Chapter 80: The Downfall of the Devs

“Eat with me,” Julian said, which really meant he hadn’t eaten yet.

He’d rushed back just for breakfast with her.

Cora nodded.

“I’ll clean up first. Don’t go anywhere.” He released her hand and headed to his room without sparing Laura a single glance.

Laura stood frozen. Every time she saw Julian, she thought he was perfect. And yet this perfect man only had eyes for Cora.

Austin quietly stepped forward. “Apologies, Miss Dev. Mr. and Mrs. Watson have business to discuss. If Mrs. Watson wants to see you, I’ll let you know.”

Laura opened her mouth to protest, but one warning look from Austin sent her packing. She grabbed her suitcase, clutching the money Cora had given her, and left in shame.

By the time Julian came out of the washroom, breakfast was already laid out—hot, fresh, and immaculate.

He sat beside Cora, elegant even in hunger.

“You’re not eating?” he asked.

“I already did,” she replied quietly. “You didn’t say you hadn’t, or I would’ve waited.”

Julian’s lips curved in amusement. “I wanted to surprise you.”

Surprise? More like a heart attack. He’d practically stormed in and grabbed her the second he arrived—she almost hit him before realizing who it was.

Trying to change the subject, Cora said, “Eat and rest. You must be exhausted.”

“Alright.” He glanced toward the closed bedroom door. “Where’s your mom?”

Cora sighed. “Probably still upset. I’ll talk to her.”

Julian only nodded. He didn’t need to ask; he could guess.

After breakfast, he went to rest while Cora called Austin over.

“Where’s Laura staying?”

“In a small inn across the main road,” Austin said quietly. “Not a good place for you to go, Mrs. Watson. If you plan to see her, I’ll arrange somewhere safer.”

Cora nodded. “Set it up at a nearby café. And… don’t wake Julian.”

Austin hesitated. Anyone else might’ve misunderstood that line—thinking she was being considerate toward her husband, not hiding it from him.

By the time Austin had contacted Laura, Cora was already dressed and ready.

“There’s a quiet café two blocks down,” Austin reported. “For safety, I’ll bring two men.”

Cora hesitated, then agreed. With the baby, she couldn’t risk anything—especially with Laura’s temper.

When Laura heard Cora wanted to meet, her nerves and hope tangled together. With her home in chaos—her mother gone, her father gambling again, and her grandmother pretending to be dead—Cora was her only lifeline.

Cora’s arrival stunned her. Even with two guards in tow, she was effortlessly composed. Laura suddenly looked small, fragile.

“Sit,” Cora said, placing her purse on the table. “Start talking.”

Laura’s eyes darted away. “The twenty thousand… Grandma kept half. The down payment for the house was only ten. She said the rest was compensation—for what happened after the Watson proposal. Said it was to make up for what I lost.”

Cora’s expression didn’t change. That sounded exactly like Ravi.

Laura continued, voice trembling. “But yesterday some men came with Gary’s signed statement. They said if I didn’t give up the house, they’d sell me instead. My mom found out he gambled everything away—she left him. Grandma and I got thrown out. The new owner took everything.”

Cora’s jaw tightened. Julian. It had his precision written all over it.

“Now Grandma’s living with my uncle, and they’re fighting over the last ten thousand,” Laura said. “Cora, I know I was wrong. Please, help me. If Gary keeps gambling, I’m next!”

Cora’s heart twisted—but only for a second. “I can’t help you,” she said flatly. “I’m going back to Lindon soon.”

“Then take me with you!” Laura blurted, desperate.

Cora’s smile was cold. “This—” she gestured between them—“is where it ends.” She pulled an envelope from her purse and slid it across the table. “There’s ten thousand inside. After this, don’t come looking for me again. I’m not your savior, and I won’t clean up Dev family messes. Think of it as interest on all the hand-me-downs you gave me as a kid. If you have any conscience left, take care of Grandma.”

Laura’s face flushed. Every word hit home. The image of Cora in her old, discarded clothes flashed through her mind—and for once, she had nothing to say.

Still, she took the money. Hunger beat pride every time.

“Thank you… sister,” she mumbled.

“Don’t thank me. And don’t wait for Gary to change. He won’t.”

With that, Cora left. She’d done more than enough.

When she reached the complex, raised voices drew her attention to the next building. A small crowd had gathered.

“What’s going on?” she asked a woman nearby.

“Oh, you don’t know?” the neighbor said eagerly. “The old lady moved in with her son, but the new wife isn’t having it. They’re fighting—screaming bloody murder! The husband told his mother if she hurt his wife or their baby, he’d cut her off completely!”

From inside came Ravi’s shrill wailing.

Cora couldn’t help the small, dark laugh that escaped her. Poetic justice.

She used to think her grandmother’s cruelty was unshakable, but now someone else had finally put her in her place.

Evil meets its match.

Still, as she listened to the chaos, a faint melancholy stirred. They were family—once.

A soft weight settled over her shoulders. She turned and found Julian standing behind her, his eyes calm, his hand still holding the coat he’d just draped around her.

“I’ve been waiting,” he said mildly. “You enjoy eavesdropping this much?”

Her cheeks burned.

Something about him felt different since he’d come back—warmer maybe, or quieter—but she couldn’t quite name it.