Chapter 585 The Rotten Core

Three seconds later, Paul’s voice rang out, full of pride. “I’ve already wired the full 100 billion to your old account! You can verify the assets now!”

Sure enough, Yunice received the notification.

Still, she stayed composed. “To avoid any future legal issues, I still have to ask–Mr. Paul, can you confirm that these funds came from a legitimate source?”

Paul sounded annoyed. “I’ve already wired the money–what more do you want? Isn’t it all about money in the end? Who cares where it comes from?”

“If you’re unwilling to disclose the source,” Yunice replied calmly, “I’ll have the funds returned immediately.”

Paul was practically fuming.

He knew he was being strung along like a donkey chasing a carrot–but he couldn’t help it. His hunger for power, wealth, and recognition was too strong.

He was desperate to convert potential into real authority. If he could rise quickly through the Powell ranks, he could finally crush those illegitimate brats Jensen had hidden away.

So he caved. “I mortgaged the Powell Corporation’s assets at the bank. I’m the sole heir, the company will be mine eventually. I just took early control, that’s all. Nothing wrong with that, right?”

Yunice’s lips curved. “Then congratulations, Mr. Paul. May you soar to the heights of power, with the world bowing at your feet.”

Paul’s breath quickened with excitement. He could already picture himself towering over everyone who had ever looked down on him.

Yunice ended the call and raised an eyebrow. Still the same delusional fool.

She glanced at the massive sum now sitting in a cross-border virtual account. With Kingsley’s help, the money had been washed clean multiple times overseas. No trail. No trace. No return.

If the Powell family ever finds out they raised such a moron, I wonder how they’ll react.

She quickly unlinked the phone number used for Paul’s contact, wiping all traces.

Then she called Taylor. “Ms. Taylor, did you carry out the plan I mentioned?”

“All done,” Taylor replied. “I conjured it out of thin air–leveraged eight hundred million from the bank. Now my identity is officially deep in debt.”

“You’re not divorced yet,” Yunice reminded her. “Which means Paul shares the liability. It’s community debt.”

But even with that, once the Powell family collapses, Paul’s losses will still outweigh Taylor’s. She’ll end up holding the short end of the stick.

Luckily, Yunice had already thought of a contingency.

Unaware of Paul’s impending downfall, Taylor grumbled, “Paul still won’t agree to the divorce, and the court won’t force it through. That’s why I had to resort to this self-preservation play.”

She sighed bitterly. “If I’d just listened to you back then, I never would’ve married into the Powell family. I should’ve gone for Wyatt instead.”

Realizing what she’d just said, she immediately covered her mouth. “Yunice! That was a joke, okay? Please, don’t be mad!”

Yunice sighed. Taylor really never learns.

“Marriage isn’t a game.”

Taylor picked up on the edge in her voice. “You really think marriage is a trap?”

A lot of Taylor’s girlfriends had told her the same thing–get married and your life goes downhill.

She went quiet, then spoke softly. “When my dad passed, I resented myself. I hated that I needed a man. I swore I’d never trust one again. But my mom told me the problem wasn’t marriage–it was the person. Was it Paul who made you give up on love?”

There was a long pause.

Then Yunice replied quietly, “I’ve never really seen a happy marriage.”

Not between her mother and father. Not in three generations of the Powell family. Not even Wyatt and Nora. It seemed like love only ever led to pain.

In the end, it always crumbled.

Sometimes, she thought Mr. Carl was the wise one. Maybe he had feelings for Freya. But he never acknowledged them–so there was no betrayal, no heartbreak. Their silence preserved what little they had.

“Not all marriages are doomed,” Taylor argued. “My parents were proof. My mom still honors everything my dad left behind. They showed me what lasting love looks like. Just because we took the wrong ride once doesn’t mean we give up on life. Especially you–your family treats you terribly, and you’ve got no one to lean on. Don’t you get lonely?”

Yunice smiled. “Got it. Thanks.”

She didn’t argue. Taylor wasn’t wrong.

But different people live different lives.

Taylor had seen the light.

Yunice never had.