Chapter 6

The moment Josh and Daisy got home, they couldn't grab their phones fast enough.

"Max, get back here—now!"

"Mom, what's the rush? I'm about to win this hand!"

"Money! Six hundred thousand! Hurry!"

"What? I'm on my way!"

Then they called their daughter.

"Lauren, take the day off and come home immediately!"

"Dad, I just took leave yesterday. I can't do it again today."

"Then quit that damn job! Do you even realize what's happened? Ray just spent 1.2 million buying a villa in our neighborhood. Tell me, how could he possibly make 1.2 million in less than a day since your divorce? It's obvious he was hiding money during the marriage. That's marital property, and half of it belongs to us!"

There was a pause. Then Lauren said sharply, "Don't say another word. I'm coming home right now."

Half an hour later, the siblings burst into the apartment almost at the same time.

"Mom, you said we've got a lot of money—where is it?" Max's eyes gleamed, his face lit with pure excitement.

So the family really was loaded. Maybe he was some kind of hidden rich heir after all.

Daisy gave a cold laugh. "The money's with Ray. All 1.2 million of it."

"What?!" Max jumped up. "How the hell does that bastard have that much?"

"Everyone calm down," Josh said, pressing his hand down. "Sit. We need to think this through."

"Think what through? Let's go get the money right now!" Max snapped.

His girlfriend, Megan Clark, had been nagging him for weeks about buying a designer bag before she'd try any new "moves" in bed.

But wait—why settle for her? If he had 1.2 million, he could find someone younger, prettier, and with a better body.

"Sit down!" Josh barked. Max slumped into his chair, scowling.

Josh turned to his daughter. "Lauren," he said, "that bastard said some things in public. About you. Are they true?"

He told her everything—how Ray had bought the villa, how he'd spent 1.2 million without bargaining, and how, in front of the whole neighborhood, he'd accused her of deceiving him.

"Tell me the truth," Josh demanded, staring hard at her. "Was he lying?"

Lauren nearly choked with rage.

How could they have made such a scene in public? Because of their stupidity, her private shame was now the community's latest gossip. Everyone would be whispering behind her back for weeks. How was she supposed to show her face outside again?

Idiots. If they'd just called her first, she could've handled it quietly. Now the whole thing was exposed.

But anger wouldn't fix anything.

She hesitated, then nodded stiffly. "It's true. Michael isn't his."

She didn't dare deny it. If Ray really had those videos, she'd be finished.

"You—how could you be so careless?" Josh shouted. "Letting that bastard find out—and even get proof!"

He wasn't angry about the affair itself, just that she'd gotten caught.

Truly, the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Daisy looked equally unbothered. She'd never liked Ray anyway. As long as their dirty laundry stayed in-house, it was fine—but now that it was public, she hated the humiliation of it.

Max, on the other hand, couldn't care less. "Who cares if the kid's his or not? He married Lauren, so that 1.2 million is still hers—ours. Divorce doesn't change that."

"Quiet," Lauren said, pressing her palm down. "No one does anything yet. I need to make a call. And listen carefully—until I finish this call, nobody leaves this room or starts any trouble. If you do, I'm walking away from the money. Got it?"

The three of them fell silent. They didn't like it, but they had no choice.

After all, Ray was her ex-husband. If she gave up, none of them would get a cent.

Lauren went into her room and dialed a number.

A man's voice answered, impatient. "I'm at work. If it's nothing urgent, I'm hanging up."

It was her lover, Zac—a doctor from her department. He was only thirty-three but already up for deputy director. He had a really promising future.

"Just listen," Lauren said through clenched teeth. She told him everything.

There was a long silence. Then Zac said, "He's bluffing. We were careful every time. Ray couldn't have gotten any videos, especially since he never came to the hospital. He's got nothing. Except…"

He hesitated. Michael.

One DNA test, and that alone was enough to prove everything.

"1.2 million," Lauren whispered.

Even Zac's composure faltered. He earned well, collected some bribes on the side, and expected to make over a million in a lifetime—but to suddenly produce 1.2 million? Impossible. Not in twenty years.

Greed crept in like a shadow.

"If he could drop 1.2 million just like that—and didn't even bargain—it means he's sitting on much more than that," Zac reasoned.

"I don't know how he got it, but it must've been during your marriage. There's no way he made that money in less than twenty-four hours. What—he won the lottery? Come on. No one actually wins that."

Lauren opened her mouth to say something about the lottery, but his logic cut her off. He was right. Who actually knew someone who'd hit the jackpot?

No one.

And Ray hadn't even blinked at spending 1.2 million. That kind of confidence meant he had far more hidden away.

"So here's what you'll do," Zac said. "File a lawsuit. Accuse him of concealing marital assets. Have the court nullify the divorce agreement and redistribute the property."

Lauren nodded rapidly. She'd only gone to nursing school, but Zac—he was a graduate from a top university. He was educated and strategic.

Her parents had gone out there and made fools of themselves. But this—this was how smart people handled things.

"Zac, you're brilliant," she said, almost breathless.

He chuckled. "Hire a good lawyer. Don't worry about the cost. Win the case, and you'll never have to work again—you'll be rich for life."

"Perfect," she said eagerly.

"The lawyer will draft the petition. All you have to do is sign. Oh—and make sure your parents and brother stay out of it. No more scenes, no drama, no crying in public. This is a matter of law, not gossip."

Lauren nodded. "Got it. I'll handle it."

She hung up and stepped back into the living room, repeating everything Zac had told her—but made it sound like it was a product of their discussion.

When she mentioned that Ray probably had far more money than the 1.2 million he'd spent, the others' eyes lit up with naked greed.

Rich. They were going to be rich.

"Don't stir up any more trouble," Lauren warned. Then she grabbed her purse and left to find a lawyer.

Ray's mistake, she thought bitterly, was celebrating too soon. He'd shown his hand—and now they'd make sure to take every last thing he had.