Chapter 4

Worthless girl.

Those three words, coming from a woman who never stopped preaching female independence, were an insult beyond measure.

Before I could say anything, Robert was already on his feet.

"Watch your mouth."

"My daughter is the treasure of the Gilbert family. An outsider like you has no business telling us anything."

Sharon's eyes went wide.

"Outsider? I'm your elder brother's wife! My son is the eldest grandson of the Gilberts!"

She turned to Winston, tears coming on cue.

"Grandfather, look at Robert. He's staging a revolt!"

"He's conspiring with that slut Daisy, faking the accounts to frame our branch, all so they can seize the family fortune!"

"Faking the accounts?"

Winston beckoned, and the butler behind him immediately handed over a tablet.

"This is the fund-flow chart the Swiss bank sent over."

"That two hundred fifty million was laundered through six overseas accounts and ended up in your brother Zachery Fox's personal account."

"Did you really think everyone in the Gilbert family was blind?"

The color drained from Sharon's face.

Clement's legs gave out and he dropped straight to his knees in front of Winston.

"Grandfather, I didn't know! Sharon told me it was a guaranteed investment with a top gallery, a sure thing, no risk..."

"Shut up!"

Winston kicked him in the shoulder.

"A man in his thirties who can't even keep his own wife in line, sold out and still helping count the money!"

"How did the Gilbert family ever produce a fool like you!"

Seeing that it was all out in the open, Sharon just gave up any pretense.

"Fine, I moved the money. So what?"

She stuck out her neck.

"I gave your Gilbert family a son. If I get no credit, I at least deserve some for the trouble!"

"Call that money the emotional compensation your Gilberts owe me!"

"Besides, Clement is the eldest son. The Gilbert holdings will be his sooner or later, so what's wrong with me taking a little in advance?"

That kind of thief's logic had the relatives in the room shaking their heads.

I smoothed the mockery from the corner of my mouth.

"Sharon, maybe you've misunderstood the rules of this family."

"The Gilbert holdings have never been handed down by order of birth."

"Whoever has the ability, whoever can hold this business together, that person runs the family."

Sharon sneered.

"You? A woman who can't even give birth to a son?"

"You think a fake set of books is enough to bring down our branch?"

"Keep dreaming! Even if Grandfather is angry today, in the end the fortune still goes to my son!"

Winston drew a deep breath and waved a tired hand.

Lawyer Chavez, who had been waiting to the side, stepped forward and produced an official document.

"Since everyone is here, let me formally announce Mr. Gilbert's decision."

"Effective immediately, Clement Gilbert is removed from his post at Gilbert Group and all its subsidiaries."

"All of the eldest branch's credit cards and family trust accounts are frozen, in full."

Clement slumped to the floor, ashen.

But Sharon still wore that defiant look.

"Freeze them, then! I don't want them anyway!"

"My son is the eldest grandson. There's a share of the trust with his name on it sooner or later. Let's see how long you can keep it frozen!"

Lawyer Chavez read on.

"Furthermore, by unanimous vote of the family council."

"Gilbert Auction House, along with seventy percent of the core holdings under the Gilbert name."

"As of today, are placed under the full control of the second son's wife, Daisy Pruitt."

"Ms. Daisy Pruitt will also serve as chief executor of the family trust fund."

The moment Lawyer Chavez finished, Sharon froze where she stood.

Her mouth hung open, and for a long moment no sound came out.

It took a while before she whipped her head around to look at me, her eyes nearly bulging out.

"What did you say?"

"The Gilbert fortune... all of it, to her?"