“Well then, clearly I'm not worthy.”

I'd specifically had them transfer an extra five million just to see how far this family's stupidity would go.

They did not disappoint. Hopeless, every last one of them.

Five million might not buy your way into high society, but it could absolutely buy you a life sentence.

Ella laughed even harder, practically giddy with herself.

“You know what, forget the money. Just leave the little bastard behind. Jacob's younger brother is intellectually disabled—can't exactly find a wife, can he? This kid's decent-looking enough. We'll take her home, raise her a few years, and she'll make a perfect child bride!”

That crossed my final line.

I pulled my sobbing daughter into my arms and held her until her crying eased, then let my gaze sweep slowly from Ella to Jacob.

“Ella, this is Kingsport. I'd suggest you think very carefully about consequences before you open your mouth again.”

“Cross the wrong person here, and the consequences will bury you.”

I held on to my last thread of patience. “Don't worry about me walking through your family's door. I won't. We've always been from two different worlds, and after today, we won't cross paths again.”

“As for the redevelopment money you keep going on about, I couldn't care less. This circus ends now.”

Before Ella could get a word out, Jacob's expression changed first.

Disbelief edged into his voice. “What do you mean, 'two different worlds'?”

“I grew up in a village, sure, but I got into college on my own merit. I have a real job. I've never so much as looked at another woman. I never once held your record against you, and now you're going to talk down to me like that?”

“Say what you actually mean.”

What I'd actually meant was to end this relationship with some dignity intact.

I hadn't expected Jacob's pride to flare up so fast, twisting my words into some imagined slight.

If I really had a superiority complex, a man like him wouldn't have gotten within arm's reach of me without me lowering myself first. He could work hard for another hundred years and still never earn the right to speak a single word to me.

I was too tired to even be angry. “What I mean is, we're breaking up. We're not right for each other.”

That was when Jacob actually lost it.

The words came tumbling out. “What part of what Ella said was wrong?”

“Before my brother's accident, he was the most promising kid in the whole village—tall, good-looking, on track for college. And with that five million plus the redevelopment payout? Your daughter's pampered, she's frail—if my brother weren't disabled, where would you even find someone with conditions like that?”

“Roberta, can you stop being so selfish and just think about someone other than yourself for once?”

Twice in a single afternoon, someone had laid claim to my daughter like she was theirs to dispose of. And both times, they'd said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

I couldn't have dreamed this up if I'd tried.

I was done talking. I took out my phone right in front of them.

“Notify the Legal Department. Investigate exactly where the redevelopment funds went. If anyone embezzled a single cent, file charges immediately.”

“And send word down: the South Bay Village redevelopment project is permanently shut down.”

Ella doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach, and tugged at Jacob's sleeve.

“Jacob, did you hear that? She's still playing pretend! Go ahead, really shut it down. Oh no, I'm so scared!”

When she'd finally laughed herself out, she turned back to me, face dripping with contempt.

“You cheap little tramp. Who the hell do you think you are, trying to break up with Jacob?”

“Fine, you want to leave? Good. We don't keep trash around anyway. But my brother's a virgin. He's not getting used for free by some secondhand slut like you. Five hundred thousand in damages. One penny short, and you don't walk out of here alive.”

I genuinely had not imagined that hiding my identity to date someone could attract this level of insanity.

I swallowed the fury rising in my chest and gave it one last try.

“Jacob, do you also think I tainted you? That I owe you compensation?”

Ella stepped in front of Jacob, sneering one cold laugh after another.

“Too late to play the feelings card! Don't say I didn't warn you. You don't come up with five hundred thousand, South Bay Village is where they'll bury you!”

She pulled out her phone and started calling in reinforcements, summoning every relative in the village to come intimidate me.

I looked at her, my voice cold.

“Five hundred thousand is pocket change. I can pay it. The question is whether you really dare take it.”

“While you've still got my phone, do yourself a favor and look up what the law does to people who pull this kind of stunt.”

“Screw your damn advice!”

Ella couldn't have cared less about the warning.

“You little tramp, all this big talk. Don't tell me you can't actually come up with the money?”

I nodded, done wasting my breath. “Fine. I'll pay. Don't come crying later.”

I took out my phone to transfer the money, and the screen lit up with an incoming call.

It was my father.

I was about to answer when Ella snatched the phone out of my hand.

She smirked, hit speakerphone.

“Hello?”

My father's voice came booming through the speaker.

“Roberta, when are you and my precious granddaughter coming home?”

Ella's tone was pure arrogance.

“So you're the little tramp's daddy?”

“Listen up, old man. Your daughter defiled my brother, and now we've got her. You have twenty minutes to come up with five hundred thousand. You don't? Come to South Bay Village and collect her body.”

“Oh, and that little bastard kid of hers? Every minute you're late, I snap one of her fingers.”

My father went quiet for a beat.

He'd probably never imagined that after all these years, someone would actually call him "old man" to his face and threaten him in the same breath.

“Just five hundred thousand?”

“How about I make it five million. Send me the account number. I'll have it wired right now.”

The only two things in this world my father would never let anyone touch were me and my daughter. Ella had just managed to hit both.

She had no idea how much menace was in his voice. She stayed just as flippant as before.

“Five million? Old man, if you actually have five million, I'll cut my own head off and you can use it as a piss pot!”

She hung up, turned to me with open contempt.

“So that's why you were carrying a bastard before you were even married. Turns out you've got a shameless blowhard for a father!”

“I'd love to see him pull five million out of thin air!”

Watching this unfold, I almost laughed.

“Jacob, you really do have a wonderful sister.”

“She must be terrified of you ever having a decent life. I've never met anyone with this big a death wish.”

Ella snorted.

“Waste less time trying to stir things up and worry more about yourself and that little bastard!”

Certain my father couldn't possibly have the money, she looked me up and down a few times, then lunged at me, yanking at my necklace and my watch.

“That old fool's obviously broke, so I'll take this junk as a down payment!”

She bounced the torn-off necklace and watch in her palm like they were nothing.

That was when the notification chimed.

Ella pulled out her phone, and what she saw made her fling it to the ground.

I looked down. The screen read: “Deposit received: $5,000,000.”