Chapter 454
Chapter 454:
“What?” Edouard’s eyes widened. His face lost color, and the veins along his temple pulsed.
“That’s not possible. He’s been with me for twenty years. I trusted him…” Marlowe’s silence spoke volumes.
Edouard’s hand twitched, then fell limp beside him. He sank back against the pillows. “You planned this p>
“You planned it first.” Ashton kept flipping pages. “You’ve been hiding half your assets like you thought I wouldn’t notice. The earlier drafts left most of it out. This one’s got the full haul p>
He turned a page with one hand, holding the file up to the light with the other.
“Property in Nice, a trust in Zurich, equity in half a dozen start-ups. Plus that offshore account in Belize. Altogether—what, ten billion? Maybe more if I get the art appraised p>
Edouard wheezed. “You used him to get information out of me p>
“Obviously,” Ashton said, shrugging. “Took long enough, but you finally showed your hand. Let me guess—you called in the lawyer because your lungs feel like shit and you know you’re running out of time p>
Edouard grabbed the cane from his bedside, swung it at Ashton’s shoulder, and missed by half a meter.
It clattered to the floor.
“You ungrateful bastard. Are you going to change my will p>
Ashton shut the folder with a snap. “I saved LGH from bankruptcy. You handed everything to Reginald and Declan, and left me with nothing but your last name. If you think I’m walking away empty-handed, you’re sicker than I thought p>
Marlowe glanced at the door. His lips twitched when he saw me pressing my ear against the glass, as if I were trying to phase through it, but he said nothing.
“You could’ve waited to screw me over from the grave,” Ashton said. “But you just had to do it while you’re still breathing. So, I figured I’d return the favor while you can still watch p>
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“What are you doing here? Eavesdropping?” The shrill voice snapped my head around.
Gwendolyn Laurent stood in front of me, wearing a powder-blue coat, eyebrows raised.
“What are you doing here?” she asked again.
I didn’t bother answering. “Weren’t you in a hospital bed?” Had she been kicked out after Ashton froze her cards?
She folded her arms. “Is that how you greet your mother-in-law p>
“You’re not Ashton’s mom p>
“You’ve got no manners p>
“Manners are reserved for those who’ve earned them p>
She rolled up her sleeves. “Just because Ashton covers for you doesn’t mean I won’t slap you straight back into the gutter. You have no idea what I’m capable of p>
I smiled and stepped closer. “Go on, then. Try me. Let’s see what happens.” Her nostrils flared, but her hands stayed by her sides.
She knew Ashton wouldn’t hesitate to bury her if she laid a finger on me. Still, she couldn’t resist running her mouth.
“My mistake. I should’ve known better than to expect respect from a woman who sent her own father to prison. Word is, your mother disowned you. Apparently, she’d rather cozy up to Catherine, who’s not even her real daughter, than acknowledge you. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it p>
She reached out, fingers aiming for my cheek. “Other than a pretty face, you—Ow p>