouldn’t marry you. You were useless and couldn’t win Adrian over, so everything I did behind the scenes meant nothing!”


    Reba’s frustration bubbled over. “I was useless? Really? Which one of us is truly useless here? You promised you’d help me destroy Joelle’s reputation, but look at the oue! She’s back, and now she’s plotting to push me out. Are you satisfied with this mess?”


    Erick’s irritation was tempered by a dawning realization. The gravity of the situation hit him as he heard the desperation in Reba’s voice. “How could Adrian do this?”


    Reba wailed. “Why wouldn’t he? Just yesterday, he said Joelle returned and warned me not to provoke her. Our dad, brother, and mom had sacrificed so much for the Miller family, and this is how we end up?”


    Erick clenched his jaw. “Stop crying. As long as you’re ill, Adrian will have to look after us.”


    Reba wiped her tears away. “Forget Adrian for now. We need a n to get rid of Joelle before she boots me out!” After a heavy silence, Erick finally spoke. “I’lle up with something. Wait for my update.”


    Once he hung up, Erick dialed Adrian’s number. Few knew Adrian’s private number, but Erick, being part of the Lloyd family, had ess. His connections meant many sought his aid.


    Everybody was trying to reach out to the Miller family, and those who didn’t have connections tried to find a way through Erick.


    The phone rang until Adrian, roused from sleep, answered in a groggy voice, “Hello?”


    “Good morning, Mr. Miller,” Erick said, his tone ingratiating.


    “What’s this about?”


    Erick swallowed nervously. “I just got the bill for my sister’s next treatment—one hundred and fifty thousand dors. Can you…”


    Before Erick could finish, Adrian cut him off. “I’ll have the ountant transfer the money.”


    Relief washed over Erick. He pressed on, “The doctor mentioned she needs special nutrition. I already bought some supplements, costing nearly one hundred thousand. Could you reimburse me for that as well?”


    Adrian opened his eyes and hesitated for a moment before responding, “Alright, I’ll have the ountant include that in the transfer.”


    “Thank you, Mr. Miller!” Erick said happily. “With my father and brother away, I wasn’t sure who to turn to. It’s a blessing you’re handling Reba’s care. Hopefully, she’ll recover soon!”


    Adrian’s frown deepened. He sensed Erick’s ulterior motives behind the financial requests but chose not to dwell on it. He wasn’t strapped for cash. If a bit of money could ensure Erick’spliance, it would simplify matters.


    “Anything else?”


    “No, that’s all. I won’t take up more of your time,” Erick replied quickly.


    After ending the call, Adrian found sleep elusive. He instinctively reached out, only to find his bed empty. Joelle was not beside him.


    He walked downstairs and sighed in relief upon seeing Joelle and Leah in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Everything seemed as it should, just like before.


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