?Chapter 406:


    Mack and Isabe stood frozen, their world suddenly turned upside down. Life had always followed a pattern—frequent outbursts from their mother, their father’s quiet eptance. But now, the red mark on Ruby’s cheek from Alec’s p marked a clear break from that pattern.


    “Enough!” Mack stepped between Ruby and Alec, his voice trembling with strain. “Why are we fighting like this now? Aren’t we still a family?”


    Ruby recovered from the p and jabbed a finger at Alec. “How dare you hit me? I’ll make you pay for this!”


    Mack caught her wrists, trying to stop her. “Mom, stop this! Dad hasn’t done anything wrong. Keeping mistresses is practically a tradition for the rich. Without Dad’s affair, we wouldn’t even have Ms. Tucker’s ce to fall back on now.”


    Feeling more abandoned than ever, Ruby’s heart ached as Mack seemed to side with Alec.


    Tears streamed down her face as she cried out, “Mack, how can you defend him like this? I’m your mother, and your father betrayed me!”


    Mack, maintaining hisposure, tried to reason with her. “Mom, consider our options. Do you want to starve or end up sleeping on the streets? Ms. Tucker’s house is the best option we have right now. Can you think of any alternative?”


    Ruby cried, her voice cracking, “Would we be in this situation if I had an answer to that? Not even your uncle will help us; his wife mmed the door in my face like I was a stranger.”


    Mack tried to calm her down. “We can either hold on to our pride or keep ourselves off the streets tonight. You know what to choose. Please, let’s avoid any more drama.”


    Ruby’s anger remained as she followed the others, unwillingly heading toward L’s ce.


    As they walked, Ruby bombarded Alec with questions. “That apartment—you bought it for her, right? You used your money, correct?”


    Alec kept silent. The situation was far moreplicated than Ruby realized. From the beginning, L had been plotting to keep the property away from Judy, carefully crafting a smart, long-term strategy.


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    Every time she received money from Alec, it was disguised as a bonus or consultancy fee.


    The apartment was entirely owned by L. It was bought using her bank ount. With thew on her side, even if Alec wanted to reim the house, he wouldn’t be able to seed.


    As Ruby pressed him for answers, Alec quickened his pace, choosing silence over revealing the truth.


    Driven by frustration, Ruby shoved him and demanded, “I’m talking to you! Answer me!”


    “It’splicated, okay? The house wasn’t bought with my money,” Alec snapped back, his patience wearing thin.


    Ruby’s voice grew louder. “Ridiculous! She couldn’t possibly afford that ce on her own!” Her eyes narrowed. “Spill the truth!”


    Alec’s tone was equally sharp. “I’m telling you the truth! She’s a skilled ountant—every transaction was legitimate. You won’t be able to get the apartment.”


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