Chapter 814: Joining Forces to Plot Against Her

The driver quickly dropped her off at the main gate of the old residential complex. She thanked him, watched the car drive away, and then turned to walk inside. The aging neighborhood lacked well-maintained facilities; dead weeds choked the railings, and the streets were littered with red paper scraps left over from firecrackers.

Annie York arrived at her apartment building and quietly pushed the door open to step inside. Her family lived on the fourth floor, and the building’s soundproofing was notoriously poor. If one pressed their ear to the door, they could easily hear conversations in the living room. Reaching her front door, she took a deep breath, pressed herself against the wood, and listened carefully to the sounds inside.

At first, there was nothing. Her furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

She really had overthought things. Mrs. York probably just wanted to meet Chloe, plain and simple. After all, Chloe was such a wonderful person; wanting to see her was completely understandable.

Annie breathed a sigh of relief and reached for her keys. But right at that moment, a voice drifted out from inside.

"Mom, pour me a glass of water. I’m thirsty."

The voice was domineering, arrogant, and incredibly familiar!

Annie’s eyes widened in disbelief. Gregory York! Hadn’t he been kicked out of Breyburn?! When did he get back?! And by the sound of it, he had been in contact with Mrs. York all along, completely behind her back!

A chill washed over Annie’s entire body. It suddenly hit her—this was why Mrs. York had agreed so readily to let her go out and have fun during the New Year. It was just a ploy to get her out of the way so she could secretly meet her son!

Holding her breath, Annie continued to eavesdrop.

Mrs. York’s voice quickly followed. "Gregory, you need to leave soon. Your sister will be back in a bit, and it wouldn’t be good for her to see you here."

"Tch, what are you afraid of? What can she even do to me?" Gregory didn’t care in the slightest. He sounded like he was chewing on sunflower seeds, his words slightly muffled. "She’s just lucky she met some rich young lady. Without that heiress, what is she? How would she ever dare to defy me?"

Gregory grew angry just bringing it up. If Chloe Reed’s people hadn’t suddenly intervened, he would have handed Annie over to the casino boss, and his debts would have been cleared ages ago! But look at him now—hiding out day and night, all while having to guard against that wretched brat! It infuriated him!

Mrs. York said, "That’s different. Don’t you still want to ask that rich young lady for help? Then you can’t let Ann see you. She hates gamblers. If she sees you, what happens if she refuses to help?"

Gregory’s tone grew impatient. "I know, I know! Stop nagging. If you didn’t want to see me, do you think I’d even come back?"

"You’re my son," Mrs. York said. "Of course you have to come back and spend the New Year with me."

Gregory replied, "Mom, you have to help me in a few days. As long as I can meet that rich lady, my debts will be cleared. Who knows, our family might even be able to live a good life."

"Okay, I understand."

"Alright, I’m heading out. Clean up the room a bit; don’t let that wretched girl notice anything." With that, Gregory tossed whatever he was holding and stood up to leave.

Outside the front door, Annie hastily turned and bolted down the stairs. She hid in the corridor of an adjacent building, pressing her body tightly against the cold wall. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes filled with a mix of fury and terror.

There really was a catch. She hadn’t been overthinking it. Mrs. York and Gregory were conspiring together, scheming against Chloe!