Chapter 2

I glanced at Julian. He stayed silent the entire time, tacitly approving of this whole circus. My heart turned to ice.

My husband, Ethan, had passed away early. I had raised Julian like my own younger brother—almost like a son.

I sent him to an elite private university and gave him a life of pure luxury. I never expected to raise an ungrateful leech who would hand a weapon to outsiders the moment his loyalty was tested.

Brad rubbed his sweaty palms together, grinning repulsively. "My cousin’s boyfriend’s hot sister-in-law... hehe, you’re gonna be my wife soon..."

Looking at the disgusting faces of this greedy family, I suddenly chuckled.

"Alright."

The two words slipped quietly from my lips, and the entire living room fell dead silent.

Chloe and her mother looked at each other with triumphant glee.

"However," I shifted my tone smoothly, "before any wedding, we need to settle family matters first.

Julian, go to the study and bring out your brother’s will."

Julian froze. Chloe waved her hand impatiently.

"What will! Why would anyone care about a dead man's papers!"

I ignored her, fixing my gaze on Julian.

Under my piercing stare, he shuddered and reluctantly brought the documents from the study's safe.

In front of everyone, I handed the papers to Arthur Davis, our family attorney, who had been quietly standing in the corner the whole time.

Arthur cleared his throat and read aloud in a firm, resonant voice:

"I, Ethan Hayes, bequeath all assets under my name—including a 70% controlling stake in Hayes Group and full ownership of Hillcrest Estate—exclusively to my lawful wife, Evelyn Hayes.”

“My younger brother, Julian Hayes, shall receive a monthly allowance of thirty thousand dollars from the family trust fund, but holds zero right to interfere with Evelyn Hayes’s management or liquidation of any of the aforementioned assets."

When he finished, you could hear a pin drop in the living room.

The expressions on Chloe and her family’s faces were more colorful than a clown’s palette.

I stood up, walked over to Julian, and said calmly, "Your monthly allowance will hit your account as usual this month.”

“But her, and her family," I pointed directly at the front door, "need to get the hell out of my house right this second."

Then, I turned to the head of our security detail by the entrance.

"Arthur, take out the trash."

Arthur’s phone call connected in a single ring; security had clearly been waiting for my signal.

"Escort them out."

My voice held no warmth whatsoever.

In less than three minutes, four uniformed security guards rushed in, effortlessly hoisting Margaret off the floor where she had thrown herself.

"Assault! They're hitting me! The rich are brutalizing poor folks!"

Margaret wailed like a slaughtered pig, kicking her legs and throwing a full-blown tantrum.

Chloe panicked completely. She grabbed Julian’s arm, shaking him violently. "Julian! Say something to her! Didn't you say she dotes on you the most? If you ask, she'll agree to anything!"

Her voice was shrill and piercing. The arrogance from moments ago was completely gone, replaced by desperate begging.

Yet Julian merely stood there, pale as a ghost, his lips trembling without producing a single word.

Seeing that he was completely useless, Chloe turned her venomous gaze toward me.

"Evelyn! Don't look so smug! You're nothing but a scheming gold-digger who climbed the social ladder through your dead husband!

Now you're hoarding the entire Hayes fortune and throwing out the only surviving Hayes bloodline! You're going to rot in hell!"

A security guard clamped a gloved hand firmly over her mouth.

Brad had long since cowered into the corner, praying he could turn invisible.

Only then did Julian finally react.

He snapped his head up, looking at me with a faint trace of pleading in his eyes.

"Evelyn... Chloe didn't mean it... She was just feeling insecure..."

In that split second, my heart froze over completely.

I didn't even bother giving him another look. I simply waved my hand at the security captain.

Moments later, the shrieks, curses, and scuffling were shut out behind the heavy oak double doors.

The house was finally quiet.