All Chapters of After The Divorce, I Suddenly Inherited $100 trillion : Chapter 61
- Chapter 70
186 chapters
A second Chance
Two days passed after Caro’s visit to the Shepherd estate. The Griffin household felt like a house of mourning.Scarlett watched her daughter deteriorate into something she could barely recognize. Caro barely left her bedroom. She refused to eat, ignored calls from work, and spent most of her time staring blankly out the window. The staff whispered among themselves, and Sophie and Bianca had stopped coming by after being turned away for the third time.Caro's eyes were hollow. Her skin had gone pale. She looked like a ghost haunting her own house.And Marcus was still missing. Guilt gnawed at Scarlett endlessly. She knew she was partly responsible for all of this. She had betrayed her ex–husband and her daughter.Scarlett couldn't bear it any longer. She locked herself in the guest bathroom, took out her phone, and dialed Bruce's number.Bruce answered on the second ring. "Scarlett.""We need to meet," Scarlett said, her voice shaking. "Please. It's important that we meet."There wa
Suspicion
When Scarlett arrived back at the Griffin estate, the sky had already turned dark. As she stepped through the front door, she felt something different in the air.Then, she heard laughter. Caro's laughter. She rounded the corner into the living room and stopped. Caro was on her knees on the Persian rug, her arms wrapped around Marcus Griffin, who sat in his favorite armchair, looking thinner and paler than Scarlett remembered.His hair was disheveled, dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his clothes hung loosely on his frame—but he was smiling."Dad," Caro whispered, hugging him tighter. "I missed you so much. I thought I'd never see you again."Marcus ran his fingers softly through her hair. "It's alright. I'm here, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere."Scarlett paused in the doorway, her heart filled with warmth and relief. Bruce had kept his word. Her ex-husband was home safe and sound. Marcus glanced up and saw Scarlett. He narrowed his eyes."Scarlett," he said flatly. "Where hav
The people Bruce loves
Marcus leaned back in his chair, his eyes cold and calculating. "We have to be careful around your mother. If she's passing information to Bruce or whoever supports him, then everything we say and do is being reported back."Caro's face turned pale. "You really think Mom would betray us?""I think we can't afford to find out." Marcus folded his hands on the desk. "If she's away, back in Hollywood, we might actually outsmart Bruce. We'll be able to move freely without someone watching our every move."Caro shoulders slumped heavily, her mind still reeling from the accusation against her mother. But she pushed the thought aside. There would be time to process that later. Right now, they had a more pressing enemy."What should we do about Bruce?" she asked. "You mentioned that we need to take an indirect approach."Marcus nodded slowly. "Every time we've gone after him directly, it's backfired. The lawsuit, the police, the kidnapping attempt," he said, his fingers drumming against the
Forgiveness
The following morning, Bruce's small apartment was unusually silent. For the first time in weeks, he skipped going out for his Uber job.He sat on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees, staring blankly at the floor. His eyes looked tired, faint shadows forming beneath them.He hadn't slept much.Just then, a knock fell on the door.Bruce stood up and walked across the small living room. When he opened the door, a man in worn jeans and a faded jacket stood on the threshold. His face was partially hidden beneath a baseball cap, but Bruce recognized the posture immediately. He was expecting him. "Oswald," Bruce said, stepping aside.Oswald entered, took off his cap, and gave a slight bow. "You requested my presence, Master Bruce."Bruce shut the door and rested his back against the wall. "Yes. How are you, Oswald?"Oswald straightened and carefully studied Bruce's face. His eyes narrowed slightly. "You don't look well, Master Bruce. Is something bothering you?"Bruce pus
A hit and run
Bruce's Camry screeched into the hospital parking lot, tires screaming against the asphalt. He didn't even bother parking properly. He flung the door open before the car had fully stopped and ran toward the entrance like a madman.His heart was pounding so fiercely that he could feel it in his throat. He sprinted toward the nurses' station."Lucy Watson!" he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. "Where is she?!"A young nurse glanced up, startled by the anxious expression on his face. "Sir, you need to calm down—""Calm down?!" Bruce gripped the edge of the counter, his knuckles white. "I asked where she is! Lucy Watson! She was admitted shortly after being hit by a vehicle!"The nurse's face softened as she recognized the name. "She is currently in the emergency ward on the third floor, undergoing surgery. You can wait in the family area, but you can't go up until—"Bruce was already gone, racing toward the elevators. He slammed the button and rode the lift to the third floor.W
The perpetrators
The afternoon sun hung low in the sky as a taxi pulled up in front of the Griffin residence.Caro stood on the front steps of the Griffin estate, her arms folded tightly across her chest, her face carved from stone. Scarlett's cab pulled up to the curb, its engine humming softly. The driver, a middle-aged man with tired eyes, climbed out and began loading Scarlett's suitcases into the trunk without a word. Neither mother nor daughter spoke. The silence between them stretched awkwardly for a long moment.After the last suitcase was placed inside, the driver shut the trunk and returned to his seat, waiting.Scarlett turned to face her daughter. She took in Caro's cold eyes, and the way her lips were pressed into a thin line. She felt a deep ache in her heart.Scarlett asked softly, "Aren't you going to give me a goodbye hug?"Caro's expression didn't change. "Goodbye, Mother."She turned to walk back into the house.But Scarlett reached forward quickly and grabbed her arm. "Caro, wai
The Black Foot Clan
An hour later, Bruce slowly entered the ICU. The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of monitors and the steady hiss of the ventilator. Lucy lay in the bed, her face pale, her body wrapped in bandages and connected to tubes. Her eyes were closed, but when she heard him approach, they fluttered open."Bruce," she whispered softly, her voice fragile yet warm. "You came."Bruce stopped at the doorway for a moment. Seeing her like this made his chest tighten painfully.He walked toward her slowly. "You're awake," he said softly.Lucy nodded weakly.He pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down, taking her hand gently in his. Her fingers were cold, but they curled around his with the little strength she had left."How are you feeling?" he said gently. Lucy let out a small, breathy laugh. "Like I got hit by a car."Bruce didn't smile.Lucy noticed his expression and sighed."Hey, don't look like that," she said tenderly. "It's not as bad as it seems."Bruce's jaw tightened, but
The Black Foot Clan part 2
Oswald stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. "Master Bruce, the Black Foot Clan has served the Shepherd family for generations. They are our most trusted allies."Bruce's brows furrowed slightly."In what matters?" he asked.The old man stepped forward before Oswald could answer. His long beard swayed gently as he moved."Our alliance began three hundred years ago," Kenshin began, folding his hands behind his back. "At that time, the Black Foot Clan found ourselves on the brink of death. A severe famine had swept across our homeland, destroying our crops and killing our livestock."He paused briefly. "Our people starved. We had absolutely nothing. No food, no money, no hope. The debts we owed to neighboring clans grew taller than the mountains themselves. We were prepared to disband and let our legacy die."Bruce listened intently, his eyes locked on him. "Then a member of the Shepherd family came to us." Kenshin's lips curved into a faint smile. "A young woman named Ma
The final employer
Bruce felt his blood run cold. He looked down at the bound men lying on the floor, then raised his eyes to Kenshin. "Who was the final employer?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet. Kenshin's red eyes gleamed. "Marcus Griffin. Your ex-father-in-law." Bruce felt the air leave his lungs. He shook his head slowly. "I don't believe it." Kenshin glided across the room and crouched beside one of the bound men. The man's eyes darted wildly as Kenshin tore the gag from his mouth. "Tell him," Kenshin commanded. The man's chest rose and fell heavily. "I... I was the intermediary. Marcus Griffin contacted me through a secure line. He wanted someone to be hit. A woman named Lucy Watson." Bruce clenched his hands into fists. "I arranged the deal," the man continued, his voice shaking. "I complicated the contacts by using various phones and routed cash payments through shell companies. It was designed so it couldn't be traced back to Marcus." Bruce remained silent, his face blank. He wa
A broken promise
Bruce walked toward the front door, the crowbar swinging loosely by his side. Rain pounded his face, yet he remained unfazed and ignored it. A bolt of lightning split the sky behind him, throwing his lengthy shadow against the mansion.Marcus staggered back from the window, his heart hammering against his ribs. His mind raced with questions.What was Bruce doing here? How had he found out so quickly? The plan was flawless and untraceable. No one was supposed to connect the dots for weeks, possibly months.He fumbled for his phone and dialed the security gate.No response. He tried again. Still nothing.Unknown to Marcus, the two guards stationed at the gate lay unconscious in their booth, their bodies slumped over the desk with their radios crackling uselessly. On the estate grounds, two silent figures dressed in black suits moved around, their Kamui masks gleaming in the rain. The Black Foot Clan had already secured the perimeter.Another bolt of lightning lit the sky.Suddenly, t