Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Ever since Sophia's sentencing and Betty's public humiliation by Javier in the court corridor, Betty felt as if she had lost her status in the family. Javier had lost any remaining affection for her.

Betty had been living her life relying on Sophia and enjoying the wealth from corruption. To her, money was nothing.

However, things were different now that Sophia had met her downfall. Sophia's private assets were frozen for investigation. Unfortunately, Betty had saved all her wealth under Sophia's account, so she had nothing to her nnow.

Apart from two properties given to her by Javier, two luxury cars, and three million dollars in her personal bank account, she had nothing left.

Betty, used to an extravagant and debauched life, could not accept the feeling of poverty. Javier would notice if she sold off the cars and properties for money. What could she do with a mere three million dollars? Even her tips to the male hosts were worth more than that! After two days of racking her brains, she suddenly thought of the safe by Sophia's bedside. The halcyon gemstones probably had not been confiscated by the authorities. If sold, they would be worth at least 100 million dollars.

At that thought, Betty scrambled to Sophia's bedroom and reached for the bedside safe. She carried the safe over to the table and cast a greedy look at the password lock.

After ten or so attempts, her fingers went numb. She had tried all possible combinations of meaningful numbers to the Beckett family and Sophia, but she failed to unlock the safe.

"Fuck! Why would she set a complicated password? It's not like she could take the gemstones to the grave!" She jumped in anger and rushed to get a big hammer.

When she re-entered Sophia's room with the hammer, i stunned by the scene that greeted her. Jasper and Landon were in the room.

"W-Why are you here?" Trembling, she took a step backward.

She had always felt excited when she met Landon. However, she had nothing but fear for Landon now.

Jasper sat straight on the couch with a frosty look on his face. He didn't bother to look at Betty at all.

"I'm here to take what belongs to Lauren." Landon leaned against the table with a mocking look in his eyes. He patted the safe and explained, "And what belongs to Lauren is contained in this safe." Betty's eyes wavered in shock. Her voice turned shrill. "W-What nonsense is that? Nothing here belongs to her! Do not touch that safe. My mom left it to me!" Landon arched his brow in amusement. As stubborn as always, he suddenly slapped hard on the safe three times.

Argh! Stop slamming it!" Betty stomped anxiously, worried that the gemstones might break.

Jasper cast a speechless look at his childish friend. Sometimes, he found it hard to believe that Landon was the future patriarch of the Harper family. He could only hope that Landon wouldn't lead the Harper Group to its demise.

"This is my home, and this is my mom's room! The safe contains the inheritance she left behind for me. D-Don't you ever dream of taking them from me!" She glowered at the two guys and started yelling in frustration.

Soon, she watched in shock as Landon keyed in the four-digit password and opened the safe with ease. She gaped at him in disbelief. "How... How did you get the password? Even | don't have it!" "| told you the things in this safe don't belong to you. Sophia left it to Lauren." He cocked his head and grinned evilly at her. "If you want the stuff in the safe, maybe make a final visit to your mom and talk her into doing that.

She might end up leaving svaluables for you.

"Act fast, though. She's not going to be around for long." Betty nearly fainted from the resentment. Did Sophia share the safe's password with Lauren, and was Landon here to get the stuff on Lauren's behalf? She thought, "Lauren, you dumb bitch. You're pretty clear-minded at important moments like these, aren't you?" Jasper spoke, "There's a lot of stuff in the safe. Shall | tell Barry to get you a box?" "It's fine. | brought one myself." Landon took out a foldable bag from his pants pocket. In a clean move, he swept the expensive gemstones into the bag.

Jasper's eyebrows twitched in surprise. Landon looked exactly like a robber.

After the two left, Betty stood frozen in the room with a hammer in hand. She stared at the empty safe, feeling as though someone had hit her in the head.

A long silence later, she finally burst out crying.

Her phone rang at the moment. She wiped away the tears and snot on her face and squinted her swollen eyes at the screen.

The caller was someone she hadn't heard from in a long time.

Her chest tightened. She answered the call and carefully pressed her phone against her ear. "Hello?" "You sound awful. Are you crying at your mom's funeral or what?" Zoe drawled with a hint of glee. Betty clenched her teeth and snapped, "Zoe Harper, you're still as foul-mouthed as before!" "Do you miss me? It's been a while since we met." "Hah! Quit the nonsense. Aren't you spending the rest of your life in Yoarkley now? You're barred from returning to Solana City." "Who said so? Landon Harper might think he could tieup and sendaway like a criminal. He's abandoned his sister over a dimwit, but I will never let this slide." Zoe sounded bitter and hostile.