"Them?" she inquired.

Leonel grinned, “Darwin and his wife. You remember her, right? We shared a kindergarten; she's the piano virtuoso."

Alexis reminisced about Serenity.

She glanced at Leonel, saying, "You never mentioned staying connected with her while you were abroad. I had no idea.”

Leonel assessed her expression.

After a brief pause, he smiled, remarking, “The community is small.

If you'd rather not meet them, there's no pressure. We're not exactly in the same social orbit."

Alexis offered a faint smile and exited the car.

Inside the law firm, she promptly dialed Edwin, declaring, "I've got some funds that might come in handy for you!"

Edwin's voice carried fatigue, probably a result of his strenuous battles with the Smith family.

"No, Lexi. You've already been a tremendous help!"

“Just swing by and see for yourself.”

Thirty minutes later, Edwin arrived in person, slightly taken aback at the sight of the check.

It bore Leonel's signature.

Edwin set the check on the desk, took a seat, and rubbed his temples, quipping, "Since when did your connection with him escalate to writing a $200-billion check? Can I officially dub him my cousin-in-

Taw?"

Alexis blushed, retorting, "Just accept the money; no need for banter!"

She smoothed her hair, adding, "In fact, I'm not rushing into anything with him!"

Edwin's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Reexamining the check, he flicked it and remarked, “Honestly, I'm in need of cash right now. But if I take this and your relationship hits a snag, being unable to return it would be worse than death for me. I won't let you demean yourself or beg for mercy on my account."