Episode 5

"Don't forget to put on your sweetest smile. We're visiting your beloved 'family,' not attending a wake."

Ziva turned lazily to Elzian, who was sitting casually beside her. The man looked perfect in a dark gray suit that probably cost enough to buy a shop house in this area. His face was calm, but his tone was commanding.

"Relax. I'm a professional actress if the price is right," Ziva retorted just as sharply. She adjusted her white blazer. "But remember, this is outside our contract hours. You have to pay overtime for every fake smile I give them."

"So calculating," Elzian scoffed, though the corners of his lips twitched slightly.

The luxury car stopped smoothly in front of the rusty iron gate of Uncle Haryo's house. The difference between Elzian's shiny black limousine and the faded house was stark, like a diamond dropped on a pile of straw.

As soon as the driver opened the door, Uncle Haryo and Aunt Rina were standing on the porch. Their eyes were shining, not at Ziva, but at Elzian's high-tech wheelchair, which cost a fortune.

"Oh my goodness, Ziva! My most beautiful niece has come home!" Uncle Haryo stretched out his arms, putting on a very fake touching face.

Ziva suppressed the nausea in her stomach. She allowed her uncle to hug her briefly, then stepped back elegantly. "Hello, Uncle. Aunt."

"Please come in, Mr. Elzian. Oh, I'm sorry the house is a mess. We didn't expect you to come so soon," Aunt Rina hurriedly removed a pile of magazines from the sofa, inviting Elzian in. Her eyes scanned Elzian's appearance from head to toe, as if assessing the price of merchandise.

They sat in the stuffy living room. Aunt Rina served sweet tea that was too dark in color and a plate of cold fried bananas.

"So... how is your married life? Elzian is treating you well, right?" Uncle Haryo asked, making small talk. His eyes glanced at the expensive watch on Elzian's wrist.

"Very well, Uncle. Elzian is a... generous husband," Ziva replied with a wide smile, patting Elzian's hand lightly on the armrest of the wheelchair. Elzian only nodded briefly, putting on a cold, intimidating face.

"That's good then," Uncle Haryo cleared his throat, shifting his position to lean forward. His face turned serious, 'asking for money' mode activated. "Well, Mr. Elzian... Actually, I'm having a bit of a problem. My expedition business is stalled due to lack of capital. Ziva knows, I've taken care of Ziva since she was little like my own child. It cost a lot."

Ziva raised her eyebrows. "Oh? So you want to be compensated for the cost of feeding me all this time?"

"It's not like that," Aunt Rina interrupted quickly, smiling stiffly. "What your uncle means is, now that Ziva is married to a great man, she should want to help her own family, right? We need a cash injection of about five hundred million to keep the business going. That's nothing for the Drystan Family."

There was a moment of silence. Elzian didn't answer, he turned to Ziva instead, handing the stage entirely to his wife.

Ziva laughed. Her laughter was crisp, but sounded cold and piercing. She opened her handbag, taking out a neatly folded piece of paper.

"Uncle Haryo, Aunt Rina... it seems you're starting to get senile," Ziva said, placing the paper on the table. It was a photocopy of the house certificate and a debt settlement agreement.

"Look at this carefully. Our transaction is complete," Ziva said firmly. Her index finger tapped the paper. "I sold myself to marry Elzian to pay off your mountain of gambling debts. The certificate of my parents' house is back with me. That was the deal. There's no clause mentioning 'business capital bonus' or 'pension fund' for a greedy uncle."

Uncle Haryo's face turned red. His fake smile vanished instantly. "You... Ziva! How dare you talk to your elders like that! Who do you think you are now? Just because you're married to a rich man, you're forgetting yourself?!"

"Ungrateful child!" Aunt Rina snapped in a shrill voice. "We fed you, sent you to school to become a doctor, and this is your reward? You're so stingy with your own aunt!"

Ziva stared sharply into her aunt's eyes, the look she usually used when dissecting a malignant tumor. "Sent me to school? I went to college on a full scholarship and worked part-time, Aunt. And about gratitude..."

Ziva snorted in disgust. "Did Aunt forget what happened at Mom's funeral ten years ago? When Mom's body was lying there, Aunt pretended to hug the body while crying hysterically. But Aunt's hand was busy removing the gold ring and necklace from my mother's neck. Is that the behavior of a family that I should help?"

Aunt Rina's face turned pale, her mouth gaped open but no sound came out. The rotten secret she had kept tightly hidden was suddenly revealed in front of Ziva's rich husband.

"You... you..." Aunt Rina stammered, pointing at Ziva's face with a trembling hand.

"So never talk about owing me anything. We're even," Ziva concluded coldly. She turned to Elzian. "Let's go home. The air smells of hypocrisy."

Just as Elzian was about to turn his wheelchair, the living room door opened wide.

A young girl walked in with a contrived style. She wore a super tight red dress that barely covered her thighs, with a very low neckline for receiving guests in broad daylight. The scent of cheap perfume immediately stung the room, clashing with the smell of stale tea on the table.

It was Bella, Ziva's cousin.

Bella didn't look at Ziva at all. Her eyes immediately locked onto the handsome figure in the wheelchair. She flipped her long hair, walking seductively towards Elzian while carrying a tray of cold syrup with ice cubes tinkling flirtatiously.

"Hello..." Bella greeted in a deliberately spoiled and melodious voice. She bent slightly in front of Elzian, deliberately showing off her assets. "Mr. Elzian, right? Let me introduce myself, I'm Bella. Mom was busy getting angry earlier, so Bella took the initiative to make a refreshing drink for you. Let Bella serve you, okay?"

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