Chapter 29 A rare flicker of awkwardness crossed Michael's face. He pressed his lips together. "How much is the bill?" The restaurant manager was a little surprised Michael had been a regular here for years and never once asked about the price-he'd always just swiped his card without hesitation. Something was definitely off today. The manager replied, "26 thousand dollars." Michael winced inwardly. He brought Melanie here every few days. That meant he was spending around 100 to 130 thousand dollars a month at this place alone. It had never felt like a big deal before. But now … He raised a hand. "Give me a moment The manager nodded and quietly stepped away. Rose blinked up at him with wide eyes. "Daddy, how come your account doesn't have enough money? You don't even have 26 thousand dollars?" Melanie quickly covered her mouth. She got it instantly. Tristan must've frozen Michael's accounts to force them to break up. What she didn't understand was why. Just a few days ago, he'd seemed to like her-he even asked when they were planning to get married… Then out of nowhere, Chloe showed up, and everything flipped upside down before she had a chance to react. She had the money-more than enough. After her divorce, she'd gotten over 700 thousand dollars in compensation. She'd saved every bit she made in the years since. Plus, Michael often gave her luxury gifts she didn't care for, so she'd just sell them. Honestly, she wasn't hurting for cash But footing the bill on a date? That just didn't feel right . So , she said nothing. Michael opened his contacts and sent out a loan request. His friend responded, baffled: You just borrowed over 70 thousand dollars a couple days ago, and now you want 20 thousand dollars more? What's going on are the Rhodes family going bankrupt?] Michael didn't bother explaining. After a moment's pause, he typed: (Just send me 200 thousand dollars.) A second later, his account pinged 1300 thousand dollars received] He paid the bill without missing a beat. "I knew it There's no way Daddy couldn't afford dinner, kose giggles "Mommy said Daddy's the richest man in the world. That means I'm gonna be the richest little princess!" Michael frowned almost imperceptibly 1/3 104PM P P · Chapter 29 He thought , "Melanie has been talking about money in front of Rose?" Melanie noticed the shift in his mood and was thinking of how to smooth things over when her phone buzzed. It was a call from an unfamiliar number. She answered it without much thought. "Are you a relative of Gilberto? He's been detained for illegally profiting from his position. Please come to the station to assist with the investigation. Meanwhile, Chloe was already seated at the Rhodes family's dining table. Octmond Villa had eight chefs on staff-each one a specialist in a different cuisine . Every meal was unique, never repeating a dish. Callum, who rarely ate at home, was being especially well-behaved. He even served Chloe some food. After dinner, he rubbed his hands together and turned to Tristan. " Grandpa, I've been so attentive to Great-Grandma today. Don't you think I deserve a little reward?" Tristan turned his pockets inside out. And what exactly do you think I can give you?" Callum looked | I like he was about to cry. He used to just grab something quick after school and head to the club without a care. But today, he realized-even that wasn't an option anymore. His credit cards were maxed out, and his account balance was a pathetic 2 dollars. It was downright tragic. Then he turned around- And saw Michael walk in He ran over immediately, looking pitiful. "Michael, I'm broke. Can you spot me some spending money?" "I'm broke too." Michael pulled out his empty wallet. "Every bank card, credit card, and account I had has been frozen." Callum was speechless. He thought, "Wow. Michael's down bad too?" Suddenly, Callum didn't feel so sorry for himself anymore. Michael strode into the main hall, his lips drawn tight. "Cordon is Melanie's younger brother. He's only been with the company for six months and is still in training . A few slip- ups are to be expected. I don't think this needs to escalate to the police ." Chloe spread her hands. "We couldn't reach you. Couldn't reach Gordon either . What else were we supposed to do? Let the police handle it." She smiled slightly. "According to the books , he embezzled 160 thousand dollars over the past six months. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?" Michael's jaw clenched To him , 160 thousand dollars wasn't exactly a big deal-he easily spent more than that on dining every month. If it had been a regular employer, he'd have followed company protocol without hesitation. Bin Melanie was an orphan Gordon was the only family she'd got left… "Gordon's not a bad guy. Callum chimed in. He even took me and my friends out drinking last month . He's generous. I don't think it's with calling the cops over. It's just 100 thousand dollars-the Rhodes family can cover it? "You You linle punk Tristan snapped, smacking Callum on the head with his cane. "You've clearly been living too easy if you think half 300 thousand dollars is pocket changer He turned on Michael, eyes blazing "And you! How did I raise such a soft-headed beig? That leech Gordon is bleeding Rhodes Group dry and you're standing up for hum You're going to be the death of me !" Chlor handed the old may glass of water. "Come on, it's not that serious. Don't get so worked up Chapter 29 Then she looked back at Michael. If Gordon can repay ten times the amount he stole within three days, Rhodes Group will withdraw the police report. Michael froze. Ten times meant 1.6 million dollars. Which meant he'd have to sell ll off onr "one of his supercars-fast. "To prevent you from using Rhodes family assets to cover for the Parsons family's mess, I'm afraid we'll be reclaiming everything under your name-properties, vehicles, collectibles, gold, luxury items . All of it." Chloe raised her voice. "Dominic, please handle the inventory and begin liquidation. You have two hours ." Whether the Parsons family ended up in prison or not didn't matter to her. All she wanted was for Michael to finally see the Parsons family for who they really were. He'd never be objective otherwise. Not with blood ties involved. Callum stood there , stunned. Michael-the future heir of Rhodes Group, the one everyone listened to, the guy Tristan always consulted on major decisions-was now worse off than him. Now that Chloe was back, even Michael had fallen from-grace. Might as well light a candle for him . "If this ever happens again… Tristan said coldly, "If you keep mixing personal feelings with business, I'll have no choice but to transfer you to a branch office for a few years of retraining Michael stood silently in the hall for a long time. He couldn't blame Chloe or Tristan-Gordon had clearly messed up. It was his fault for indulging him for so long, letting things spiral out of control . He pulled out his phone and called Nicolas. "Nicolas-" Nicolas cut him off. "I don't know what went down between you and Grandpa, but he made it very clear-I'm not to lend you a single cent. I'm guessing he told the other two brothers the same thing. Sorry, Michael." Michael's eyes darkened . Left with no other option, he called one of his friends "What the hell's going on over there?" the friend said as soon as he picked up. "Your grandpa called me late at night-told me straight up not to give you a dime. Said if I did, he'd cut all business ties with my company …" Just as he ended the call, another one came in. It was Melanie. Her voice was hourse from crying "Michael, what happened? Did Grandpa agree to withdraw the report?"