Oliver's voice edged toward anger when Sophia smoothly intervened, calming the conversation.

"Elizabeth, there's no need for aggression. We're still family. I understand this apartment is your mother's only legacy, and I have no intention of taking it from you. But," Sophia paused, "we have a proposition that could benefit us both. If you accept, your father will relinquish his inheritance rights, and the apartment will be solely yours."

Sophia's cunning was no secret to Elizabeth. Always a master manipulator, she masked her sharp intellect with a facade of benevolent stepmotherly concern, regardless of Elizabeth's response.

With a skeptical frown, Elizabeth asked, "And what exactly is this proposition?"

Elizabeth's lack of immediate dismissal emboldened Sophia, who pressed on with urgency. "Do you remember Nate Crawford? Your ex-fiancé? Married or not, he still loves you. Now that you're considering a divorce from Elijah, perhaps reconsidering Nate isn't such a bad idea?"

This revealed their true motive—the pursuit of long-abandoned ambitions. Defiance surged through Elizabeth, tightening her grip on her phone. Her tone frosted. "Forget it. We're in a modern society; you can't treat me like a commodity!"

Snatching the phone, Oliver's voice dripped with menace. "If you reject Nate and refuse to settle the debt, I'll sell the apartment to a salvage firm for conversion into a storage facility!"

Any familial bond between them seemed dissolved, replaced by bitter animosity.

Elizabeth slid down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest, her body a protective shield. The apartment was a sanctuary, holding precious memories of Danna. Despite its dilapidated state, it was a piece of her past she desperately clung to.

Gathering her composure, Elizabeth replied, "I'll have my attorney review your offer to ensure fairness, and I'll pay what's reasonable. If that's unsatisfactory, feel free to pursue legal action. As for everything else, consider it forgotten. I refuse to let the three of you leverage my life for your gain!"

She ended the call abruptly. Sophia and Oliver exchanged bewildered glances. Oliver, clearly taken aback, thoughtfully sipped his lemonade, his brow furrowed.

"Is she bluffing? She once said she'd walk away from the marriage empty-handed. Where's this sudden money coming from? And even if she can pay, what do we tell the Crawfords?"

Sophia, settling beside him, sighed in exasperation. "You lack patience, Oliver. It doesn't matter where her money comes from—if she has it, it will end up in our pockets one way or another. If she doesn't, she's trapped, exactly where we want her. Besides, money doesn't last forever. She'll face more expenses soon enough."