Chapter 164
The more Hayden thought about it, the more satisfied he became. Finally, he waved his hand decisively and boomed, "Stop standing around! Let's eat! No one's leaving today! Especially Lucinda! You have to eat more!"
As his words fell, the entire Lancaster family estate erupted into liveliness.
Meanwhile, Niamh looped her arm through Lucinda's and shot Reginald a smug look.
See that? Now my sister-in-law is mine too.
Reginald was silent.
He suddenly regretted finding his sister at all.
Night deepened. The Lancaster Estate was unusually lively. The massive dining table was laden with exquisite dishes.
Lucinda sat beside Reginald. She'd just forked a piece of fish into her bowl when Niamh immediately leaned over.
"Master, this one's delicious!"
"Master, have you lost weight recently?"
"Master, are you going to live at our house from now on?"
A barrage of questions came flying. Lucinda didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
As Niamh spoke, she kept piling food into Lucinda's bowl.
Before long, Lucinda's small bowl had become a mountain.
Reginald's temple twitched. "Niamh."
"What?"
"Let her eat by herself."
Niamh immediately looked at him warily. "What's wrong with me taking care of my master?"
"She's also my fiancée."
"She's also my master. And besides, she was my master first!"
Reginald was silent.
Beside them, Hayden was grinning from ear to ear.
In the past, these siblings would bicker the moment they saw each other. Now they were competing for Lucinda's attention. It was refreshingly entertaining.
"All right, all right." Hayden spoke cheerfully. "You two are still acting like children."
Niamh huffed, clinging to Lucinda's arm and refusing to let go. "Anyway, Master likes me the most."
Reginald let out a cold laugh. "Is that so?"
Niamh felt inexplicably guilty for a moment, but quickly puffed herself up again. "Of course!"
Laughter filled the dining room. The atmosphere was warmer than it had ever been.
Just then, Lucinda's phone on the table vibrated softly.
She glanced down. The caller ID showed Kenna.
Lucinda set down her utensils. "I need to take this call."
Hayden immediately waved her off. "Go ahead, go ahead."
Lucinda walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and pressed the answer button. "Speak."
A respectful voice came through the line. "Boss, all eight commercial properties owned by the Wipere family have been secured."
Lucinda's expression remained calm. "What was the price?"
"Fifty million USD total."
Even the voice on the other end carried a trace of disbelief. "The Wipere family is really desperate this time. After the Douglas family put out the word, no one dared take over. To scrape together the penalty fees, they practically gave them away."
"We got eight prime downtown commercial properties for fifty million. According to market value, they're worth at least three hundred million or more."
Lucinda's eyes flickered slightly. She wasn't surprised.
The Wipere family had reached the end of their rope. After offending the Douglas family, the entire circle was avoiding them.
Broken capital chain. Investors pulling out. Banks demanding repayment. Add to that the fifty-million-dollar penalty, and they couldn't hold on any longer.
"Have they all been transferred?"
"Already completed."
"Good." Lucinda spoke coolly. "Keep watching. If the Wipere family sells any more assets, buy them all."
The voice on the other end immediately acknowledged. "Yes."
She hung up and returned to the table as if nothing had happened, continuing to dine with the Lancaster family.
Meanwhile, at the Wipere Villa, the atmosphere had reached rock bottom.
The living room was in shambles. Teacups lay shattered on the floor. Preston slumped on the sofa, looking as if he'd aged ten years in an instant.
"It's over…" His voice trembled, his eyes filled with despair. "The Wipere family is really finished…"
Those eight commercial properties had been among the Wipere family's most valuable assets.
And now, they'd sold for only fifty million USD!
Fifty million! Not even a fraction of their market value!
Every time he thought about it, Preston's heart bled.
Gemma sat beside him, her face equally grim.
But more than despair, she felt resentment.
"This is all Lucinda's fault! If it weren't for her, we wouldn't be in this mess!"
Hearing that name, Preston's expression turned complicated. But he didn't refute it.
Because everything they were going through now really did have something to do with Lucinda.
Just then, Gemma suddenly thought of something. Her eyes lit up. "Wait!"
Preston looked up. "What?"
Gemma lowered her voice. "The person we've had watching the nursing home called today. Mother's condition has improved recently. She even ate two extra bowls of food."
At that, Preston perked up. "Really?"
"Really." Gemma nodded. But the next second, a calculating glint flashed in her eyes. "Since she's about to wake up, why don't we visit the nursing home tomorrow?"
Preston frowned. "And then?"
Gemma sneered. "And then we get her to transfer her shares to us."
The air suddenly went silent.
Preston whipped around to stare at her. "Have you lost your mind? That's her retirement fund!"
"Retirement?" Gemma sounded like she'd heard a joke. "She's lying in a nursing home every day. What retirement does she need?"
"Besides, I'm her biological daughter. Her things should go to me anyway. We're just taking them back a little early."
Preston's face darkened. "But that's still the old woman's property… And she said before that she wanted to leave those things to Lucinda."
At that mention, Gemma's face instantly turned stormy. "You dare bring up that ungrateful wretch? Mother was deceived by her! An outsider with no blood relation—why should she inherit my mother's assets?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. Her voice grew shrill. "I'm telling you! We absolutely cannot let those shares fall into her hands! Otherwise, we'll really have nothing left!"
Beside them, Allegra had been sitting quietly the whole time.
Only now did she gently redden her eyes. "Mom, it's all my fault… If only I could win Grandma's favor like Lucinda does. I'm the actual granddaughter, but Grandma always liked Lucinda more."
As she spoke, her eyes slowly brimmed with tears, looking utterly aggrieved.
Gemma's heart ached terribly. She immediately pulled her into her arms. "Silly child! How is any of this your fault? It's because Lucinda is too scheming! You're too kind—that's why she bullies you!"
Allegra lowered her head, a flash of triumph quickly crossing her eyes.
Sure enough, the next second, Gemma made up her mind completely. "We're going to the nursing home first thing tomorrow morning! No matter what, we have to get the money Mother's holding! We absolutely cannot let that bitch Lucinda benefit!"
The living room fell silent. Preston opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing.
For some reason, an ominous feeling suddenly rose in his heart.