Chapter 240: Brooke York Ran Away with the Money

“Sure, no problem.” She had quite a lot of designer jewelry and bags; selling them would easily bring in a few hundred thousand.

“We’ll split the house in half, too. Give me my share in cash,” Alice Cole added, suddenly remembering that they had bought the property together.

“Fine!” Miles York agreed readily.

Listening to their conversation, Brooke York gripped her clothes tightly. Just as Miles picked up his pen to sign the papers, she shot to her feet with a loud SLAM. “I don’t agree!”

“Brooke, what are you doing? Why don’t you agree?” Alice asked, completely baffled. She wondered if Brooke was still dreaming of becoming the CEO of the York Group. But that company was virtually useless now!

“Dad, Mom, I don’t want you to get a divorce because of me.”

“Brooke, it’s not because of you. Haven’t you noticed? Your mom and I have very different views on many things. Even before you came back, we often argued over minor disagreements. We simply aren’t meant to be together.”

With that, Miles signed his name on the paper. Alice didn’t hesitate either; almost the second Miles finished signing, she instructed the servant to bring her suitcase over.

“Brooke, let’s go!” Alice said, pulling Brooke out of the villa.

Staring at the suitcase in Alice’s hand, Brooke finally realized her mother had been planning to leave all along.

“Brooke, don’t worry. Mom will definitely make sure you become CEO. Your dad’s company is practically an empty shell now anyway. We don’t need it.”

“Don’t need it? Do you even know what I want? I want vindication! I haven’t even vented my anger over being switched at birth, and you’ve already cut off my path!” Brooke roared at Alice.

“Brooke, what are you saying?” Looking at Brooke’s distorted face as she screamed, Alice felt as if she were looking at a complete stranger.

“I said I hate you! You’ve handed everything I wanted over to someone else on a silver platter. When Chloe York comes back, the York Group will be hers!”

“But it’s just an empty shell! The company can’t even stay afloat anymore.”

“Even if it is an empty shell, as long as it’s the York Group, it’s what I want.” The York Group was her ultimate obsession.

Alice softened her tone, trying to coax her daughter. “Brooke, listen to Mom. How about this: I’ll give you all the money I get from the settlement. You take it, and Mom will help you build a brand new York Group, okay?”

Hearing this, Brooke calmed down slightly. “Really?”

“Of course it’s true. You’re my only child, so this money is obviously meant for you! Besides, with this cash, you can do whatever you want. The York Group is failing and could declare bankruptcy any day now. Holding onto this money is the safest bet.”

“Fine then. When the money arrives, give it directly to me.” Brooke suddenly changed her mind, her demeanor growing much calmer.

“Yes, yes, of course. Now, should we find a place to stay first?” Seeing that Brooke seemed to have accepted the situation, Alice finally felt relieved.

“Okay.”

Brooke followed Alice out. Miles looked around the empty, echoing house and let out a long sigh. “It’s for the best that they left. The company won’t last much longer anyway.”

Brooke and Alice moved into a fully furnished small apartment. Compared to their grand villa, it was naturally much more cramped, but Alice didn’t mind. As long as she was with her daughter, that was all that mattered.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Brooke stayed cooped up in the apartment while Alice went out every day, seemingly incredibly busy. Although Brooke never left the house, she knew exactly what Alice was doing. Over the past couple of weeks, Alice had been heading to the company to sign papers, handle the division of property, and keep a close eye on Miles to ensure he didn’t try to pull any tricks.

Naturally, Alice brought back news every time she returned—mostly about how the company was steadily declining and was likely on the verge of collapse.

Then, one day, Alice returned in high spirits. “Brooke, the York Group has declared bankruptcy.”

“Really?” Brooke, who had been lounging on the sofa eating potato chips, suddenly bolted upright. This was excellent news for her. If the company went under, Chloe York wouldn’t be able to inherit the York Group.

“Of course it’s true. I told you it was just a shell company. Taking the cash was the right move.”

“So, how much money do we have now?”

“Three million. As long as we don’t spend it extravagantly, it’s enough for us to live comfortably for the rest of our lives.”

Brooke’s eyes lit up at the mention of three million. She had never seen that much money in her life; the most she had ever handled was a little over a hundred thousand. If all three million belonged solely to her…

“I see. Mom, didn’t you say you were going to give the money to me?”

“Sure, I’ll give it to you. But Brooke, we can’t spend it recklessly, okay?” Alice agreed generously. After all, everything she had belonged to Brooke, and everything she received was meant to secure Brooke’s future. If her daughter wanted it, she would gladly hand it over without hesitation.

“Mom, don’t you trust me? I’ll definitely be frugal with it. I’m not like Chloe York, who grew up accustomed to throwing money around.”

Hearing this, Alice was immediately struck by a wave of guilt toward Brooke. “I trust you, of course Mom trusts you!” she replied quickly. Alice transferred the bulk of the funds to Brooke, but at the very last moment, she cautiously held back a little over ten thousand just in case.

That night, Brooke packed her bags and left with the three million. Before stepping out the door, she cast a cold glance toward the living room and muttered, “You never gave me a good life since the day I was born. I finally managed to come back, and then you two decide to get a divorce and force me to live in this cramped little apartment. And you still have the nerve to say you love me? You can rot in this place by yourself. I’m taking this three million and going off to live the good life!”

Brooke shut the front door and disappeared into the night.

The next morning, Alice woke up, prepared breakfast, and walked into Brooke’s room, only to discover that her daughter was gone.

Unable to process the fact that Brooke had taken the money and abandoned her own biological mother, Alice collapsed onto the floor. As she thought about how incredibly well she had treated Brooke ever since her return, her anger continued to mount until it completely overwhelmed her, and she fainted on the spot.

She didn’t know how long she had been unconscious. When Alice finally opened her eyes, she found herself lying in a bed with Miles sitting by her side.

Seeing that she was awake, Miles let out a heavy sigh. “See? Didn’t I tell you before that Brooke was unreliable? Chloe York is far more dependable. I told you to treat Chloe better so we might at least leave ourselves a way out.”

Back when Brooke had plotted to steal someone else’s place in college, Miles had warned Alice not to place too much hope in her. Because Brooke hadn’t grown up by their side, she undoubtedly harbored deep-seated resentment toward them. The moment things didn’t go her way, she would bare her fangs like a venomous snake.

But Alice had refused to listen. And now, the result spoke for itself: all the money had been swept away.

“The company is bankrupt, and I only have tens of thousands left to my name. We’ll just have to scrape by, us two old folks!”

Alice closed her eyes in despair, and Miles said no more.