chapter1211

Thalassa felt her breath quiver as she pieced together the dominoes of cause and effect that led to this

moment. It was a cocktail of humiliation and helplessness - humiliation on behalf of her mother and

helplessness in the face of their stark reality.

Bruce, on the receiving end of a hung-up call from Thalassa, was livid. His temple veins bulged

menacingly as he fought the urge to slam his phone to the ground.

Lucy caught his wrist just in time. "Easy there, tiger," she said, her voice laced with worry. "We're

already broke. If you break that phone, we won't even have the money to buy a new one."

Her face was a canvas of sorrow, eyes still glistening with the remnants of tears. Tentatively, she

probed, "So, did Thalassa agree to lend you the cash?"

"Fat chance!" Bruce spat out the words like venom.

Lucy flinched under his roar but persisted, her voice soft, "But she's your daughter. How could she

refuse to help in your time of need?"

What Lucy didn't know was the full extent of Bruce's despicable actions, nor the fact that he had

discovered Thalassa wasn't actually his daughter.

She had been crying in the other room when Bruce had threatened Thalassa over the phone and

hadn't heard a word of their conversation. It was only Bruce's near-smash of the phone that had

brought her out.

Bruce glared at her with pure loathing. "What daughter? I never played the father role in her life, never

provided for her. Why the hell should she help me?"

"And why did she agree to help Susan get close to Lysander?" Lucy asked, her confusion mounting.

The mention of that deal sent Bruce over the edge. His teeth clenched, his forehead veins more

pronounced, he glared at Lucy as though wishing her out of existence.

"Did you mess with my phone or computer? Did you lose my files?" Bruce demanded, his voice a sharp

blade as he closed the distance between them.

Bruce had kept his violation of Evelyn and the subsequent video a secret, considering the semblance

of a marriage he and Lucy still had. He had been wary of Lucy controlling all their investments in the

stock market, aware that she was the only one who could cash out when necessary.

He'd maintained a facade of harmony for the sake of money, even hiding his affair with Evelyn to keep

the peace.

Now, with every penny gone, there was no more facade to keep. Bruce was ready to burn the bridge

with Lucy.

Intimidated by his menacing demeanor, Lucy stumbled backward, stammering, "I didn't touch your

phone or computer. I don't know anything about any missing files."

Bruce grabbed her collar in a vice grip, his veins throbbing. "Stop lying to me! Tell me, did you touch my

phone or computer?"

But now, with the two hundred thousand from Susan squandered, Bruce was beyond fury. There was

no holding back; it was time for a showdown.

He didn't even fear the repercussions of Lucy learning about the video with Evelyn. Co?tent of

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