CHAPTER 428: CHAPTER 428: PIE

Lovely’s calculating gaze softened slightly, a satisfied grin tugging at the corner of her lips. "Good," she said finally. "Then I can wait."

Her words dripped with false patience, but beneath them lurked a venomous warning.

When Adam and Mary returned to the apartment, their faces were pale and heavy with worry.

The color had drained from their cheeks, as though the weight of their earlier meeting had stolen away their vitality.

Both knew, without a word exchanged, that the conditions demanded by Lovely, Hans, and Milo were nearly impossible to fulfill.

Worse still, they both understood the greed that drove that trio; once they received the money and their current conditions were met, they would not stop.

They would continue imposing new demands, testing how far Adam and Mary’s patience and desperation could stretch.

It wasn’t just extortion... it was a pit with no bottom.

To say that their greed would know no bounds would not be a lie.

The more Adam and Mary thought about it, the more a sense of helplessness gnawed at them.

But as soon as they stepped into the apartment, they exchanged a glance and, almost instinctively, forced a smile onto their faces.

They had decided, their children didn’t need to know the extent of their troubles.

They couldn’t let the worry show. Aurora, Olivia, Theodore, Lucas, Adriana, and Alex had already endured enough; there was no reason to burden them further.

If even a flicker of anxiety crossed their parents’ faces, the children would pick up on it instantly. And once they did, they would begin to worry too, and perhaps even act recklessly to fix things.

So, suppressing their dread, Adam forced a reassuring smile.

"The matter’s been settled," he said lightly, his voice carrying a false calm.

"Lovely agreed to lower the price by a huge margin. We don’t have to worry anymore. Once the small conditions are met, she, Hans, and Milo won’t trouble us again."

Mary nodded eagerly, adding a soft laugh. "Yes, that’s right. Everything’s fine now."

For a moment, silence filled the apartment. The children exchanged glances, each one reading between the lines.

Aurora’s sharp eyes lingered on her parents. She noticed the faint tremor in her father’s hand, the hesitation in her mother’s voice. It was all an act.

Taking a deep breath, Aurora plastered on her own cheerful smile and said, "Well then, if that’s the case, shouldn’t we celebrate? A problem solved calls for a little pie, don’t you think?"

Mary, catching on immediately, nodded. "That’s a good idea. Who wants pie?" she asked, clapping her hands with exaggerated enthusiasm.

All six children, Aurora, Olivia, Theodore, Lucas, Adriana, and Alex, raised their hands at once, playing along.

Mary chuckled. "Alright then, pie it is! I’ll bake something sweet."

As she walked toward the kitchen, Adam excused himself.

"I’ll just change my clothes and join you all in a bit," he said softly, giving a faint smile before disappearing into the bedroom.

In truth, he simply couldn’t keep up the act any longer.

He knew his children would see through him if he stayed much longer.

His composure was already cracking; his heart felt heavier with every breath.

Better to retreat now than let them see the pain etched into his eyes.

Once both parents were out of sight, Aurora exhaled quietly and turned to her siblings.

"Alright," she said in a low, serious tone, "looks like we need to move faster with the plan."

Everyone’s expressions hardened. Adriana leaned forward. "What do we have so far?"

One by one, each of them shared the bits and pieces of information they had gathered about Lovely, Hans, and Milo, their daily routines, their schedules, and their associates.

But the more they discussed, the clearer it became that it wasn’t enough. The intel was too fragmented to use effectively.

Olivia sighed. "Even if we tried to confront them now, it wouldn’t work. They’d twist everything against us."

Aurora nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "Then it’s time for Plan B."

Her tone shifted, colder, more determined.

"I’ve managed to find some dirt on them, enough to scare them a little. We’ll use that to lure them away from their place, somewhere isolated, like the old warehouse outside city. While they’re away, our second group will break into their apartment and search for the pendrive."

Finding it could change everything.

Theodore frowned. "That sounds risky. What if they realize we’re stalling them?"

"They might," Aurora admitted. "Which is why we can’t do it just once. We’ll repeat the pattern, make it look random. Two or three times at least. That’ll give us multiple chances to search their place without raising too much suspicion."

Lucas rubbed his chin, considering. "But what if someone else is home? A maid, or one of their wives?"

"That’s another problem," Aurora said, pacing slowly.

"That’s why we’ll need a lookout. Olivia or Theodore will go disguised as a delivery person first and scope out the situation. If anyone’s there, we abort. If not, they’ll create a distraction to draw out any stragglers, and the rest of us move in."

It was an intricate plan, full of moving parts. The more they refined it, the clearer the flaws became, and the more they fixed them, the more confident they grew.

"Once we’re inside," Aurora continued, "we’ll have to find the locker. That’s where the pendrive is most likely kept. Lovely and the others aren’t fools. They know how valuable it is, so it’s probably hidden somewhere secure. We’ll need a master key for the main door first, then another for the locker. On the second attempt, we take the pendrive and disappear."

Silence lingered for a moment as everyone processed the gravity of the task.

Finally, Adriana leaned back, sighing. "All this... just because of their greed."

Olivia’s expression darkened. "If they weren’t so insatiable, we wouldn’t even have to do this. They won’t stop at half a million. Once they see Dad pay, they’ll keep squeezing him for more."

Aurora nodded grimly. "Exactly. That’s why we need to end this before they ruin him and Mom."

Meanwhile, far from the Waters’ apartment, Lovely and her two loyal schemers, Hans and Milo, had returned to their own home.

Lovely threw her cane across the room in fury, her wrinkled hands trembling. "I shouldn’t have given birth to a beast like Adam!" she shouted.

"That ungrateful wretch dares to side with that Mary woman against me? What does he even see in her? She’s nothing but a broken woman! Adam should have married a woman of status, someone who could bring wealth and power into the family."

Her words dripped with venom, her pride wounded.

Hans and Milo exchanged a knowing glance before Milo stepped forward, his tone honeyed.

"Mom, please don’t be angry. That ungrateful man isn’t worth your fury. You still have us, your loyal son and loving grandson."

Lovely’s anger wavered slightly, soothed by his flattery. "At least someone in this family understands respect," she muttered.

Milo took her hand gently. "Don’t you worry about a thing. I’ll make sure Adam regrets his arrogance. He’ll come crawling back, paying whatever it takes. We’ll remind him who holds the real power in this family."

Lovely’s expression softened, a twisted smile forming on her lips. "Yes... that’s the spirit. You always know how to please me, Milo. I truly made the right choice in caring for you all these years."

Not to be outdone, Hans stepped forward and took her other hand.

"Grandma, don’t forget about me! I love you just as much. Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you."

Lovely laughed, her earlier rage replaced by indulgent amusement. "Ah, Hans, of course! You’re both my dear boys."

Hans grinned. "Then tell me, Grandma, who do you love more? Me or Milo?"

Milo rolled his eyes, but Lovely played along, chuckling. "Oh, Hans, you’re my favorite grandson," she said with a teasing smile.

Hans straightened proudly, shooting Milo a smug look. Milo only chuckled and replied, "Sure, Grandma says that in public, but privately, she loves me the most."

The old lady burst into laughter at their playful bickering, unaware of the cold calculation behind both men’s smiles.

Because beneath the affection and laughter, both Hans and Milo shared a single, sinister thought: the money.

As long as they played their parts well, Lovely would hand over her wealth to them willingly.

If they made her angry, she might waste it gambling or, worse, give it away in a fit of spite. No, it was better to play the devoted grandsons a little longer.

Milo leaned back, smirking, thinking in his heart. "Once she’s transferred everything, I’ll make sure she doesn’t waste another cent."

Hans with a faint glint of malice in his eyes. "Once she’s emptied her accounts... I’ll throw her out."

After all, the old woman has a strange disease and loves to control everything!

Lovely laughed again, oblivious to the trap being woven around her.