Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1272

"Debbie and I will each give you five million," Bella said flatly.

"Ten million total. That should be enough to last you a lifetime, right?"

Lucas's heart initially leaped with joy, but then reality set in. They were planning to pocket hundreds of millions, and they were tossing him a measly ten million?

Compared to their haul, it was pocket change.

More importantly, he had seen too much. He had treated the wounds.

He was the one who had to keep his mouth shut, run the errands, and do the dirty work.

Ten million wasn't going to cut it.

Lucas forced a smile. "Miss Ward... it looks like I'm the one doing all the heavy lifting here.

Look around. This is a hotel suite. There's blood everywhere. The stench is awful. I'm the one who has to scrub this place spotless."

Bella's expression darkened.

The words were polite, but the underlying threat was unmistakable.

"Just a moment ago you were declaring your undying love for me," she snapped, her eyes narrowing.

"And now you're trying to extort me?

Do I look like someone who takes kindly to threats, Lucas?"

Lucas quickly backpedaled. "No, no, Miss Ward, you misunderstood!

My family owes the casino a ton of money. I just need you to help me out of this mess.

My debts and interest are over ten million combined. I'm incredibly grateful for the cut, truly.

It's just my circumstances..."

Bella cut him off, fully understanding his game.

Right now, she needed him.

He knew too much. Paying him a little extra was a small price to pay for absolute loyalty.

Debbie asked Bella for a pen and paper. She scribbled down a note, pressed her bloody thumbprint onto it, and handed it over.

Bella scanned it. "A $1 billion debt, transferred to Debbie Harris's account by the end of the day. One dollar short, and she loses another finger.

If the money isn't there by midnight, prepare for The Live-Streamed Dismemberment Threat."

Bella sneered. "You think this will actually work?"

"Threats alone won't work," Debbie said flatly. "But threatening to chop up his mother live on the internet? That will.

You can beat him up, but you can't humiliate him publicly. Understand?"

Bella gave her a long look. It seemed she had never truly known Sebastian's weak spots.

For all her flaws, this old hag was still his mother. She knew exactly where to twist the knife.

Lucas, who was already scrubbing the blood off the floor, asked nervously, "Mr. Blake won't call the cops, will he?"

"The cops?" Debbie scoffed. "With something like this, he'll want as few people involved as possible.