Chapter 240: You’re Bad, but I Like It

I didn't need to second-guess Carter's statement; I quickly responded, "Yes!" We drove a different route to avoid Monica. My excitement was barely contained, my hands trembling. "Come on, tell me everything! Does she have a secret lover?" For the first time, I understood why older people enjoyed gossip. I couldn't resist.

Carter gently rubbed my nose. "You're eager, aren't you?"

"You don't get it. Gossip is in every woman's nature! Come on, spill the details," I said, impatiently shaking his arm.

"After I figured out you were Chloe, I had someone investigate the Gardners, including Monica. And I found something interesting."

"So, who is her secret lover?"

Carter answered casually, "Everyone has a forbidden love, maybe even their true love. Monica, for example, is in love with someone. She started dancing at a nightclub for him."

I covered my face, unable to imagine the seemingly plastic and artificial Monica falling in love. To me, she seemed like the type to scam men out of their money and exploit others for her gain. It didn't match her personality at all.

"He's her neighbor. They grew up together. Back then, she wasn't doing well in school because her family was struggling. She used to go to the nightclub to support him while also looking for another man to secure her future."

"So, is that when she met the unlucky Bill?"

"Exactly. Monica's clever. At first, Bill just asked her to keep him company, but she wasn't about to let him slip away. She set a trap and used a play to bind him to her. Then, once she had a child, she managed to move up."

"Does she still see her secret lover?"

Carter smiled. "If there's no contact, how could he be a secret lover? Monica took advantage of the child. When Bill and your mother were in a cold war, she took money from him and started a company for her secret lover. Now, he's not a billionaire, but he runs a listed company. Not as rich as the Gardners, but not bad."

"Sounds like Nicholas's situation."

"No, Mr. Soto is someone I respect. He built his career from nothing and has always stayed true to his values. But Monica's secret lover is different. He got ahead by taking advantage of women. Soon after he started his company, he married a woman whose family ran a steel business, and that marriage boosted his career."

"Now he has three sons and two daughters with his legal wife, but he hasn't cut ties with Monica. I think he's using her to keep benefiting from the Gardners. When Sadie and Monica find themselves in trouble, I'm sure he'll step in to help them."

A daring thought crossed my mind. "Could it be that Sadie isn't Bill's daughter? Maybe she's the secret lover's child?" Sadie did look more like Monica than Bill. It wasn't a big deal; just like Zoey, who resembled Philippa more than Bill, it could happen. I couldn't help but wonder, especially given Monica's past.

Carter, always cautious, replied, "It's hard to say. We could do a paternity test."

I was thrilled at the thought. Bill had been kind to this daughter for years. If it turned out he wasn't her father, I could imagine how furious he'd be—and that thought alone was satisfying.

Carter asked, "If we find out she's not Bill's, will you tell him?"

"Not right away. We can keep the best cards for last. After all the trouble he's caused Zoey with a fake daughter pretending to be the heiress, I'm not just going to tell him."

"So, what's the plan?"

"Next, Monica and Sadie will try something. After today, it's clear Bill is worried about them, so I'll use that to my advantage. I'll make Monica behave badly, push him to his limits, and get him to divorce Mom."

"After that, I'll drop the bombshell. Does he think he can have everything? I'll make him regret ever thinking that!"

I clenched my fists, continuing, "These selfish people think they can get away without consequences. They keep stepping all over good people. But I'll show them what it feels like to fall from grace!"

Carter held me tightly around the waist and spoke softly, "I'll always be with you."

"Thank you, Carter."

The car stopped, and I saw Monica getting out of a taxi, limping and looking nervous. About ten minutes later, a middle-aged man appeared. Honestly, I had imagined someone more like Bill, Nicholas, or at least a handsome guy like Adam—the type of man Monica supposedly loved forever. But this man had a large belly and a typical middle-aged build. If it weren't for his fancy clothes, he would have seemed like any other average man. Monica, on the other hand, still looked great, thanks to technology. She looked better than him.

When she spotted him, she hurried over, but he barely concealed the disdain in his shrewd eyes. I quickly grabbed my phone and snapped a photo of Monica kissing him. He pulled away, and they both got into a black car. Before the car door shut, Monica sat on his lap, and they began kissing again. It was just in time for the door to close, and I almost felt disgusted by their middle-aged affection.

I was happy with the photos. "If Bill knew he lost Mom because of this woman, how regretful do you think he'd be? Too bad it was just a kiss, though. If I had gotten more, I could have made him feel it."

Seeing I wasn't particularly interested anymore, Carter suggested, "Well, the hotel he's staying at is under my management. We could set up a hidden camera if you want to watch a live show."

My eyes lit up. "Wow, Carter, you're like Superman! You can do anything!" But then I thought about how illegal and unethical it would be and sighed.

"Forget it. Since it's your hotel, it could hurt its reputation if this got out."

He gently tapped my forehead. "Silly girl, who do you think would expose it? I won't do anything that harms us."

"But it still feels wrong."

"In business, it's all about profit, not ethics. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything. You'll get to see a good show."

I grinned. "Alright, I'll prepare the perfect 'divorce gift' for Bill." I thought about how Mom and Nicholas had been apart for twenty years—Bill should spend the rest of his life regretting it.

Carter wasted no time. He took me to his private suite, set up the cameras, and I quickly turned on the TV. To my surprise, there wasn't just one camera—he had set up multiple angles, leaving no blind spots. The whole scene was captured, from the moment they entered to the start of their undressing and kissing.

Carter said calmly, "I'll get a good editor to cut it down and give Bill a surprise he won't forget."

I kissed him on the lips, wrapping my arm around his neck. "Carter, you're so bad!"

"Chloe, I…" He seemed flustered, like he wanted to say something.

But I kissed him again, cutting him off. "But I like it!"

Chapter 241: Killing Bill, Then the Gardners Are Ours