The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy! - Chapter 449

Chapter 449: Part Owner
Melissa’s body trembled at the words she had heard. The customer service representative talking to her explained the reason for her account freeze, but the more the woman talked, the more distant her voice sounded in Melissa’s ears.

According to the person on the phone, her account was frozen because of Lawrence’s bankruptcy declaration. Although the account was under Melissa’s name, it was still registered under LL Construction.

She stumbled back, almost falling if not for the reception desk behind her.

“What… that is not right,” she breathed out, her chest rising and falling heavily. “That is my account. The money in there was mine.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Melissa…”

Melissa felt her vision spin, her complexion turning pale at what she was hearing. “Does this mean I can’t withdraw my money?”

As soon as the words rolled off her tongue, she pressed her lips together and looked around.

“Yes, ma’am,” answered the customer service representative.

Melissa winced. “Then how am I going to pay for my dad’s hospital bill?”

“…” The customer service representative stayed silent for a moment, as if she herself didn’t know how to answer. In the end, all she could say was, “I’m really sorry, ma’am.”

That was all she could say — sorry. No matter what Melissa asked, the woman either apologized or suggested that she go to the bank personally. Neither was helpful.

“I’m really sorry, ma’am,” was the representative’s final line before Melissa hung up.

“Ugh…” Melissa pinched the bridge of her nose, only for the hospital staff to approach her.

“Miss Melissa? Is there something wrong?”

Melissa peeked at the person and suddenly felt her blood boil. She clasped her phone tightly, her jaw tightening, her neck going taut from holding her breath. With people around, she forced herself to inhale deeply and smile.

“Of course not.” Her entire body trembled slightly. “Can I settle my dad’s account later? It seems there’s a little bit of an issue with my bank, but they’re already fixing it.”

“Of course!” The staff smiled warmly. “Anytime, Miss Melissa.”

As the staff left, Melissa turned. But her head throbbed, making her hold her temple. She wasn’t the type to carry cash. And if she did, it was always a small amount — nowhere near enough to cover this.

“Mommy, isn’t that a celebrity?”

While Melissa headed back to the ward to think about what to do, she heard a child’s voice from her side. When she turned, she saw the child’s mother smiling apologetically before taking her child away.

Melissa’s brows rose when she noticed some people turning away the moment she looked in their direction. She gulped. She was still a known personality. Not famous enough to draw crowds, but recognizable.

She lowered her head slightly and brushed her hair over her temple as if to hide her face. She was about to walk away when a familiar headline from the TV reached her ear.

“Huh?”

She stopped, lifting her gaze to the television mounted on the wall for waiting patients.

Lines formed on her forehead as she stared at the news regarding Summit Partners and NL Group’s joint press conference. The news highlighted the massive interest and the public’s excitement, and that NL Group’s stock had skyrocketed.

Of course, despite the major announcement, the news anchor still mentioned the “scandal” involving NL Group and LL Construction — the scandal that caused both companies’ stock to plunge.

Melissa gulped and glanced around the hospital lobby. It was only then that she understood why people were looking at her.

“Hah…” she huffed, walking away from the prying eyes.

But even when she escaped the lobby, humiliation clung to her skin. The looks she received felt like they were peeling her apart. She knew they were judging her.

The news made it clear that LL Construction had declared bankruptcy after the scandal. And as if Atlas were mocking them, he still pushed through with the project alongside NL Group. Everyone surely knew he did it to spite the Young family.

Especially now that she and Derek were no longer together.

“Lola asked him, didn’t she?” Melissa muttered, her eyes burning. “Did she give me those properties out of pity?”

She ground her teeth, her chest rising and falling as her mind spiraled. And the fact that her account was frozen — that she couldn’t access her money — only made her thoughts darker.

Once she reached her father’s ward, she was about to enter when she halted.

“Wait a minute,” she whispered, her complexion turning even paler. Her entire body froze at the sudden thought that crossed her mind.

Panicked, she grabbed her phone and dialed the lawyer Lola had hired for the title transfer. The call rang loudly, but her heartbeat was louder. When the call finally connected, she didn’t waste a second.

“Hello, it’s me, Melissa Young,” she introduced. “You said you processed my mother’s properties to my name, right?”

“Yes.”

“They’re really mine, right?” She pressed, as if she hadn’t heard him the first time. “That means Lawrence Young or anybody won’t be able to get a hold of them, am I correct?”

“Miss Melissa,” the lawyer’s voice remained cool and calm. “Before I filed the transfer, we talked. I even came by the hospital to explain everything.”

That was true.

“So I named them under you — no one else.”

Hearing that made Melissa exhale in relief. “Is that so?” she asked, letting out a shaky breath. “Then I can sell just one of them, right?”

This time, the lawyer didn’t answer immediately.

“What?” Her face twisted at the silence. “Why can’t you answer that?”

“Miss Melissa, I heard about the LL Construction decision,” the lawyer started. “Since you are a part-owner of LL Construction, all your assets will be seized as well to be liquidated to settle the company’s accounts.”

And with that, Melissa’s world fell apart.

She couldn’t even finish listening. Her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor — face pale, mind blank.

*****

Meanwhile, in Anteca…

“That’s so kind of you,” Penny hummed, looking at Lola curiously as they drove somewhere. “If it were me, I wouldn’t give those properties to her. Over my dead body.”

Lola chuckled and glanced at Penny. “Don’t worry. She won’t be able to use them.”

“Huh?”

“Melissa was named part-owner of LL Construction,” she shrugged. “And since LL Construction declared bankruptcy, those will be liquidated too — to pay off their debts.”

Her smile stretched, edging into a smirk. “I’m no angel, Penny. I may have let them escape what they did to me… but I won’t let them escape paying off every person they owe.”

“…” Penny stared at Lola and swallowed hard. She smiled shakily, and for some reason, an imaginary halo glowed faintly above Penny’s head. “Sis, I swear I will never ever touch your food.”

“My kids’ snacks too.”

“Yes. I promise.”