《The Bet That Ruined Us 》全部章節：第 111 章 - 第 120 章

[THE HALE MANSION - DINING ROOM, NEXT MORNING] The breakfast table was set with typical Hale precision. Fine china, crystal glasses, fresh flowers in the center. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm pastries filled the air, a scent that had once felt like home to Benjamin but now felt like a prison. Melissa sat at one end of the table, Laura at her right, Laurette across from her sister. Benjamin sat at the head of the table, already dressed for the day in one of his business suits. The fabric was navy, crisp and expensive, but it hung slightly looser on his frame than it used to. "So, Dad," Laura said, cutting into her eggs with more force than necessary. The knife scraped against the plate, a sound that set Benjamin's teeth on edge. "As you can see, we are not doing anything with our lives right now. Which is not fair, is it? Would it not be better if you just gave us our trust fund now? Then we could actually start building something for ourselves instead of sitting around

[THE HALE MANSION - LIVING ROOM] Laurette stood in the hallway, her handbag clutched tightly in her hands. She had waited until both Melissa and Laura went upstairs before making her move. She did not have her luggage because that would have been too suspicious. Just her purse with her passport, her phone, and some cash that would come in handy. She was going to meet Shayla. Today. No matter what it took. She walked quickly toward the front door, her heart pounding. She could hear her own breathing, fast and shallow, and she tried to slow it down. The doorbell rang. Laurette froze. Her hand was inches from the handle, frozen in midair. She looked up the stairs toward where Melissa and Laura had disappeared but heard nothing. No footsteps. No voices. The house was silent, holding its breath. The doorbell rang again, more insistent this time. Laurette swallowed hard and opened the door. Six police officers stood on the front porch, their faces stern. Behind them, she could see mo

Benjamin stood, his knees protesting the movement. When had he gotten so old? When had his body started betraying him like this? His joints ached, his muscles felt weak, and there was a heaviness in his chest that had nothing to do with the air in the room. He followed the nurse down a corridor that smelled of antiseptic and illness, past rooms where other people waited for their own verdicts. The walls were painted a soothing beige, but no amount of paint could hide the fear that permeated every room. Dr. Sam's office was small but comfortable, with diplomas on the wall and family photos on the desk. A picture of a smiling woman and two children sat in a silver frame, a reminder of the life the doctor had outside these walls. The doctor himself was a man in his fifties, graying at the temples, with kind eyes that had seen too much suffering. "Mr. Hale, please sit down," Dr. Sam said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk. His voice was calm, professional, but there was someth

[GRAYSON CROSS MANSION - DINING ROOM] The dining table was practically groaning under the weight of all the food Matthew had prepared. Chicken masala sat steaming in a large serving dish, the sauce rich and fragrant with spices. Pasta with three different sauces occupied another section of the table, the noodles perfectly al dente. Roasted vegetables glistened with olive oil. Fresh salads were arranged in crystal bowls. And right in the center, Ayven's contribution to the menu - African jollof rice with perfectly fried golden plantains. The family sat around the table in a comfortable chaos of conversation and laughter. The noise was a warm blanket, wrapping around Shayla and holding her together. Shayla sat between Grayson and her father, still adjusting to the strange reality of having Benjamin here. Ruby and Ricardo sat across from them, Ruby already on her second helping of everything. Grandma Madonna sat at the head of the table like the queen she was, and Ayven had positioned h

Click. Nothing. Click. Click. Click. The gun was empty. No more bullets. Melissa stared at the weapon in disbelief and then the police were there, tackling her to the ground, wrestling the gun from her hands. They were on top of her in seconds, their weight pinning her down, their hands twisting her arms behind her back. Grayson and the security team arrived a second later, Grayson's face white with terror as he took in the scene. Blood. So much blood. Benjamin on the ground with Shayla cradling his head in her lap. Her hands were covered in red, her shirt soaked through. "Dad, look at me," Shayla was saying, her voice breaking. "Stay with me!" "It is too late, baby girl," Benjamin whispered, blood bubbling at the corners of his mouth. "I am sorry. I am so sorry for everything." "No, do not say that! Do not say anything! Just save your strength!" Shayla laughed through her tears, the sound manic. "The ambulance is already here, see? You hear the sirens? You are going to be okay