Chapter 304
Overnight, the Gardner family met its downfall while going viral online. Netizens joked that
the family was a cautionary tale of law and order and should be given a lifetime
achievement award for their “service”.
Rosaline Kirkman had been arrested and sentenced for contract killing and abetting
murder, which did not warrant a death or life sentence, but she had to spend twenty years
or more behind bars.
As she was 50 years old at the time of sentencing, she should expect to spend the rest of
her life in
prison.
At the same time, Andrew Gardner suffered a stroke from the shock and was sent to the
ICU. As a result of delayed treatment due to the chaos at the event, he fell into a deep
coma from hypoxia and brain tissue damage.
“Ms. Gardner, please be mentally prepared. There is a high possibility that your father
might fall into a
vegetative state.”
Upon hearing Andrew’s prognosis from the doctor, Liana froze by the door. The colors
drained from her
face.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt
At that moment, the Gardner Group was crushed by debt. The manufacturers and debtors
had been
knocking on her door for days to demand payment, scaring her into staying at the hotel
instead of going
home.
She had emptied what little savings she had to hire an attorney for Rosaline and to pay for
Andrew’s
medical treatments. For the first time in life, she had a taste of poverty.
It never rained, but it poured. Two days later, the staff from Rose Emerson’s studio
reached out to her.
Liana had left her dress on the ground in a hurry to flee her birthday party. When she went
back to pick up
the dress, it was reduced to a stained rag covered with dirty footprints.
“What? Are you saying I need to pay back five times the price tag?”
She crumpled the compensation form and bellowed, “That’s 600 thousand dollars! How
dare you extort that amount for a fucking dress? Why don’t you rob a bank instead?”
“Is 600 thousand dollars too much for you?” Rose’s assistant chuckled teasingly.
The assistant continued, “Those who purchase our haute couture are wealthy and
influential. Six hundred thousand is nothing to them. We have customers who can afford
dresses worth millions.
“You shouldn’t have borrowed the dress from Ms. Emerson if the price tag was exorbitant
for you. Don’t
1/2
“You-You’re just a fucking assistant. Watch that mouth of yours! I’ll lodge a complaint!”
Liana’s
expression contorted in anger.
“Fine. Do as you wish, but please transfer the amount to the account stated on the
compensation form. If you miss the payment deadline, we will bring this to court and get a
court order.”
With that, Rose’s assistant gave Liana a disdainful stare and left.
Shaking in fear, Liana plopped on the chair and sobbed into her hands. Finally, she could
not take it anymore and cried out loud.
When she was tired from crying, she wiped away her tears and drove to Seaview Manor
alone.
Liana grasped onto her last hope-Sophia. She believed that Sophia was partly responsible
for her downfall and should lend a helping hand as an aunt.
The Becketts were having dinner in the dining hall. Newton’s condition was stable these
days and looked more healthy. Newton disliked his hospital stay, so he opted to recover at
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmCrescent Bay.
It was a rare occasion where everyone in the family was present, including Jasper.
However, the vibe at the dinner table was oppressive and depressing.
Sophia loved being lovey-dovey with Javier at mealtime on normal days, feeding each
other food.
Tonight, the couple ate dinner in silence. Javier looked glum while Sophia played with the
food on her
plate, seemingly losing her appetite.
In stark contrast to her parents’ moodiness, Betty had a voracious appetite and took a
second helping.
“You should eat less. Can’t you see you’re getting chubbier? It will be hard to marry you
off!” Sophia treated Betty like a punching bag to release her frustration about the Gardner
family.
“Tsk. What’s wrong with eating a little bit more? And what’s more, I am a Beckett. I don’t
have to worry
about my marriage prospects,” Betty grumbled.
Then, she scoffed and added, “Dad, Mom, stop looking so down. The situation might be
difficult for now,
but at least we found out the problem and nip it in the bud.”