17
Eventually, frustrated neighbors called the building management because of the disturbance.
That’s when Lucas learned from management that Jennifer had already moved out and had asked them to help put her apartment up for sale.
Where had she gone? Was she still in New York? Would she ever come back? And if so, when?
Lucas knew none of these answers. Only one thought remained in his mind, gnawing at him like a lurking beast in the dark, ready to consume him. He had lost Jennifer.
Maybe, he would lose her completely, forever.
Finally, the lies and schemes that Lydia and her mother had spun against Jennifer were exposed.
Even the servants at Leo’s home came forward to defend Jennifer
The day Lydia and her mother were kicked out of Leo’s mansion, they looked utterly defeated, like soaked, stray dogs everyone took pleasure in shamin Lucas stood among the withered rose bushes in the garden, his eyes suddenly red.
Roses may wilt, but they bloom again.
But some people, once gone, will never come back
In recent days, Leo had tried every way he could to contact lennifer.
But whenever the call connected and she heard their voices, she would simply hang up in silence.
When she left New York, she had taken her mother’s belongings and every piece of her inheritance.
Now, Leo’s house was just an empty shell.
They all knew she wouldn’t be coming back.
In the distance, Lucas could hear shouting, women crying and cursing.
Perhaps because their dreams of wealth were shattered, Lydia and her mother’s true, harsh colors were now fully exposed.
“Open the suitcases. I want everything checked,” Leo said from the top of the steps, looking weary and worn.
Lucas looked at the frail old man, feeling as pitiful and foolish as him
How absurd, that they had driven away someone as good as Jennifer for the sake of these two women.
This was their punishment–retribution served in the present.
Lydia and her mother refused to open the suitcases, throwing tantrums and making a scene.
But it was useless. Dozens of large suitcases were forced open, one by one.
Underneath piles of clothes, there were stacks of expensive bags and jewelry.
“Only the clothes–nothing else is to leave with them,” Leo ordered, his face livid.
The mother and daughter wailed, lunging to reclaim their jewelry, only to be pushed aside by the bodyguards.
Not only were the valuables in the suitcases taken from them, but even the jewelry they were wearing was removed. Lydia struggled so hard that her earlobe was tom, and blood trickled down her neck, staining her chest–a chilling sight
