Chapter 239
That evening, after finishing her work, Lucinda brought several boxes of nutritional supplements and personally drove to the nursing home.
Inside the VIP premium ward, Cleo sat propped against the headboard, staring blankly at the night beyond the window.
"Grandmother."
A cool voice rang out from the doorway.
Cleo was leaning against the headboard reading, reading glasses perched on her nose. Hearing the door, she looked up. "Cindy's here?"
Lucinda walked in, placed the supplements on the nightstand, and bent down to check Cleo's complexion.
With just one glance, she could clearly sense that her grandmother's mood was extremely low today.
"Grandmother, did something upset you today?" Lucinda peeled an orange and handed it over, asking gently.
Cleo forced a weak smile. "No... nothing. I'm just old. I've been a bit drowsy today. Not feeling great."
The old woman didn't want to say more—she was afraid of worrying her.
A dark glint flickered deep in Lucinda's cool eyes, though her expression remained calm.
She spent some time chatting with Cleo, telling her about what had happened at the club a few days ago. She embellished the story of Hestia tearing her own dress with dramatic flair.
Her tone was casual, like a young girl telling a joke.
Cleo laughed several times, the lines at the corners of her eyes smoothing out.
"That girl's a confused one." Cleo shook her head. "You were smart not to get involved."
Seeing her granddaughter trying so hard to cheer her up, the tightness in Cleo's chest gradually eased.
She stroked Lucinda's hair affectionately. "You silly girl. You always know how to make me happy."
Seeing the old woman finally smile, the tension in Lucinda's heart loosened slightly.
Night deepened. Lucinda helped her grandmother wash up and settle in for bed.
Only when the steady sound of the old woman's breathing filled the room did Lucinda slowly stand, tucking the blanket around her grandmother before turning to leave.
The moment the door closed behind her, the warmth on Lucinda's face froze over instantly.
She walked briskly in her heels, heading straight for the director's office.
The office door was pushed open abruptly.
Martin, who'd been reviewing accounts, jerked his head up. Meeting Lucinda's gaze, he immediately stood. "Boss, what brings you here?"
"Who came by during the day?" Lucinda narrowed her eyes, her voice laced with pressure.
Martin swallowed hard, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He didn't dare hide anything and immediately recounted what had happened with Preston and Gemma.
The air in the office seemed to drop to freezing in an instant.
A fierce storm churned in Lucinda's eyes.
They'd actually dared to come here!
"Boss, it's all our fault for failing to protect—" Martin's legs went weak with fear.
"Strengthen security." Lucinda cut him off coldly. "Raise the security level here to maximum. From now on, not even a fly belonging to the Wipere family is allowed inside this nursing home! And never let them disturb my grandmother again!"
"Yes! Yes! I'll handle it immediately!" Martin nodded repeatedly.
"Also..." Lucinda paused. "Check on that lawyer's son. If he really is being held by the Wipere family, call the police. Hire a lawyer if needed. He was working for my grandmother. I won't let anyone bully him."
"Understood."
Outside the nursing home, Lucinda stood on the steps, fists clenched tightly.
The Wipere family had oppressed her grandmother again and again. She absolutely could not let this slide.
If the lesson she'd given them wasn't enough—
Then she'd give them an even stronger dose!
At that thought, Lucinda pulled out her phone and dialed one of her subordinates. "Look into what the Wipere family's been up to lately. Living room, study—anywhere there's sound. I want to know what they're saying."
The person on the other end acknowledged and hung up efficiently.
Three days later, a recording was sent to Lucinda's phone.
She leaned back in her office chair, put on her earphones, and pressed play.
In the Wipere Villa's living room, Gemma's voice was shrill and sharp.
"A summons? What summons?"
"From the court."
Preston's voice was muffled, carrying a tone of extreme irritation. "That loan we took out came due. The bank sued us. And the suppliers filed lawsuits too. Altogether..."
He sighed, his voice unbearably frustrated. "Altogether, it's about seventy million dollars."
"Seventy million?" Gemma's voice nearly blew the roof off. "Where are we supposed to get seventy million?"
"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Preston's voice dropped even lower. "We can sell off some of the shares we have left. Scrape together what we can and get over this hurdle."
Gemma gasped several times before immediately rejecting the idea. "Sell shares? That's the foundation of our family! If you sell them, how are we supposed to recover later?"
"What else can we do? Tell me—what else?"
"Go to Lucinda!"
The living room fell silent for a moment.
"She's loaded. Even a little bit from her would be enough to pay off our debts." Gemma's voice came fast and urgent. "We raised her! How can she just stand by and watch us die? We'll beg her, and if she doesn't agree, we'll—"
"We'll what?" Preston's voice suddenly turned cold. "What? You want to go after her grandmother again? Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough last time?"
Gemma was left speechless for a long while.
After some time, her voice came again. "Fine. Sell the shares first. Pay off the debts. Once we get through this..."
She paused, her voice rising with teeth-grinding hatred. "Once we get through this, we'll settle accounts with her slowly. She owes the Wipere family. She won't get away with a single cent. I'm her adoptive mother. This debt—she'll pay it back sooner or later."
The recording ended there.
Lucinda removed her earphones and placed her phone on the desk.
She leaned back in her chair, a cold smile tugging at her lips.
They wanted her to pay them back?
They thought they could sell shares and get through this?
Dream on.
A cold gleam flashed in Lucinda's icy eyes.
Without hesitation, she dialed the public relations department at the Douglas Group.
"Spread a message for me. Say that the Wipere Group's capital chain has broken and they're about to file for bankruptcy liquidation. The more detailed, the better. The faster, the better."
The person on the other end acknowledged.
Within two days, overwhelming negative news surrounded the Wipere family's doorstep.
Financial media, industry forums, even local tabloids ran headlines like "The Wipere Group in Crisis."
The Wipere Group's stock price plummeted like a stone.
Preston woke up, saw the market data, and went pale.
He didn't have time to think. He hurriedly contacted several potential buyers interested in purchasing shares.
But they either demanded ridiculously low prices or outright refused.
Just as his anxiety was making his mouth break out in sores, a phone call came in.
"Mr. Wipere? This is Tamsin Boleyn. From the Boleyn family in the south district."
Preston froze.
He knew the Boleyn family, of course. They were among the top families in Starlight City.
Though they couldn't compare to the Douglas family's level, their strength was absolutely not to be underestimated.
"Ms. Boleyn? You're calling me because...?"
"I heard you're selling shares?" Tamsin's voice was unhurried. "I happen to have some spare cash on hand. If you're interested, we could discuss it."
Preston's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the phone.
He suppressed his voice, exchanged a few words, and arranged to meet the next day. After hanging up, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.