Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 440

I was sitting with Janice, both of us watching Geneva with anticipation, waiting for her to continue her story.

Nodding, Geneva picked up where she had left off, "Yeah! This time Jessica went all in, she invested a cool ten million."

Janice let out a derisive snort, "Pshaw! That's chump change for her."

But I had a hunch that there was more to the story.

With a mischievous grin, Geneva said, "This time, I had them keep her on pins and needles for a week; she was scared out of her wits, thinking about the equipment funds she'd diverted. But after a week, I let her recoup her investment-plus an extra two and a half million."

"Damn... that's not too shabby! A quarter mil' profit in a week!" Catherine exclaimed, "I'd kill for a deal like that!"

"Easy there! There's no such thing as a free lunch," Janice retorted with a smirk.

"Word has it that Jessica threw a lavish party for the high-society ladies at Avalon Funtime Resort. But Sophie claimed she was off in the Maldives and didn't show. Jessica was the belle of the ball that night, they were all calling her the 'Princess in Medsafe Liyah Inc.'! She was on cloud nine!" Geneva relayed, clearly enjoying the tale.

We all burst into laughter at the absurdity of it all. "Princess in Medsafe Liyah Inc.!" I gasped between fits of laughter. "What kind of princess is she? More like a drama queen!"

Our laughter filled the room as Geneva continued, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes, "But I heard she nearly wet herself when the bill came."

"How much?" I asked.

"Think about it! Those socialites don't hold back when they see an opportunity. Why would they go easy on her?" Geneva said with a hint of schadenfreude.

"How much was it? I'm dying to know," Catherine pressed, her eager face too comical for words.

"Over a hundred and fifty thousand!" Geneva revealed.

"That's it? She freaked out over that?" Catherine scoffed, leaning back against her pillows dismissively, "That's nothing! She got off cheap, not even enough to cover a couple of bottles of top-shelf wine." I shot her a look, "Don't forget, even fifteen hundred makes her heart skip a beat, let alone a hundred and fifty thousand!"

"You get her, Aaliyah," Geneva said, giving me a nod of approval before adding, "Maybe it was that sting of losing the hundred fifty grand that got to her. She's been scrambling to get it back ever since. But she hasn't had a chance since."

"Were you behind this?" Janice asked with a sly grin.

"Life's not always a bowl of cherries," Geneva replied dismissively. "After that, Jessica's been like a cat on a hot tin roof, constantly calling Sophie. Sophie told her that no one needed money lately, times were tight. She even said their go-between had some issues and was unreachable."

"But Sophie's been on a shopping spree in LA, snagging new bags and outfits, making Jessica green with envy. She thought Sophie was icing her out, which really ticked her off. But she still kept up the sweet talk, flattering Sophie, buying her gifts. And guess what Jessica got for Sophie?"

In unison, we all demanded, "What?"

Geneva burst into laughter, and we all watched her, curiosity killing us.

"Come on!" Catherine sat up straight, craning her neck eagerly.

I watched Catherine's animated gestures and couldn't help but chuckle. She was a live wire-anyone would think she was ready to check out of the hospital with that energy.

"She got Sophie... ha-ha-ha... a pair of Spanx for like, what, $28!" Geneva finally managed between laughs.

We all roared with laughter, picturing Sophie's ample figure and the gift.

"Catherine, you're a riot, you know that? What a steal!" I said, shaking my head in amusement.

Through the laughter, I added earnestly, "That's the real deal. Be grateful! She actually spent money on her. All these years, I've showered her with clothes and handbags, anything she wanted. But in a decade, I haven't seen a dime from her!"

Geneva was still laughing uncontrollably. "You have no idea... Sophie was so mad, she threw the Spanx right back at Jessica and told her to get out!"

"Exactly," Janice chimed in, "Sophie hated when people call her fat!"