Chapter 111
Chapter Title: Secrets Unraveled
“What’s the matter?” Tony asked, his tone flat, not even the slightest hint of curiosity in his voice. He was calm, almost detached, as if nothing could truly unsettle him anymore.
Elliot, unable to resist, leaned forward with a smug grin. “What else could it be? Old Master Hart nearly had a fit when he saw you and Myra together at Wilson Golf Club. That public display of affection really set him off.”
Tony didn’t even flinch. Instead, he leaned back into his seat, closed his eyes, and let out a breath as though he were merely shrugging off the matter. “Well, let him pretend he didn’t see me. I’m not calling him back. If they’re so desperate for a granddaughter-in-law, I’ll bring one back for them.”
Elliot chuckled to himself, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding before him. But Tony’s indifference only seemed to make things worse in Elliot’s eyes.
Meanwhile, Sean had driven Lyla and Eve back to the Chase Residence after the chaos at Chase Group. Eve, still reeling from the video Sean had shown her, hadn’t wanted to go home at first. The image of Myra’s betrayal—or so it seemed in the footage—had unsettled her more than she cared to admit. But as she watched it, doubts began to creep in.
Could it be that she didn’t understand Myra at all?
“Sean, I… I know you probably learned about what I did to Lyla after she came back to you,” Eve said, her voice heavy with regret. She paused, studying her son, who stood silent by her side, his face unreadable. “Yes, I met with Lyla and asked her to leave you. I did that for a reason. But now, do you hate me for it? Do you hate me because I wanted you to marry Myra, even though you love Lyla and not her?”
Sean didn’t answer. He stood still, his back turned slightly as though he wanted to distance himself from the conversation, but Eve could see right through him. She sighed, her voice tinged with bitterness. “You’re so fixated on Lyla right now, Sean, but you’ll regret it. You just don’t see it… Myra is kind-hearted, she really is.”
Before Eve could finish, she suddenly coughed violently, her face turning red. Sean, his face now full of concern, stepped closer. “Mom, please… Stop talking for a moment. I know you care about Myra, but please don’t worry about this anymore. Lyla and I are finally back together after two years, and I don’t want to break up with her again.”
“No, Sean…” Eve gasped between coughs, her voice firm despite her weak state. “You can’t divorce Myra… not yet. Not now. Had you treated her better, she wouldn’t have been so harsh with you about your relationship with Lyla. You can keep that woman as a mistress, but never make her your wife. Someone like Lyla will only stick by you when everything’s going well. When things go south, it’ll be someone like Myra who won’t leave you.”
Sean’s face tightened at the words. He already knew how his mother felt about Myra, and though he appreciated her concern, he felt it was irrelevant. After all, Myra had already lost her value in his eyes. The money she had invested in the company was now worthless, and his loyalty lay with Lyla. He wasn’t about to let his mother control his choices anymore.
“Stop it, Mom,” he muttered, shaking his head. “It’s my decision, and I know what I’m doing.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!” Eve suddenly shouted, her voice sharp, causing another fit of coughing to take over her. She gasped for breath, trying to steady herself. “Do you know why I’ve been so persistent about you marrying Myra? Because of the will, Sean! The late Old Master Stark didn’t leave the Stark Group to his son. He left it to his granddaughter!”
Sean froze. The words hit him like a punch to the gut. Eve’s revelation caused a stir of disbelief within him. “What? Is that true, Mom?”
“It’s true,” Eve said, her voice hoarse but urgent. “I overheard it myself when I was dining at Ritz Carlton. Old Master Stark was talking to another man, and that’s when I heard it. He left the fortune to Myra, not to his own son. That’s why I pushed so hard for you to marry her. Myra’s a good woman, and I thought the two of you would make a good match. But now… now, everything’s falling apart, and it’s all because of Lyla. You hurt Myra for her, and now she’ll never hand over the Stark Group to you.”
Sean stood stunned, his heart pounding in his chest. The implications of his mother’s words hit him hard. The Stark fortune—everything his family had been banking on—wasn’t his to claim anymore. It was Myra’s, and with Lyla in the picture, his chance to gain it was slipping away.
“You’re telling me the Stark Group’s fortune is willed to Myra?” he asked, his voice tight.
Eve nodded, her face pale as she steadied herself. “Yes, it’s true. The late Old Master Stark knew what he was doing. If you had just been patient, Myra would’ve given you everything. But now… now it’s all gone because of Lyla. You won’t even be able to call the police over what happened in Hilliville. There’s no solid evidence against Myra. You can’t convict her. You’re going to need her help, Sean. You have to make things right with her.”
Before Eve could continue, the sharp ringtone of Sean’s phone interrupted her. He frowned, looking down at the caller ID: it was Richard.
“Pick it up,” Eve urged him, sensing something urgent.
Sean hesitated, then answered. Richard’s voice came through, frantic and urgent. “Director Chase! Bad news… A few people died during the construction of Marina Bay Bridge two years ago. The incident’s been dug up, and now the blame is being placed on Chase Group!”
“What?” Sean’s voice cracked, his mind racing. Eve’s face went pale as the news sank in.
“What should we do, Director Chase?” Richard’s voice was laced with panic. “This isn’t just another corporate issue. Someone’s going to be held criminally responsible, either the person directly responsible for the incident or the company’s lawful representative. And, Director Chase, you were responsible back then…”
Before Richard could finish, Eve fainted, collapsing onto the bed in a heap.
“Mom!” Sean shouted, panic rising in his chest. He immediately dropped the phone and rushed to her side. “Mom, are you okay?!”
Meanwhile, outside the door, Lyla stood frozen, her hand on the doorknob. She had heard everything—everything about the Stark Group’s will, about Myra’s potential inheritance, and about the disastrous news regarding the Marina Bay Bridge.
That explains it, Lyla thought bitterly. Eve wasn’t blind; she wasn’t obsessed with Myra out of kindness. It was all for the Stark fortune. And now, with the Stark Group’s future at risk, everything was coming to a head.
Lyla glanced at her phone, the screen showing a news report about the Stark Group’s potential successor. The news claimed that the child Myra was carrying would be a boy, a fact that would render Myra’s importance irrelevant once the child was born. Lyla’s lips curled into a smirk as she imagined the downfall of the Starks.
Myra would soon be nothing.