Chapter 66
E55 Vouchers
Kayla drew back her gaze from Tristian, poured a glass of water, and placed it gently into Jackson’s hand.
Only then did she speak, her tone tinged with playful softness. “Dad, you called me extravagant just now, but I can’t agree. This isn’t extravagance, nor is it reckless waste.
“I only see how hard you work day after day, and I thought perhaps I could ease your burden a little. Help you, and help the company as well.”
Jackson faltered at her words, pausing before their meaning settled.
“Help me?” he echoed, his voice laced with disbelief, as though she had uttered pure nonsense.
Across from him, Tristian idly turned the obsidian bracelet around his wrist, lifted his glass, and took a slow sip of water.
A mocking laugh slipped from his lips, his expression full of disdain. “Kayla, you never learn. Still making excuses, still clinging to your story. Helping Dad, helping the company? Do you take us for children, so easy to trick with a few clever words?”
The crease between Jackson’s brows deepened, betraying that he, too, found Tristian’s words convincing.
From the side, Bailee watched with rising anxiety.
Afraid Jackson’s temper might flare, she spoke quickly. “Kay, don’t say such things. Don’t risk upsetting your father. If you’ve made a mistake, just admit it. Once you’ve apologized, he won’t stay angry.”
They all thought Kayla was boasting. She had not even finished high school. What real help could she possibly give?
Kayla, however, knew Bailee’s words came from kindness, meant to protect her. But if she conceded now, Jackson might spare her punishment, yet disappointment would take root.
And worse, Jackson would grow to favor Tristian even more, while dismissing her entirely. That, she could not allow.
She gave Bailee a subtle glance, urging her to hold back, before answering in a measured tone, “Dad, I mean every word. I’ve watched you wear yourself down for the company.
“Always on business, always working late. Do you think I can rest easy seeing that? So I decided to help, in my own way.”
Jackson forced down the irritation rising in him, responding with a sharp snort, “Very well. Then enlighten me. How exactly have you been helping me?”
His tone, however, was dismissive, the words spoken more as a test than in genuine curiosity.
He leaned back against the sofa, arms crossed, posture regal and expectant, as if waiting for some petty entertainer to exhaust her act,
Tristian, oblivious to his father’s undertone, bristled with impatience. “Dad, don’t let her mislead you. All she knows is eating, drinking, playing, and trailing after Davon like a shadow. She’s good at nothing but excuses. Don’t let a few glib lines fool you.”
Jackson turned a cold glance on him, his voice edged with irritation. “So you think I’m that gullible, so easily deceived?”
Tristian’s stomach dropped. Panic flashed across his face. “No, Dad, that’s not what I meant.”
At that, Kayla smiled ever so slightly, the barest trace of satisfaction thickering there.
1/3
7:41 pm
Chapter 66
55 Vouchers
She thought, “Tristian, you never thought the day would come when even you would be sharply rebuked by Dad, did you?”
Jackson composed himself once more, folding his arms more tightly across his chest. Reclining against the sofa, he regarded Kayla with lofty patience, waiting for her to continue.
Kayla did not falter. Wearing a poised, measured smile, she suddenly carried herself with a striking gravity.
She spoke with composure. “Dad, I’m certain someone has been speaking ill of me, telling you I boss my classmates around at school. But that isn’t true. What I’ve done isn’t wasting money. It’s helping them.
“Our school may be for the privileged, yet many students are admitted through special scholarships. They’re bright and full of promise, but their families struggle.
“So I found a way to support them quietly, without wounding their pride, and without spending much at all. It’s only a bit of living allowance for those who need it.”
In her previous life, she had also helped many classmates. At the time, she dismissed it as trivial, hardly worth mentioning. But silence had only given Tristian the chance to brand her as wasteful and cruel.
Now, she would not let her good deeds go unspoken.
Before she could finish, Tristian let out a derisive laugh. “Supporting classmates? Who would believe that? What can six hundred and fifty dollars possibly do? Don’t dress up your excuses with such absurd claims.”
Kayla’s smile deepened. He had all but handed himself over, walking straight into her trap.
“You’re right, Tristian,” she said evenly. “Six hundred and fifty dollars may be nothing in your eyes. After all, the girl you sponsor lives like a princess. Lavish meals, endless entertainment, and easy access to high–end venues. Even the dresses she wears are worth tens of thousands.
“For her, six hundred and fifty dollars earned through errands must indeed feel insulting.”
Tristian’s expression changed instantly. Panic flickered in his eyes as he glanced toward Jackson. “You… You’re making things. up. That never happened.”
But Kayla pressed on, refusing to let him slip away. “What’s this, Tristian? Haven’t you been sponsoring Marianna from our class? Why hide it? She even scolded me today in front of everyone, saying the six hundred and fifty dollars I offered was an insult.
“Look at her. Does she seem like someone in need? She carries herself more like a wealthy heiress than a struggling student, and her tone is loftier than mine.”
Bailee’s temper flared at once.
“Someone like that?” she exclaimed, glaring at Tristian. “Tris, I don’t object to you helping others. But someone who takes from our family and repays us with contempt? That’s a thankless wolf. Better to end such support.”
Tristian’s expression grew even darker, impatience creeping into his voice. “Mom, Marianna’s a good person. She works hard, gets great grades, and she’s kind and well–behaved. She’s nothing like what Kayla says. Kayla’s just jealous of her. Don’t believe a word of it.”
Kayla ignored him, her gaze fixed steadily on Jackson, searching for the smallest trace of his reaction.
What she saw shook her. Jackson’s face held no surprise or anger. It was only calm.
Her heart sank like a stone.
2/3
pm
Chapter 66
55 vouchers
She thought, ‘So he isn’t upset? Or has he known all along about Tristian and Marianna? Just how much does he know? Does he know of their closeness? That Tristian spends freely on her, without restraint? He simply doesn’t care?‘
Her mind raced with questions, but her chest grew colder with each thought.
For spending a mere fraction, she was dragged before the family as if guilty of some unforgivable crime. Yet Tristian squandered fortunes on a woman, and her father remained unmoved.
So this is what it means to be a son?‘ she thought bitterly.
But on her face, calm prevailed. She held herself steady, outwardly composed.
Inside, she vowed Jackson would pay the price for his favoritism one day.
3/3
