CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 98: THE WARMTH AND COLDNESS OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS (1)

"But...if you withdraw now, you’ll lose a lot."

"I know." Vera Wave gave him a smile. "I have very important matters to attend to, so I can’t worry about that now."

"Ah—" Robert Taylor let out a long sigh. "Vera... Uncle here... I’m truly sorry. There was a very popular project recently, with returns of up to 15%. Knowing your difficult situation, I thought I’d help you earn some extra money, so I invested all of it..."

Vera knew a thing or two about investments. She was aware that some fixed-income financial products couldn’t be withdrawn easily. "In that case... I just want the principal. I’ll forgo the profits. Is that alright?"

Robert Taylor pondered with a creased brow, then pressed the intercom button.

"Assistant, bring me the data from that investment order I made earlier."

Shortly after, the assistant walked in and handed him a file.

Robert Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the file in his hand. He then handed it over to Vera.

"Vera, have a look yourself!"

Vera took the file. Her gaze fell on the final figure. Seeing the number, her heart lurched.

"Ninety-seven hundred dollars?!"

She rose, clutching the file, her eyes fixed on Robert Taylor. "Uncle Robert, my father transferred eighteen million directly to you. Even if I’d just put it in a fixed-term deposit at the bank, the interest alone would be more than this, wouldn’t it?"

This financial fund was a gift from her father for her eighteenth birthday—a full eighteen million.

At the time of her birthday, Robert Taylor had even assured her he would manage these funds meticulously to maximize her returns.

Yet now, almost four years later, the statement he handed her showed a balance of less than ten thousand.

"Vera, you know as well as I do that investments carry risks..."

Does he take me for a fool who can’t do basic math?

"Yes, investments are risky, but it shouldn’t have shrunk this drastically, should it?"

"The details are all in the report. If you don’t believe it, you can investigate. But with an attitude like that, are you accusing me of misappropriating your money?" Robert Taylor’s expression turned cold. "And this doesn’t even account for your processing fees. I have no idea how I’m going to explain this to my superiors."

Clutching the report, Vera’s fingers trembled. His blatant attitude left no room for doubt; she could easily guess where her money had truly gone.

"Robert Taylor, my father treated you so well. Is this how you repay him by treating me like this?"

Robert Taylor’s tone grew even colder. "Vera, you should watch what you say. If I hadn’t cooked the books, you wouldn’t be seeing a penny of this!"

Vera slammed the report onto the coffee table, gritting her teeth. "Robert Taylor, has your conscience been devoured by a dog?!"

"If it weren’t for your father’s sake, I’d have Security throw you out for that remark alone!" Robert Taylor bellowed. "Assistant, show our guest out!"

"Miss Wave, please!"

The assistant came over and took Vera’s arm. Robert Taylor, meanwhile, walked back to his desk, sat down, and resumed his computer game, muttering disdainfully, "Does she really think she’s still some heiress? She’s nothing but a beaten cur, yet she dares to cause a scene in my office!"

Vera reached the door. Hearing those bone-chilling words from behind, she stopped dead in her tracks and violently shrugged off the assistant’s arm.

"Robert Taylor, you listen to me, and listen well! That’s right, I, Vera Wave, am down on my luck now. But let me tell you, I won’t stay this way forever. One day, I will make you grovel at my feet like a dog!"