Evening had settled when Eliza stepped into Wendy's room.
"Mom, why are you still up at this hour?" Eliza perched herself beside Wendy, the picture of a dutiful daughter.
Wendy cherished Eliza deeply, having protected her like the apple of her eye since she was a child.
Now, in her current state, she trusted no one more than Eliza.
"Eliza, with me in this condition, I would not put it past my daughters-in-law to have all sorts of ideas. We can't let them get the better of us, darling. Your brothers are no use either, only seeing dollar signs." Eliza nestled close to Wendy, chuckling softly. "Don't worry, Mom. The Boyds won't be played by my sisters-in-law. Our family's assets won't fall into the wrong hands, not on my watch."
Wendy nodded in assurance. "I knew I could count on you to ease my worries. Eliza, I've taken note of your ambitions all those years and prepared for it. This visit from Percival, it's so you can get acquainted with the Ellingtons, you understand?"
Relief washed over Eliza with those words.
As long as she could see Nathan Ellington again, she would do anything.
"Yeah, I know you've always got my back, Mom." Eliza leaned on Wendy's shoulder, briefly catching sight of her amputated hand and quickly averting her gaze with a hint of distaste.
Wendy's hand was already skeletal, a ghastly sight, and with the stump so starkly exposed, it was downright macabre.
"Mom, what are your plans regarding the Specter Healer?" Eliza inquired.
Wendy scoffed. "He's just after money, isn't he? I have plenty, though it might be a bit tricky to come up with 800 billion dollars at once. But, opportunities are not nonexistent." Eliza looked at Wendy skeptically.
Plenty of money? What a joke.
As the CFO of Boyd Group, she was all too aware of how much the Boyd family had.
Not to mention 800 billion, even 800 million would require careful consideration.
her mother getting this
smiled. "Have you forgotten our ace
in the hole?"
broadcast. Details were scarce, only mentioning Patrick's apprehension. The screen also showed Gillian besieged by reporters.
of the Ashford family's fortune, turning
was more than feasible with
sure Patrick will turn to us for help?" Eliza
smug. "The Ashford family is a hot potato right now. Who would dare get involved? And with Gillian's reputation in ruins, who would want her? But, just one call from
exploiting the
heiress, would be
no one was a fool. With the gravity of Patrick's offenses unclear, who
the Boyds be the only ones to extend help, Gillian would agree to any terms,
Ashford business and unveiling the Boyd family's clandestine commercial
the call
they could snatch all the Ashford business, it would
other Boyds, or
the Ellingtons from a position of
the Ellington family's next daughter-in-law was within
just wait to be cast
in chaos. Gillian had barely processed Patrick's arrest
such a large company and its numerous
his arrest, the banks
her phone aside, clueless on how to
her had vanished into
doorbell rang.
her warily. "What are you doing
I go way back, and I've watched you grow up. I could not just sit
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