What are you talking about?" Claire asked anxiously. She bolted upright all of a sudden, showing serious concern on this issue.
"Think about it. Leena does not come from a family as wealthy as ours. I'm pretty sure she cannot afford the luxuries. She is probably counting on Aunt Shannon to buy her expensive stuff - things she couldn't imagine buying in her ordinary life. We must be very careful, just in case she tricks Aunt Shannon into purchasing her things that she can't afford by herself," Louisa explained solemnly. She was good at reading people's minds, finding out their weaknesses and making good use of them. She knew what Claire cared about most and what made her jealous easily. Louisa deliberately picked up the issue that she knew would provoke Claire for sure. Louisa didn't care that she had just made it all up on the spot. All she wanted and needed was Claire's anger and hostility that Louisa knew she could make good use of later on.
"Would Leena do that? How dare she?! This is too problematic of her and should be given serious thought. I remember when I went out with them the other day, all the clothes she chose were from world-famous brands. She looked like she knew a lot about fashion. I know for a fact that she bought everything using my brother's money; it was he who paid for all of them. And Leena, that little bitch, she herself didn't even pay a single penny for them!"
" Claire said, with her face turning red. Apparently she was successfully provoked by Louisa's words, just as the latter had wished for. As she thought of the clothes Leena had bought and their exorbitant prices, Claire's ire grew. How come a simple T-shirt bought by Leena was more expensive than Claire's own several dresses combined? The money Leena had spent that day was probably worth more than her entire wardrobe put together. The thought was unbearable! 'Leena is such a fake,' Claire thought. She might look meek and submissive like a cute sheep, but that was not her true self at all. Her true colors were only revealed when it came to spending other people's money. She could squander the money more ferociously than a hungry wolf tearing its prey.
That's exactly what I meant. Leena would absolutely use this opportunity to go shopping with Aunt Shannon and ask her to spend a lot of money on her. Isn't that so obviously her real purpose?" Louisa asked, adding more fuel to the fire. She kept her eyes on Claire, tracking her reactions to the words. Louisa was quite sure that the things she said would unsettle Claire. Claire could never tolerate that kind of behavior from Leena. She would choose not to stay at home, because she needed to go out with them and then she could do something to stop Leena from using Shannon's money. If Claire decided to do so, she would bring Louisa with her too. This time, it would be Louisa who tricked Claire into helping her attain her goals - to go out with Kevin and keep tabs on Leena.
"Well... it does sound true. I didn't think of it before. Maybe we should go with them to take a look, since you have reminded me of Leena's true purpose," Claire agreed slowly. She knew Louisa was possibly right, but Claire still hesitated a bit at the thought of going out on such a cold day. It was agonizing to be outside in the piercing cold wind, especially since she had already been out once this morning. In all honesty, Claire preferred to keep lying on the comfortable couch and read an interesting book today, in her very warm room.
"Yeah! We should go and see what she is up to. I've been in the Capital City for a while, but I still haven't gotten around. It will also be a good chance for me to have a closer look at the city. I should get more familiar with this place. Maybe we could shop around for ourselves too," Louisa said with glee. Claire finally agreed to go, so Louisa's selfish purpose was achieved without much effort on her part, except for some half-baked words. Louisa knew how to hide her intentions from Claire, while the latter was too naive and always believed her. As long as she managed to cover up the truth from Claire, Louisa could always use her to accomplish her plans without getting her own hands dirty. It was great to have this stupid and obedient girl on her side. With Claire's help, she would definitely kick Leena out of this home and get to Kevin's heart some day. For now, she decided to seize this opportunity. Louisa began to rummage about for some beautiful clothes to put on. 'At least I know how to dress better than Leena,' she thought. 'She is such a bumpkin!' Because Louisa had been slapped by Leena yesterday, they had come back before she could take a look around Capital City. Now she had the opportunity to explore.
"Okay, let's go. You're my friend. I'm always here for you," Claire said. Though she was still a little unwilling to go out, Claire decided to help Louisa. 'It is Louisa who should be Kevin's wife and my sister-in-law after all, not that annoying Leena,' she thought. Interestingly, she shared Louisa's opinion and knew that they should look better than Leena, so Claire quickly dressed up and put on her full-face makeup. As both of them walked out of the room together, they saw Leena walk down the stairs elegantly, her long hair swaying along as she took her steps, with a pleasant fragrance dispersed in the air around her. She exuded a strong confidence. Upon seeing this, Louisa and Claire had to admit, though reluctantly, that Leena had beauty and charisma. Leena didn't need to wear pretty clothes or put on a lot of makeup to look good, which made them even more envious. She was like a princess, like a real aristocrat. Leena was graceful but also lively. The vivacious naughtiness in a mature, charming lady like her was perfectly appropriate, and it made her lovelier and even more adorable. She looked like she was born this stunning. Her innate noble temperament radiated so brilliantly that they couldn't move their eyes away from her.