Her husband, however, was incredibly devoted to his parents.
If his wife didn't want to visit on regular days, he didn't mind, but skipping the holidays was out of the question.
Rose disliked returning to the West End just as much as her mother did; the place was a constant reminder of a less-than-ideal childhood.
But what could they do when her grandparents absolutely refused to move?
Well, the tables had finally turned. The West End was officially marked for redevelopment!
Rose had previously sucked up to Claire solely because her family heard the James family was going to secure the West End project.
Rose's family didn't just want a piece of the pie; they wanted to line their own pockets as much as possible during the buyout phase.
Who could have predicted that the James family would go bankrupt over this very project?
They had initially lost all hope for the redevelopment, spending their days sighing in bitter disappointment.
But then, everything flipped in the blink of an eye.
Vertex International, swooping in from Cabinda, proved to be an absolute
powerhouse, planning the West End's revitalization flawlessly.
The area had already undergone a massive transformation.
At the very least, the new culinary district was already taking shape.
Initially planned as a simple restaurant strip, the local government had been so impressed by Vertex International's brilliant urban planning that they threw in massive tax breaks and subsidies.
The goal was to build the West End into a landmark culinary destination.
While government involvement usually meant more red tape and less corporate flexibility...
...the permits were pushed through at lightning speed. The city had practically rolled out the red carpet!
As a result, construction on the culinary district was moving at record pace.
"My grandfather's house might be old, but it's massive. It has its own private yard.
The buyout alone is worth over a million dollars," Rose bragged.
"But he's so stubborn. He refused to leave his old stomping grounds, so he traded a portion of it for a commercial storefront in the new culinary district."
"So, the leftover cash buyout is just under a million."
"But that's still a fortune."
Her father was the only son. Even though he had an older sister, Rose firmly believed all that money would eventually go to the son Why would they leave anything to a daughter?
Besides, her aunt's family didn't even live in Apex.
Rose was an only child, which meant every cent of her family's wealth would one day be hers.
Truthfully, her mother had gotten pregnant with a second child once.
But an accidental miscarriage had caused severe complications, leaving her unable to conceive again.
Rose felt she was simply destined to be the sole recipient of her parents' affection and fortune.
"That is amazing! Think of how many designer clothes you can buy with that!" Lucinda gasped, clutching her chest dramatically.
"Why doesn't my family have luck like that?"
"It's a shame we don't own any property in the West End. If we did, we'd easily be making hundreds of thousands."
A smug gleam flashed in Rose's eyes. "Well, you can't force good luck."
People used to mock her for being a tacky girl from the rundown West End, but no one was laughing now!
Now, she was practically a walking gold mine!
"Honestly, the buyout money is just the tip of the iceberg."
"You know my dad is in the construction materials business. Between him and my godparents,
they ve tapped into some insider
channels to get a slice of the West End project."
"My dad ran the numbers. By the time this project wraps up, our family's net worth will easily hit eight figures."
Finally, they wouldn't have to kiss up to the James or Byron families anymore.
One of those families was bankrupt,
and the other was spiraling. They were on their way out, while Roses family was stepping into the ranks of the new elite!
Although...
Walking behind them, Claire had to bite her tongue to keep from pointing out that
eight figures hardly made someone the 'new elite.'
But whatever made her happy.
Beside her, Shirley simply pursed her lips in disgust.
If Vertex International hadn't taken over, Rose's family wouldn't have seen a dime.
And now she was strutting around like she owned the city!