<b>Chapter </b><b>126 </b>


    Derek’s eyes widened in disbelief. “I, I…”


    “Who are you?” Before he could finish stammering, Aria’s blunt question left him speechless.


    He pointed at himself in shock. “You seriously don’t know who I am?”


    Aria gave him a quick once–over. “You look kinda familiar.”


    Without another word, she turned and started walking away. Derek instinctively followed, protesting, “Hey, that’s just mean! We’ve met once before, anyway!”


    When Aria first returned to the Saxon family, Gloria had gone out of her way to introduce her two sons to her.


    Aria replied indifferently, “I don’t remember.”


    Derek kept pace with her, muttering, “Come on, with a face like mine, how could you <i>not </i>remember? I’m Derek, your cousin!”


    Aria stopped in her tracks. “So, what do you want?”


    Finally remembering why he was there, Derek scratched his head awkwardly. “Aria, you pissed my mom off so badly that shended in the hospital! What exactly happened between you two?


    “My mom workste all the time, so her health isn’t great. She’s a bit like Grandpa, always acting old–fashioned, but she doesn’t mean any harm. Sure, she can be annoying, but can’t you just let it slide and not take it to heart?”


    It was only their second meeting, but Derek was already talking to her like they’d been close for years, leaving Aria raising an eyebrow in disbelief. “Are we that close?”


    Well, it didn’t seem they were close. They barely exchanged a few words during their first meeting.


    But Derek didn’t think it mattered. “We’re family! Even if we don’t see each other for decades, it’s not like that changes anything.”


    He admitted he was a bit annoyed when he first arrived, but thinking it over, she couldn’t have known about his mom’s health issues.


    And after watching her in action just now, he’d have to be crazy to even think about messing with her.


    Aria said indifferently, “Two years ago, I made a bottle of ginger essential oil for your grandfather. Today, your mom came to buy it from me. I refused. Then she asked for the recipe, so I priced it at 30 million dors!”


    “That’s all it took to upset her?” Derek’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? You only asked for 30 million dors?”


    Aria raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of surprise and mild annoyance.


    Derek had always been the type to do as he pleased, never caring much about rules or decorum. He spoke his mind freely, even if it meant offending


    someone.


    Among the younger generation, Joseph liked him the least.


    Once, Derek asked his dad why Joseph disliked him.


    His dad exined that when Derek was a kid visiting the Saxon family, Derek would often lecture about life principles. Der however, would cover his ears and chant, “For God’s sake, Grandpa’s preaching again!”


    Another time, when Joseph was wheelchair–bound due to a leg injury, while everyone else was concerned about his well–being, Derek had secretly taken the wheelchair out to y.


    After years of antics<b>, </b>just seeing Derek was enough to give Joseph a headache.


    When Joseph announced his public statement, Derek was the first to object. Unfortunately, Gloria forbade him from going to the Saxon furniz


    In Derek’s opinion, Joseph had been unreasonable first. Aria was right not to self her


    ginger essential oil, but he asking price was tos sa


    “My family’s loaded. You should’ve started at 300 million dors! My mom loves to haggle. She’d probably talk you down to 150 man ayat


    Aria stared at him, speechless.


    “Hey, Aria, besides making ginger essential oil, do you make any other products? I could help you sell your stuff to those big shot CEOs. Hery <b>sent </b>the profits seventy–thirty. You get seventy, and I take thirty.”


    Aria said nothing in response.


    Derek kept rambling, “Honestly, my mom’s just too sensitive. You only asked for 30 million, not 1.5 billion dors. How’d that send her to the fatal


    “Anyway, she’s fine now, so let’s drop it. Let’s talk more about making money together.”


    ‘Ugh, he never stops talking.‘ Aria spun around and walked off without a second nce.


    Derek instinctively followed her. “Hey, wait <i>for </i>me!”


    Thud! He smacked right into the ss door.


    Ouch, that hurt!


    He clutched his nose, saw blood on his hand, and yelled, <i>“</i>Aria! I’m bleeding!”


    Aria nced back briefly, then kept walking like nothing had happened.


    MAR