Filed to story: Billionaire Bride’s Revenge (Vera & Howard)
With a resigned sigh, Victor complied and settled back into bed.
“I understand you are restless,” Vera said earnestly. “I will speak with the doctor to see when you can be discharged. Even then, you will need to proceed with caution.”
Victor looked at her, his eyes reflecting the genuine concern Vera had for him. “I understand,” he said, offering a warm, appreciative smile.
Vera felt a twinge of frustration, as though she were managing a particularly obstinate child. “Alright then. Proper recovery after surgery is essential.”
Her concern lingered despite her firm stance. Just as she was about to leave to seek out the doctor, Victor’s voice called out to her.
“Miss Montgomery, it seems you have a knack for hacking.”
Vera turned abruptly. Victor was still reclining against the bed’s headboard, his eyes gleaming with a mysterious intensity.
He had instructed Samuel to investigate the unusual software he had seen her using and had just received some insights. It was from the top and largest hacker website in the world.
This site was a treasure trove of information, accessible only to those with an invitation code and password-not something the average person could obtain. Only the world’s top 100 hackers were eligible for access.
Victor’s gaze grew more intense, his admiration for Vera deepening by the moment.
Regaining her composure, Vera gave a subtle smile, attempting to smooth things over. “I picked up a few tech skills in college, but I’m no expert.”
Victor drummed his fingers on his laptop, his expression serious. “I’m eager to see what else you might surprise me with, Miss Montgomery.” His implication was somewhat vague.
A wave of anxiety washed over Vera. She wondered if Victor had discovered something. But she quickly dismissed the thought-she didn’t believe it was likely.
Trying to appear relaxed, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Mr. Adams, perhaps you’re reading too much into it. I’m just a designer, after all. I doubt I can keep surprising you.”
Victor simply smiled, saying nothing.
Yet, his probing look seemed to see through any disguise she might wear.
Feeling the tension mount, Vera quickly turned to leave, the atmosphere in the room growing too strange for her comfort.
However, her reaction only convinced Victor further that Vera was hiding a bigger secret.
Bowing his head, Victor texted Samuel again.
“Look into Vera Montgomery. Also, investigate those unidentified figures who reached the pinnacle of their careers in certain industries but suddenly resigned within the last three years.”
Samuel responded promptly. “Understood, Mr. Adams.”
In the Montgomery family’s study, Jeff and Sharon frantically sifted through all the bank cards and savings books in the house, desperate to gather money. They needed enough to cover the shortfall from their tax evasion and possibly even use this crisis to absorb the Guerrero Group.
Yet, after emptying all their financial resources, they managed to amass less than 25 billion.
Holding the cards and savings books, Sharon’s eyes widened in disbelief. “After all these years, is this really all the money we’ve managed to save?”
Jeff avoided her gaze and replied awkwardly, “We’ve had some losses in recent projects. Let’s try to scrape together more funds.”
He then turned his attention to the transaction records and the total amount, sighing deeply. “How are we going to cover such a huge deficit?”
Sharon was briefly sidetracked as she pondered deeply, her brow furrowed. Online opinions were insignificant-wealthy families always faced their share of scandals.
Then, an idea struck her, and her eyes sparkled with possibility.
“Remember, I bought Lily all those luxury items when she came home? They should be worth about 500 million altogether. If we sold them, it could bring in some additional funds.”
Jeff slapped his thigh, struck by the thought.
“That’s right! I also gave Lily a bank card with 500 million on it as compensation when she came home. We could use that money too.”
As they continued their conversation, the study door had been left ajar, and Lily overheard their plans from the doorway. The thought of parting with her luxury items and money caused her intense distress.
In the past, she could only afford counterfeits. Finally, she could afford the real luxury ones-but now, she had to sell them. She had only had those things for a month!
Sharon, determined, was on her way to find Lily. As she opened the door, she caught Lily’s eye, taken aback.
“Lily, what are you doing here?”
Lily struggled to keep her smile from faltering. She responded with a soft voice, “Mom, with everything our family is going through, I want to see if there’s anything I can do to support you and Dad.”
Sharon’s tension eased, her heart warmed by Lily’s words. Parents usually didn’t expect anything in return from their children. Their joy largely came from knowing their child cared about the family. She grasped Lily’s hand and let out a deep sigh.
“We do need your help now, Lily. Please hand over the bank card your dad gave you and the luxury items I bought for you. The money could make a significant difference in getting us out of this crisis.”
Lily’s smile wavered; her teeth clenched tightly. “The resale value of those items drops if they are second-hand. Even though they were expensive when new, you will only get half of what they cost, at best. It’s hardly worth it.”
Sharon’s face tightened with worry, her resentment toward the Guerrero family intensifying. If it weren’t for the Guerrero family, their tax evasion would not have been exposed.
“Every little bit helps. We are running out of options. We have just a week to raise the money. If we fail and the company goes under, your dad will end up in jail.” Sharon paused, as if remembering something, then added, “Do not worry. Once things improve, I will buy more luxuries for you.”
Lily could not suppress a sneer. Her mother must have thought she was naive. Even if they managed to pay off the debt, keeping the Montgomery family’s company afloat would be an uphill battle. The idea that her mother would buy more luxury items was laughable.
Just then, Jeff emerged from the study, his gaze settling on Lily, who looked conflicted. With a frown, he said, “We are in a crisis, Lily. Now is the time for us to stand together and face it head-on. I hope you will not disappoint us.”
Though he had always been fond of Lily, the gravity of the situation made him more pragmatic than Sharon. He could sense her hesitation to part with her card and luxuries. His tone carried an unmistakable warning.
Lily’s heart raced. She quickly responded, “You misunderstood me, Dad. I would never disappoint you. I was just thinking that even if we sold all my luxury items, it wouldn’t be enough. Where else can we find the money we need?”
Sharon quickly picked up on the tension in the air and shot a sharp look at Jeff. “Lily is our daughter; she cares about this family. Do you think she is anything like Vera, that ungrateful brat? Not a single call from her after everything we’ve been through. We spent years raising her, pouring our hearts into it. I would have rather raised a dog than someone so thankless.”
Lily suddenly had an idea. She had nearly forgotten about Vera. Not too long ago, Vera had wired a billion to sever ties with the Montgomery family. It wouldn’t be difficult for Vera to offer more. With Aimee’s and Victor’s considerable wealth, Vera could easily request a loan from either of them.
Excitedly, Lily clasped Sharon’s hand. “Vera has plenty of money. We can ask her to help us get through this tough time.”
If Vera covered their financial gap, the Montgomery family would not lose a dime, and Lily could keep her status. The Montgomery family wouldn’t face decline.
Sharon was momentarily stunned, but then eagerly agreed, “You’re absolutely right. How did I forget about her? It’s time that ungrateful girl repaid us for raising her. She must give us all the money we need to cover the taxes.”
As Jeff listened to the two women talk about Vera like she was some rich fool, he frowned and said, “You should let go of that idea. Vera already paid us to sever ties. Do you really think she’s going to help us after everything that has happened between us?”
After they brought Lily back into their lives, they shattered whatever trust Vera had left. No one in their right mind would be willing to offer them help after that.
Sharon shot him an irritated look and scoffed dismissively. “Not everything can be resolved with money. I will call her right now.”
With that, she dialed Vera’s number.