The Billionaire Who Saved Me - Chapter 68: Chapter 68

There were no permanent friends, no permanent enemies—only permanent interests.
To be honest, when Ada said that, I didn't buy it. I thought she was overdoing it. How could everything come down to money?
But in the days since I'd been here, I'd started to get it a bit. Looking at that account book today really hit home. The monthly household expenses alone would take an ordinary family years to earn.
Helen said the Knight family's spending was actually on the low side compared to other families of the same standing. Keeping up with other wealthy families was just the way it was. She told me not to talk about these numbers outside, or people would laugh at us.
I finally saw what Ada was getting at back then. She wanted me to be less emotional, more rational. That way, I'd avoid getting hurt, or at least I'd not get hurt so badly.
Because that was how everyone did it. If you tried to be different, you'd end up failing without even knowing why.
I was deep in thought when the phone suddenly rang, making me jump. I checked the screen. It was Elena.
I hesitated and then answered. Mason was right. Enemies didn't stop trying to get you just because you were scared.
You couldn't spend your whole life watching your back. That was not how it worked.
I said "Hello?" a few times, but there was nothing but silence. Just as I was about to hang up, she finally spoke. "Kate, can we meet?"
"What for?" I kept my voice steady, no hint of how I felt.
"I want to explain about the wedding dress."
"Go on. I'm listening."
"It's better to talk face to face. It's... complicated. I can't explain it over the phone."
Elena and I grew up together. I know her well. She stuttered every time she lied, just like she was now.
"I can't go out today. Tomorrow.," I said.
"Fine. Tomorrow at ten in the morning, I'll be at the hotel where you got married. Don't be late." She hung up right after.
Listening to the dial tone, I let out a cold laugh. So she was going to make a move on me.
It was time to call it a day, and once everyone got back, Delilah asked how my learning with Helen was going. I told her the truth. "Helen's been really good about teaching me. I've learned a lot from her."
Helen also had nice things to say about me. "Kate's smart. It took me ages to get the hang of everything.
"I just went over some of the house stuff with her this morning and had her look at the account book this afternoon, and she already gets most of it."
She added, "I reckon it won't take a month. In half a month, I could step back. Kate'd do a better job running this house than me."
Delilah was clearly happy to see us getting on so well. When she was in a good mood, she had a better appetite and even had a bit more at dinner.
Joey still didn't come down for dinner, though. She said she had a stomachache.
Once we were back in our room, I told Mason all about what had happened today, especially Elena's phone call this afternoon.
Then I asked for his advice. "What do you think I should say when I see her tomorrow?"
Mason thought for a minute and told me to take a bodyguard along. But less than a minute later, he changed his mind. "No, no bodyguards. Take Joey with you."
"Huh?" I looked surprised, my mouth hanging open. I didn't get what he meant.
I said, "Elena's been sent by Richard to get at me. Joey's close to Richard, and she's still mad at me. You want me to take her? You want me to get into more trouble?"
He leaned back on the couch, propping his feet up with a smug look. "You wouldn't understand. Just do what I say and take her."
He was usually right, so even though I was confused, I decided to listen to Mason. But I worried Joey wouldn't go with me.
"Will she even listen to me? Maybe you should ask her?" I said.
There was a gentle knock at the door.
I thought it was a maid bringing fruit, so I went straight to open the door. "Joey?"
It was Joey, who'd stayed in her room all day.
"Come in. I was just about to go find you, and here you are. What a coincidence," I said.
Joey swaggered in, plopped down on the couch, and said, "What do you want with me?" She acted all big and important like she'd forgotten she was the one who'd come to see me.
But hey, I needed a favor from her.
I smiled and asked, "Joey, tomorrow I want you to come out with me to meet someone. Will you?"
"Nope." She turned me down, quick and flat.
"What did you come here for anyway?" Mason finally spoke up.
That was when she remembered why she'd come. She pulled a diamond necklace out of her pocket, held it proudly in front of me, and waved it around. "Look, Grandma gave this to me. It's way better than that lousy bracelet she gave you."
I was a bit stuck, not sure what to say.
Mason chimed in, "Isn't this diamond necklace the one you lost ages ago? When did you find it?"
"Oh, Mason," Joey said, "you have no idea. I looked for it all day."
Then she pressed, "Just tell me, isn't it better than Katherine's bracelet?"
I held back a laugh and quickly agreed, "Yeah, definitely. It's better than my bracelet. Way better."
So that was why she'd stayed holed up in her room all day—looking for that diamond necklace. And once she found it, she just wanted to show it off to me.
It was hard to believe there was someone so simple-minded in a rich family like this.
Mason smiled too, patting her head gently. "Yeah, your diamond necklace is the prettiest. Wait here. I've got a gift for you."
He went into the study and then came back quickly with a fancy little box. He handed it to Joey. "Check this out. Like it?"
When she opened the box, there was a Cartier bracelet inside. It was made of several thin white gold chains twisted together like a braid. The amazing thing was, even those tiny chains had little pink diamonds set in them. A little shake, and it sparkled like anything.
Joey quickly slipped the bracelet on her wrist, held it up in front of us, and asked eagerly, "Is it pretty?"
"Yes," Mason said.
"Yes, but not as pretty as you, Joey," I said.
"Mason, you should take a leaf out of Katherine's book. People gotta be honest and tell the truth," Joey said.
Joey left happily, wearing the bracelet. Before she went, she found out I was meeting Elena tomorrow and said she'd definitely come with me. She still hadn't gotten even with Elena for framing her at the wedding.
After seeing her out, I went back and looked at Mason, feeling guilty about taking advantage of someone as innocent as Joey.
"Feeling soft again?" Mason asked.
"Yeah." I nodded honestly.
"That weakness of yours will get you into trouble one day, just wait."
"I'm not waiting."
Mason sighed and explained, "You shouldn't feel bad about using people. You know, if someone uses you, it means you've got value. Being used isn't sad. What's sad is when people don't even bother to use you. That's real failure."
Mason was off with his twisted logic again. Every time I heard it, it sounded like nonsense at first, but when I thought it over a few times, there was actually some truth to it.
He added, "Besides, don't get too pleased with yourself. Don't go opening up to her just yet. Joey's so moody. Who knows, in a few days she might let Richard and Helen use her again and come at you."