The Return Of the Invincible Heiress
Chapter 267

Chapter 267: Chapter 267

Neil did not take Archie’s words to heart. He instructed him, "Help me keep an eye on these two girls. If you discover that they have crossed the line with Alexander, inform me in time."

Anabel had just arrived in Valemont City when the company transferred him to Uroterin. Anyone with a discerning eye knew that someone must be behind this.

Strangely, even the Powell family could not find out who was behind it.

Also, before Anabel went to Uroterin for her assignment, she specifically visited Nicolas and Neil, implicitly mentioning that Alexander had a woman he cared about deeply. The various rumors he had previously spread might have been to protect her. All of this caught the attention of the Moran family.

Archie was very happy. "Grandpa, don’t worry. Alexander belongs to Anabel only. I won’t let him be seduced by another woman."

However, Avery and Joy rarely attended classes and were usually elusive. He seldom saw them, and whenever he sent people to follow them, they often lost track. He had no idea what they were usually busy with.

By the end of September, they had even disappeared.

Joy left Rosemont City to participate in Franco’s archaeological activities.

On the other hand, Avery was preparing to leave Rosemont City for a while under the guise of participating in a scientific research project.

Just before her business trip, the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived. The family prepared a large table of delicious food, and everyone gathered together to eat, drink, and celebrate the holiday.

Just the thought of not being able to enjoy her mother’s fresh dishes once she left made Avery want to eat a month’s worth in one go. She stuffed her bag with as many homemade cookies, cured meats, rice dishes, and pickled vegetables as she could.

Strangely, Maria, who usually ate a lot, barely touched her food. She almost didn’t eat any meat and didn’t even touch the pancakes or cookies.

Avery curiously asked her, "Maria, are you not feeling well? Is that why you’re eating so little?"

If that was really the case, she needed to take care of Maria.

Maria shook her head, her eyes fixated on the meat on her plate. "I’m on a diet, so I have to strictly control what I eat."

Avery noticed Maria’s eyes were fixed on the meat as she looked her up and down. "You have a bit of extra weight, but it doesn’t hurt your health. Why do you want to lose weight?"

Maria sighed and patted the flesh on her belly. "You’re all tall, so you don’t understand the struggles of being short. I’m less than 5.2 feet tall, but I already weigh 132 pounds. How can I look good?"

She added, "I used to be an intern and didn’t think much about it, but now I’m a full-fledged designer. I have to host important guests, go to big events, wear high heels, and put on nice dresses. But with my body shape... I don’t look good in high heels and dresses."

She hesitated for a few seconds before saying, "Last time, I wore a dress that Louis lent me, and people laughed at me when I went out in it."

"Really? Louis even lent you a dress?" Avery asked, intrigued. "Are you two close?"

"Avery, don’t misunderstand," Maria said, blushing and wringing her hands. "I just have Louis’s number. We both like watching dramas and reading romance novels, so sometimes we chat online. I had to attend a formal banquet, so I asked him where I could rent a nice dress without it being too expensive. He brought me a dress and said he borrowed it from a relative."

She continued, "The dress was beautiful, but I had eaten a bit too much those days, so it fit a little tight. Plus, my skin was a bit dark, and I couldn’t pull off the look. Someone made fun of me to my face, and I... I got a bit upset and decided to go on a diet."

Avery said, "I think your skin tone and body shape are just fine. Does it really bother you that much?"

Maria’s growth might have been stunted from poor nutrition and frequent farm work when she was young. Even after joining the Carter family, she never grew taller. Maria’s skin wasn’t actually dark—she just lacked awareness about sunscreen and skincare, which left her skin a bit tanned from the sun.

Maria sighed. "I wouldn’t say I care too much, but in my line of work, it feels like I should be thinner and have lighter skin. Clothes and jewelry just look better that way."

Avery nodded. "That’s true. Nowadays, beauty standards favor being fair and slim. It’s completely normal to want lighter skin and to look better in clothes."

She paused for a moment and said, "Wait a moment, I’ve got something good for you."

She went into her room and came back with two bottles in hand.

"This is a fullness pill. Take one before eating, and it will increase your sense of fullness by 30%. Basically, you’ll feel full after eating only two-thirds of what you’d normally eat, and you won’t want to eat more. This fullness pill has no side effects, and you shouldn’t take more than 5 pills in a day. In short, weight loss should be gradual. Don’t rush it. Staying healthy is the most important thing."

Maria picked up the small transparent bottle, gazing at the rice-sized pills inside, and exclaimed, "Avery, you’re not secretly a fairy from heaven, are you? Bringing magical pills from heaven that don’t exist in the human world?"

Avery laughed at her remark. "No, no, these are just the results of scientific research."

She introduced the other large jar of ointment. "This is a whitening and smoothing cream. Just follow the instructions; it works really well."

Maria twisted open the jar of white cream and was greeted by a faint, pleasant blend of natural floral and herbal scents. Just by the smell, she could tell it was something good.

She couldn’t help but ask, "Avery, is this very expensive?"

Avery laughed and said, "It is pretty expensive. It’s better if you don’t ask the price. I’m afraid if you knew, you might be too shocked."

She handed Maria an exquisite black card. "This is for group classes or personal training sessions. You should go and work out whenever you have time."

Maria carefully took the card and asked, "This card must be expensive, right?"

Avery smiled and said, "It is indeed expensive, so you should go often, or else it would be a waste."

Maria hugged her arm again. "Thank you, Avery. I will remember your kindness for the rest of my life."

Avery patted her head and said, "Alright, I’m leaving tomorrow. Work hard, and when I come back, I want to see your progress."

After saying that, she went to bed without any more sentimentality.

During the National Day holiday, while everyone across the country was celebrating, Avery donned a mask and winter gear to lead a team of more than twenty people into the uninhabited wilderness of the Surban primeval forest for an archaeological expedition. Although all team members had passed assessments to qualify for participation, they still underwent a week of specialized training before officially entering the primeval forest.

Joy’s performance in all aspects was outstanding—as if she had received long-term professional training.

This naturally caught Avery’s attention.

Avery remained composed and teamed up with Joy, and they were gone for more than a month.