Chapter 544

Preston Valentine had just approached when he heard her crying and muttering something under her breath.

He immediately asked, "What are you saying?"

Joanna Sterling was startled. She turned her head and saw it was him, immediately glaring at him without a word, then turned back to continue her work.

She was cleaning windows today.

This was a window next to the second-floor hallway, requiring a ladder.

Joanna had moved a ladder and was standing on it, wiping the glass.

As Preston approached, he accidentally bumped into the ladder.

The ladder tilted instantly.

Joanna's whole body swayed abruptly. Her pupils contracted in fright, and she let out a sharp scream.

Then her entire body began to fall.

Seeing this, Preston didn't think. He immediately reached out and caught her.

Joanna only felt that the expected pain didn't come. Instead, she fell into a pair of strong arms.

She opened her eyes and saw Preston's face close to hers.

Startled, she immediately pushed him away.

Then she fell hard on her bottom, her tailbone aching sharply.

Preston immediately stepped forward to ask, "Are you okay?"

Joanna said angrily, "Why did you let go?"

Preston replied, "Didn't you push me?"

He awkwardly rubbed his nose, then looked down at his palm.

He knew Susan Langley liked him.

But when he was with Susan, his heart had always been calm. He had never experienced what it felt like to like someone.

Even when they hugged, kissed... it never went further. He hadn't felt much at all.

Only just now, holding Joanna, feeling the firm yet soft curve of her hips in his large hands, he felt as if his palm had been scalded.

He now felt somewhat flustered, his face flushing red.

Joanna's eyes reddened, but she stubbornly got up from the floor, adjusted the ladder, and continued climbing up.

Preston asked, "Why are you, a girl, cleaning such high windows? Is the butler bullying you?"

Joanna said irritably, "Uncle Butler is so good to me. Don't slander him! I finished my work for today early. Uncle Butler wanted to hire someone from outside to clean the windows. I refused him. I can do it myself!"

Preston frowned. "Everyone has their own duties. Why are you doing this?"

Joanna was furious. "Why do you think? To move you, of course! Or maybe hoping for a story where the prince falls in love with Cinderella?"

Preston was confused.

Seeing his expression, Joanna's anger flared. "You really are a young master who's never lifted a finger since childhood. I'm doing this to earn money! Money! Your girlfriend's dress cost a hundred and thirty thousand. How can I repay it if I don't earn money?"

At this point, Joanna looked at him from the ladder. "By the way, can I discuss something with you? About that money, I'll repay it in installments. After I get my salary each month, I'll give Miss Susan twenty-five thousand. The remaining five thousand, I need for living expenses..."

Preston was extremely surprised. "You don't even have a hundred and thirty thousand in savings?"

Since he could remember, his parents had given him a bank card containing his New Year's money from over the years, amounting to several million.

So, a hundred and thirty thousand was like thirteen dollars to an ordinary person. He truly had no concept of it.

Hearing this, Joanna became even angrier.

She sneered. "I only have five thousand dollars! I spend my entire monthly salary! Young Master, are you satisfied now? How can poor people like us save up a hundred and thirty thousand! Do you know what a hundred and thirty thousand means to an ordinary family? It's their household income for an entire year!"

Preston fell silent.

Seeing his foolish expression, Joanna suddenly felt she might have misunderstood him.

He made Susan apologize to her because he thought Susan hitting her was wrong. Making her pay compensation might, in his eyes, be a fair action.

Joanna didn't know whether to laugh or cry at him.

She simply turned back, preparing to continue working.

Just then, Preston turned and walked away.

Joanna watched him go.

People like him would never understand the hardships of those at the bottom.

Joanna sighed and continued working diligently.

When Evelyn Ross went out, she saw this situation.

She paused slightly, then called over the butler and gave him some instructions in a low voice.

She had heard about today's incident.

The reason Susan Langley had lectured Joanna at home was because she had been angered by Evelyn herself.

Joanna had suffered an undeserved calamity.

Evelyn felt somewhat guilty toward her and told the butler to directly transfer a hundred and thirty thousand to Joanna to settle the matter.

Having risen from the bottom herself, she understood Joanna's current predicament all too well.

The butler nodded and said to her, "Miss, you are truly kind-hearted and beautiful."

Evelyn spoke up. "Uncle Valentine, you are an elder. Please just call me by my name from now on."

The butler was also from the Valentine family's collateral line. Always calling her 'Miss' made her uncomfortable.

The butler smiled. "Alright, then I'll presume. Miss Grace, you have no idea how happy the Master was when you returned! When he learned of your existence, he had your room prepared. By the way, there's a surprise in the first drawer of the study in your room."

Evelyn was slightly taken aback. She immediately returned to her room, opened the drawer in the study area, and saw a photo frame.

She recognized Sophia Ashcroft at a glance.

This was Sophia at twenty years old. Evelyn bore a fifty percent resemblance to her. Having lived together before, she had grown accustomed and hadn't noticed. But now, Evelyn realized how similar she and her mother were. No wonder people had recognized her even when she was still known as a love child.

Evelyn then looked at the middle-aged woman beside her mother. That should be her maternal grandmother, Nicole Sterling. She resembled her mother in her forties—very gentle and graceful. She didn't look much like Evelyn.

Evelyn touched her own face. She was fifty percent similar to her mother. The other fifty percent, she was told, resembled her paternal grandmother. So, not resembling her maternal grandmother was reasonable.

She stared at the photo, entranced.

Her mother had said that a fire years ago had killed her grandmother and burned down their home in New York, leaving nothing of her grandmother behind. She never expected Mr. Valentine to have kept a photo of them...

...Wait, something was off.

A fire?!

The Sterling Family villa had also been destroyed in a fire!

Evelyn suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with deep thought.

Why were both incidents fires?

If the fire at Grace Sterling's family villa was set by the Fox, then who set the fire at her grandmother's home years ago?

Evelyn frowned. She felt she understood something... something was spinning wildly in her mind.

When all impossibilities were eliminated, the truth might be right before her eyes!

Evelyn's eyes suddenly lit up. She had figured it out!