Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Alva caught the critical point in the conversation, "You're saying, the villa was bought by Roseanne?"

"Yeah, that girl has really made something of herself! Not like our Lauretta, who can only settle for a steady job at the power company..."

"How on earth did Roseanne get so much money as a young lady?"

Abbey covered her mouth with a hand, her laughter carrying a hint of mischief, "Well, that I don't know. But, as you said, she's a young lady. Nowadays, young ladies are quite capable. Designer clothes, luxury handbags - if they can't afford them, it doesn't mean they can't have someone else buy it for them..."

Alva's brow furrowed deeply.

"Oh dear, look at me, blabbering about things I shouldn't. Alright then, you're busy, I'll let you go."NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

Abbey chose this moment to gracefully exit the conversation, not lingering any further.

However, Alva, still holding the phone that had gone silent, appeared deep in thought.

No sooner had Abbey hung up with Alva, she dialed Raven.

"Hey, it's Abbey..."

"Just the person I wanted to talk to. I've got some clients who dropped off some wines and local goodies for the holidays. I've divided them into two portions, one for your family and one for Norris'. Swing by when you have a moment."

Usually, Raven would share some of the holiday gifts with Abbey's family, but this was the first year Norris was also getting a share.

A sour feeling settled in Abbey.

"Why is Norris getting a share this year?"

"Got more than usual this time around," Raven explained.

Abbey thought to herself that no matter how much there was, she could handle it.

"I appreciate you always thinking of us, really. But Norris' family... I doubt they'd even care for these kinds of things."

"Not interested?" Raven frowned.

"Yeah, they're the type to live in lakefront villas, rich people, you know? What don't they have in terms of fine wines or local specialties?"

"Lakefront villas?" Raven was familiar with the term.

Not just familiar, but she had personally visited.

With her son reaching marriageable age, she, as a mother, started to look into buying a house.

Her son Halley was a catch:

handsome and now an entrepreneur with his own startup. Naturally, his future wife had to come from a good family, so the matrimonial home couldn't be anything less than perfect.

one

It wasn't just about comfort or convenience; the choice also heavily and

depended on the neighborily

the opportunity to connect socially, especially with affluent circles.

After much deliberation, she settled on the Pearl by the Lake.

The high-rise buildings were out of the question; if they were buying, it had to be a villa.

She visited the sales office twice, first to prepare the financial proofs, and then to view the homes.

She was more than satisfied with the villas - whether it was the architecture or the interior design, everything was top-notch in the Pinehollow development.

The only issue was the price tag-the cheapest one started at around four million.

A mortgage was out of the question - it would make them look bad in the eyes of the bride's family.

And who buys a villa on a mortgage? It's always cash.

After discussing it with Maddox, there was hesitance.

"Though our financial situation has improved significantly, you know how it is in the construction materials business developers often delay payments. Just last year, we had nearly two million in unpaid invoices. The company's cash flow is tight; we really can't spare four million for a villa."

"Don't worry, we'll definitely buy a matrimonial home for our son, but there's no rush. He doesn't even have a girlfriend yet. It's too early to worry about such things."

Raven paused in her ironing, "But that development is in high demand. If we don't buy now, we might not get another chance."