Chapter 232: What If She Found Out That Their Entire Home Had Been Cleaned Out?

My senseless panic left me unable to think. I could only nod and sway, lost in the moment. That night, I nestled obediently in his arms. Accustomed to the awkwardness I used to feel, it felt as if the invisible wall in my heart—one I couldn't explain or fully understand—was slowly crumbling. Little by little, I found myself genuinely letting Carter in.

After all, from the very beginning, we were in a contractual marriage. I thought our relationship was purely transactional. He wanted to use me to access the Gardners' resources and connections; I wanted to leverage him to gain a foothold with the Boltons. But somewhere along the way, everything changed. What he wanted wasn't wealth or power; what he wanted was my heart.

That same heart—battered and broken into a million pieces by Luke—had once vowed never to trust love again. But under Carter's gentle care, I found it starting to heal, bit by bit. I started to hope again. I wasn't scared of the future anymore because I knew he'd always be there. He was always one step ahead, ensuring every detail was taken care of. It wasn't just because of how much he cared; it was because my death in the past had left him with scars he couldn't erase. Now that I had been reborn, he was doing everything in his power to keep me safe, making sure no one would ever have the chance to hurt me again.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and nuzzled my face against his chest.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"We're married—no need to thank me. We're family now. Chloe, when I tracked down that assassin, I did it with an ulterior motive. You've been trying to get Philippa and Bill to divorce, right? This could have been your ace in the hole. Why didn't you use it tonight to pressure him?" Carter asked.

"It was a good opportunity, but I had a gut feeling he wouldn't agree. Bill's problem was never that he didn't love my mom; it's that he never really understood his own feelings. Now he finally does," I admitted.

"So, what you're saying is Philippa's position in his heart far outweighs Sadie's?"

"Yes. And now that my mom's pregnant with his child, there's no way he'd ever agree to leave her. I didn't want to take that risk, so I decided not to bring it up."

In the darkness, I frowned deeply. "When a man starts having a change of heart, getting a divorce becomes nearly impossible. Sadie can make him hesitate, but she doesn't have what it takes to push him to leave her. Have you noticed? Starting today, he's already begun drawing clear boundaries with Monica. He genuinely wants to return to his family."

"If he really changes his ways and turns over a new leaf, would you accept him?" Carter asked.

"Carter, that question is like asking if I could ever forgive Luke. A man who's dirtied himself? Even if it means spending the rest of my life alone, I'll never forgive him! But reality is cruel. I don't want things between him and my mom to escalate to the point of going to court, but I also know he won't agree to a divorce easily."

Carter gently patted my back. "Don't stress about the future right now. It's late—get some rest. We'll find a solution."

"I do have an idea. Even if he doesn't want to agree, he'll have no choice!"

The next morning, Carter's efficiency was incredible. He quickly delved into Monica and Sadie's assets, uncovering everything they owned before Monica even had the chance to hide anything. All of Monica's luxury handbags were stored in Sadie's mansion overseas. And in just one night, everything—every last item—was cleaned out. There were hundreds of limited-edition designer bags worth millions, and the jewelry? There were so many pieces it was impossible to count. Over the years, she'd managed to siphon plenty of valuable things from Bill. We also uncovered all of Monica's account balances.

"Aunt Monica, transfer it now. If you keep stalling, your daughter won't be coming out."

Her face looked completely drained, haggard even. In the end, for Sadie's sake, she had no choice but to do as I said. But she gritted her teeth and completed every single one of my demands. She wasn't stupid—she knew that as long as Sadie was safe, she could make a comeback.

Unfortunately for her, that little dream of hers was about to shatter, and what came next would be the true start of her nightmare.

"Zoey, I've done everything you asked. Please, save Sadie now."

"Don't worry. Your daughter will be out within 24 hours. But the villa you're staying in right now? It's under my dad's name. You'll need to pack your things and move out."

Monica froze. "Zoey, I've already transferred all my savings to you. Now I don't even have a place to stay. It's freezing outside—are you trying to kill me?"

I casually sent her 20,000 bucks. "Whether you stay here and rent or go back to your home country, it's up to you. But just so you know, the things you have back there aren't yours anymore either. Even if you go back, you won't get anything out of it. Aunt Monica, I heard that 20 years ago, you were just a nightclub dancer living in a rundown village with no real home to your name. All I'm doing is sending you back to where you started. You always brag about how your love for my dad is 'true love.' Well, I'm curious—without money, just how long will your love last?"

Monica immediately started crying. Clutching Bill's hand, she sobbed, "I can handle hardship, but Sadie—she's your daughter! She grew up pampered and spoiled—how could you bear to let her live in a rental?"

Before Bill could say anything, I cut in coldly, "Didn't you say you wanted to make it up to me and my mom? Then you need to cut ties with this mother and daughter completely. Don't forget, Sadie once drove me to the brink of death. This woman ruined my mother's happiness. Back then, my mom was ready to settle down and live peacefully with you. But Monica—she—was the one who deliberately leaked your intimate photos and her pregnancy news to provoke my mom. Otherwise, you and my mom would have already been living the life you wanted. How else would you have wasted the last 20 years?"

My words seemed to trigger something in Bill's memory. He had been happy with my mom back then. He was so thrilled at one point that he even gave her five percent of his shares. But later, my mom suddenly turned cold toward him. And now, he finally realized it was all Monica's doing.

"It was you!" Bill roared.

"Honey, I didn't mean to—" Monica stammered.

Smack!

Bill raised his hand and slapped Monica hard across the face. I couldn't help but hold my breath in shock. What if he dislodged one of the implants in her face? That would have been a terrifying sight.

I stepped in to stop him. "Dad, things have come to this point. You can't have it both ways anymore. You have to choose—it's either them or us."

I paused for a moment before adding, "Of course, if you choose them, I'll understand. My mom and I won't blame you. After all, you've spent 20 years with them. But as the price, I hope you'll divorce my mom immediately and set her free."

The moment Bill heard the word "divorce," he didn't even hesitate before giving his answer. "Philippa is my rightful wife. I wronged you and your mom in the past, but this time, I'll never let you go again."

As expected, Bill's heart still belonged to my mom. Last night, I knew he wouldn't agree to the condition I mentioned. But it didn't matter. There was no rush. He hadn't realized he'd already fallen into the trap set for him. This was exactly the answer I'd been waiting for.

Dad, a real man stands by his choices. Since you've chosen us, just know that my mom and I won't tolerate even a single grain of sand in our eyes. If you ever secretly help them behind our backs, then you better stick to the agreement and divorce my mom. Sadie was his biological daughter—there isn't a father in the world who can completely turn a blind eye to their own child. I was forcing him into a corner. No matter which path he chose, he'd lose.

All I needed now was an irrefutable excuse—a proper reason that would leave him speechless and make the divorce inevitable. In a situation like this, he'd have no choice but to agree. After all, where in the world does someone get to eat from one plate while staring at another?

I wasn't Zoey from before—I wasn't weak like that. Sooner or later, this love triangle was going to end. And divorce? That was only a matter of time.

After a full day of interrogation, Sadie was on the verge of a breakdown. When she finally came out, it was clear she wasn't in a good state—she looked like she was about to snap. I sat in the car, waiting to take her back home. On the surface, I was playing the role of the "concerned sister." But truthfully, I was just there to watch the show.

As expected, she and Monica immediately broke down, hugging each other and sobbing uncontrollably. Wow. Look at that. What a touching display of mother-daughter love. But I couldn't help wondering—what would her reaction be when she found out that during the one day she'd been locked up, their entire home had been cleaned out? Oof, just the thought of it made me excited. This was going to be good.