Family on Their Knees Heart Turned to Ice novel Chapter 1414

Lucas knew exactly which side his bread was buttered on when it came to choosing between the $40 million original bribe and the $400 million Lucas-Debbie bribe.

Of course, he desperately wanted to secure the $400 million.

So, with hundreds of millions on the line, he threw his partnership with Bella straight under the bus without a second thought.

His deal with Bella was only worth a fraction of that, so there was hardly any need to debate the ethics of loyalty.

The massive payout Debbie offered was the only thing worthy of his absolute devotion.

For the sake of his own fortune... oh, wait... for the sake of his "loyalty," Lucas tried his hardest to dissuade Bella.

"Bella, making a move like that is way too dangerous. Do you know who we're dealing with? I've been hanging around The Prestige Wing for days. I haven't managed to dig up much intel, but I did see several men in uniform stepping in and out of Debbie's room.

Even though there hasn't been a single word leaked to the press about the traffic collision that night, I strongly suspect Sebastian is quietly investigating the whole mess.

Someone chopped off his mother's fingers and hand to extort him. How could he possibly let that slide without digging into it?

If you suddenly show up now and take the massive risk of violently removing the bodyguards outside Debbie's door, won't that invite a ton of unnecessary trouble and suspicion?"

Lucas's reasoning successfully gave Bella pause.

She took a noticeably long drag from her cigarette.

No matter how desperate she was, Bella hesitated.

It was obvious she was terrified of being exposed.

The $1.2 billion in Debbie's account was incredibly important, but as long as Debbie was still alive, the money would eventually end up in Bella's hands.

If she forced her way in, took such an astronomical risk, and ultimately caught Sebastian's suspicion—giving him the evidence he needed—she knew he wouldn't hesitate to throw her behind bars himself, given the toxic state of their current relationship.

The mere thought of Sebastian hounding her for that $300 million share-purchase debt made Bella sick to her stomach.

He had claimed to love her not too long ago, but his so-called love clearly came with an obscenely short expiration date.

It wasn't even worth having.

Who needed his love anyway? It was a useless commodity that could rot and turn rancid at a moment's notice.

And right now, that crucial document was in Lucas's possession.

Lucas stepped out of the car, watching Bella drive away before letting out a long exhale.

Was this considered Bella being careless?

It didn't matter. Her carelessness was exactly what gave him the upper hand.

Otherwise, how would he be able to help Debbie apply for a new ID?

Down the road, Bella rolled down her car windows to air out the heavy stench of smoke.

Just as she was brooding, a call from the debt collectors came through, plunging her mood even deeper into the abyss.

"I already told you, give me two days tops. I will pay the interest before the deadline. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to get harassed by your calls every single day?"

Bella was already completely disgusted by The Blood-Debt Vultures.