All Chapters of After The Divorce, I Suddenly Inherited $100 trillion : Chapter 21
- Chapter 30
46 chapters
Seed of doubts
The sharp sound of Caro's slap echoed down the aisle, drawing nearby shoppers' attention. Caro's chest heaved with rage as she glared at Bruce, who stood motionless, one hand slowly rising to touch his reddening cheek."How dare you?" she exclaimed angrily. "Willis is my fiancé. He is worth a hundred of you. I won't let you insult him in my presence."Bruce said nothing. He just stared at her with a deadpan expression. "Willis is a successful executive at Shepherd Group," Caro continued, her voice growing louder. "He has money, status, and respect. Everything you don't. He would never end up like you—broke and pathetic."Sophie stepped forward, shaking her head. "Shame on you, Bruce. Seriously. Your wife left you for a better man. Get over it."Bianca gave a vigorous nod. "Yeah, get lost. You're such a sore loser. You can't even afford decent clothes. Willis owns properties, investments, and offshore accounts. What do you have? Nothing!"Bruce slowly lowered his hand from his cheek.
Seed of doubts
Caro entered her home through the front door, her shopping bags rustling as she stepped into the foyer. The moment she stepped inside, she stopped.In the living room, two servants were on their hands and knees, scrubbing furiously at the wall near the sofa. A dark stain spread across the cream-colored paint like a bruise. She noticed a crystal tumbler lying shattered nearby.Willis stood close by, arms folded, observing them as they worked."What happened here?" Caro inquired as she put down her bags.Willis turned around and smiled warmly as she came closer."Don't worry about it, babe," he said with a shrug. "I was just a bit frustrated earlier. Some legal stuff with the robbery investigation. You know how it is." He gestured at the wall. "I accidentally smashed my drink against the wall in a moment of foolishness. Don't worry, the girls are cleaning it up."Caro studied him for a moment. His jaw was clenched tightly and dark circles shadowed his eyes. He looked like he hadn't s
A masquerade dinner banquet
A convoy of luxury cars made its way up the long driveway of the Shepherd estate, bringing the world's most powerful men to Bruce Dominic Shepherd's doorstep.Uniformed valets were swiftly whisking away Rolls Royces. Bentleys. Lamborghinis. A limited-edition Bugatti that costs more than most people's homes. Over a hundred uniformed staff were positioned throughout the grounds, opening doors and escorting guests.Caro's car pulled up behind a gleaming Maybach, and for a moment, she couldn't move.The guests she saw were men and women of wealth and influence. Among the faces she recognized was a former prime minister. Three tech industry billionaires. The owner of a media empire that extended across six continents. Heirs to royal families and oil barons. The mansion towering ahead of her was so enormous she immediately confused it with a stadium. "Miss?" The valet opened her door, offering a gloved hand.Steadying her breath, Caro gathered her emerald gown and stepped out slowly. "T
Grand entrance
Willis arrived at the east gate of the Shepherd estate at exactly six o'clock, just as the last rays of sunlight bled into darkness. He lingered in the shadows of a group of trees, impatiently watching the service entrance.Earlier that evening, he had lied to Caro, telling her he couldn't drive her to the Shepherd estate due to "urgent legal matters" demanding his attention. She pouted for a moment, then brushed it off—too caught up in her own excitement to dig deeper.If only she knew.His fingers touched cold glass inside his right pocket. A vial of poison. He'd purchased it that afternoon from a man in a part of the city where questions weren't asked.It had taken every ounce of his willpower to walk into that back-alley shop and make the purchase. His hands had shaken as he counted out the money. His throat had gone dry as the dealer wrapped the vial and slid it across the counter.Even now, he could barely believe he had gone through with it. He had told himself that he wasn
The dance with the ex-wife
As soon as Bruce reached the bottom of the staircase, the crowd swarmed around him like iron filings attracted to a magnet.The former prime minister was the first to approach him, his face breaking into a respectful smile. "Congratulations on your succession appointment, Mr. Shepherd. It's a great honor to meet you face-to-face."Bruce inclined his head slightly, the diamonds on his mask catching the light. "Thank you, Prime Minister. The pleasure is mine."When Bruce spoke, his voice was deep and breathy. There was something hypnotic about it as though it wrapped itself around the listener like warm silk. He had trained his vocals overnight to sound like this. Bruce shook hands with each guest in turn, his cape flowing behind him as he moved. He said only a few chosen words, acknowledging and welcoming his guests without sounding arrogant. Strangely, that only made his presence feel even heavier.When Bruce Dominic Shepherd spoke, people listened. When he said little, they hung o
Ugly
Willis's heart slammed against his ribs like a caged animal. How? How did they know? He was wearing a mask. He was dressed like every other server. He had been so careful, blending into the crowd and never drawing attention. And yet here stood Oswald, the head butler of the Shepherd family staring coldly into his soul. Willis's mind raced, grasping for explanations. The only name that came to his mind was Vincent. There was no doubt it was Vincent. A cold chill ran down Willis's spine as he realized he had been betrayed. This whole setup was a trap from the beginning. "Mr. Stone," Oswald said calmly. "You're not supposed to be here. I don't remember sending you an invitation." Willis said nothing. His mouth felt dry. Sweat started to form on his forehead, trickling down under his mask. Oswald stepped forward, his eyes sharp as blades. "We know why you're here, Mr. Stone. We know what you're carrying in your pocket. And we know what you plan to do with it." Willis's blood t
Exposed
Bruce moved through the crowd, nodding briefly to guests who attempted to intercept him. His cape flowed behind him as he passed through a door at the edge of the reception hall, leaving the music and laughter behind.The corridor beyond was quiet, lit by soft sconces along the walls. Bruce walked down until he pushed through a final door that opened onto the staff gate area.The cool night air hit him in the face.Willis stood ahead, under the harsh security lights, trembling between two massive bodyguards. His server's uniform was disheveled, his black mask removed to reveal a face pale as chalk and glistening with sweat. Behind him, the two guards cracked their knuckles in unison, terrifying Willis.Oswald stood before them, holding a small glass between his gloved fingers.As Bruce approached, Oswald turned and bowed deeply."Master Bruce." He extended his hand, revealing the vial. "We apprehended Mr. Stone and found this in his pocket. He intended to poison you."Bruce took the
The expensive case
Just hours after Willis was exposed, the news broke worldwide. WILLIS STONE ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF BRUCE DOMINIC SHEPHERDThe headline spread like wildfire across all news channels, social media platforms, and newspapers worldwide. Willis instantly became infamous as "The Man Who Tried to Kill a Trillionaire."By the time morning came, he was the most hated man on earth. True to his word, Bruce unfroze Willis's accounts that morning and restored all his properties.It was useless. Because the moment the accounts were restored, Willis was forced to spend everything defending himself in court. Within a week, his finances were bleeding.The legal battle became one of the most expensive criminal cases in modern corporate history.Willis hired the best defense attorneys money could buy. His legal team was made up of seven partners from three separate firms.However, each one demanded rates so high they would give ordinary millionaires a heart attack.The retainer fee
The Switch up
Willis stared at the security guard, his eyes hardening. "How is that even possible?" he asked, his voice rising. "Do you know who I am? I am Willis Stone! I'm engaged to Caro Griffin!"The security guard narrowed his eyes in contempt. "Yeah, I know who you are. You're that fella who tried to poison Bruce Dominic Shepherd. Shame on you."The words struck Willis like a slap."How dare you?" Willis's face flushed red. "You're just a gatekeeper! I could have you fired for this!"The guard crossed his arms over his chest and said nothing. His expression didn't change. He just stood there, blocking the entrance like a wall.Willis seethed with anger. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. He took a step forward. "You're making a big mistake," Willis snarled. "When Caro hears about this, you'd regret treating me like this.""Then call her," the guard sneered. "I dare you.""Oh, you bet I would," Willis said, pulling out his phone with trembling fingers as he scrolled through his conta
Golddigger
Willis stood frozen, his hand slowly rising to touch his stinging cheek. The slap was strong enough to bring tears to his eyes."You slapped me," he whispered, his voice trembling. "You actually slapped me."Caro stood her ground, chin raised, eyes blazing. "And I'd do it again. Are you going to hit me back, Willis? Go ahead." She gestured at the security guard, who had moved closer, his hand resting on his belt. "See what happens. Just one phone call, and you'll be back in jail before you can even blink."Willis clenched his fists at his sides. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to strike back, to wipe that smug look off her face. But the guard's warning look stopped him cold.He was already skating on thin ice. One wrong move and twenty-four hours of freedom will become a lifetime of jail time."You're nothing but a gold digger," he spat instead, his voice thick with venom. "That's what this is about, isn't it? Now that I have no money, I'm worthless to you."Caro laughed st