Chapter 60

"I just pulled you in here to ask, who sent you back. But you just sat on the sofa and said 'no comment,' so since it's in vain, I won't ask anymore." Joseph lay on the bed, hands cushioned behind his head, lightly spoken. A restless woman like her would eventually reveal her true colors. It's never too late to investigate when the time comes. "But why are you always prying into other people's private lives?" Melissa didn't understand why Joseph had to meddle so much. "Melissa, you should know that since the day you decided to step into the Clarkson family, you no longer have privacy. You all eat and live in the Clarkson family, and you will take my money later on. So, I won't allow any complications in this." Joseph suddenly sat up and said solemnly, this was his last warning to Melissa. Melissa was puzzled, she squinted and asked, "Even if you know who is going out with me, what can you do about it, are you thinking of silencing them by killing?" "That's a bit exaggerated, I'll give him a huge sum of money to keep him away from you." Joseph calmly said, this was also his original intention. Melissa laughed lightly, standing up from the sofa, "Humph, it's really nice to be rich, you can do whatever you want. Then I might as well hook up a few poor and pitiful people, so I can rob the rich and help the poor." Joseph turned his head, turned off the top light with the remote, and said calmly before Melissa opened the door and left. "Being willful like you, sooner or later will suffer a lot." After Melissa left, she quietly went down to the first floor dining room and picked up the suit jacket she had thrown on the floor. There was one aspect in which her thinking was aligned with Joseph's. She needed to stay with the Clarkson family for a while longer, continuing to keep Granny happy, and look for opportunities to get back at Nancy and Liam. Melissa found a vacant guest room on the third floor and snuck in. She had to take a quick bath and sleep. The next morning, Melissa was woken up by the alarm she had set. She was thinking that she had to wake up early and make breakfast for Granny and the kids. To make up for her late return last night. "What a spectacle, Miss Austin is actually up early to make breakfast." Melissa was busy beating eggs when she heard a voice she didn't want to hear.She turned around and said coldly, "Why are you still here?" Joseph was wearing a clean, neatly ironed white shirt, without a single crease on it. "Please refrain from always being contrary with me. Otherwise, when grandmother comes down later, you'll have to pretend again that 'Joseph is also my treasured asset." He said, taking a freshly baked coconut cookie into his mouth as he raided the kitchen for food. "I made those for Alvin and Alvina." Melissa warned, smacking Joseph on the back of his hand. "I am Alvin and Alvina's father, they won't begrudge me a cookie or two as you would," Joseph said, stealing two more coconut cookies from the plate. "Don't fool yourself into thinking you're actually their father, come back to reality." Melissa moved the plate of cookies aside, persisting in whisking the eggs evenly to ensure they'd be delicious. "And you don't fool yourself into thinking you're the mistress of the Clarkson family? Remember, everything you have comes from the Clarkson family." He admonished as he returned to the dining room to find his grandmother and Auntie Sarah descending the stairs. "Good morning, Grandmother" Joseph greeted Grandma Julia politely. "Joseph, Melissa, did you come back last night?" Grandma Julia was seriously concerned about Melissa. The first thing she did when she woke up was visiting Melissa and her children's room, and now she was even more worried. "I just checked the third floor, Alvin and Alvina are still sound asleep. But I didn't see Melissa, I wonder where she went? Why don't you take a drive and look for her?" "Don't worry, Grandmother, just take a look in the kitchen," guiding Grandma Julia to the kitchen, Joseph just caught sight of Melissa busily making breakfast. A broad smile filled Grandma Julia's face. "Melissa, I was just looking for you, so it turns out you're here" Grandma Julia stood in the kitchen doorway, joyfully shouting out. "Grandma!" Melissa was also pleased to see Grandma Julia, she put down her whisk and quickly walked over to lead her seated in the dining room. "Melissa, I didn't wait up for you last night and ended up sleeping. What time did you get back?" Grandma Julia asked Melissa out of care, she just didn't want Melissa to tire herself out. "I..." Melissa hesitated, embarrassed to speak. "Grandma, just as you went to bed last night, Melissa returned home" Joseph came to Melissa's rescue, smoothing things over for her. Melissa knew that Joseph said this so as not to worry his grandmother. "Indeed, after I came back, I wanted to pay you a visit, but I heard you had gone to sleep, so I did not disturb you." Melissa agreed with Joseph's statement. She gave him a glance, thinking that the few coconut cookies he had just eaten were not in vain. "Oh, how is that friend of yours doing, what happened at her place?" Grandma Julia remembered that Melissa had hurriedly gone to her friend's house to help out yesterday, and was curious for a moment. Joseph stood aside pretending to fiddle with his phone, seizing the opportunity to eavesdrop on whom Melissa had met yesterday. Melissa darted a glance at Joseph, who was clearly very eager to know the truth but pretending to be indifferent. It appeared he had a knack for acting, and she wondered how long he could keep up the façade. "My friend's house was broken into, and as her relatives were out of town, she had to call me." Everything Melissa said was the truth, but Joseph simply hummed in disbelief. Grandma Julia gripped her cane tighter, and hastily pushed up her glasses, looking at Melissa anxiously. "So, was your friend hurt in any way?" "Not at all, grandma." Melissa quickly gestured with her hands, speaking in a somewhat relaxed tone. "She's alright, and nothing was taken. But this kind of incident happening to a single lady would naturally make her scared." "That's a relief, that's a relief!" Grandma Julia blinked, placing her hand on her chest, exhaling in relief. Living in the heavily guarded Clarkson estates, she had only heard about break-ins on the news. She had never thought that such a terrifying incident could happen to someone close to her. Melissa gave her grandma a nonchalant smile while Joseph bitterly glared at her. He believed that Melissa had deliberately made up a scary story to worry his grandmother. Grandma Julia was still somewhat shaken, and after some thought, she said to Melissa. "It's really dangerous for a girl to be alone at home, why don't you spend some time with her in the next few days?" Upon hearing this, Joseph immediately shot Melissa a warning look.