Reborn Fake Heiress Watch the Whole Family Burn novel Chapter 854

"A few extra days?" the landlord scoffed. "I usually require six months up front. I only let you pay month-to-month because you sweet-talked me. Now you want an extension? Pay up or get out! If you can't afford to play sugar daddy, don't try to lock down a high-maintenance girl!"

The insult struck a nerve. Charles flushed red with anger.

"Fine! I'll pay you!" he snapped, ripping his luxury watch off his wrist.

"Take this." He handed it to the landlord.

The landlord inspected it with a sneer. "Are you kidding me? This is worth a couple of grand at best, and it's second-hand. Not even close."

"Wait right here!"

Charles stormed into the apartment. His eyes landed on a handbag resting on the sofa.

It was one of Lorna's Hermès bags.

He grabbed it and marched back into the hallway, shoving it into the landlord's arms. "Here! Take a good look. This is an authentic Hermès. Even second-hand, it's worth tens of thousands of dollars! That should cover rent for the next few months, right? Now back off!"

The landlord eyed the leather suspiciously. "How do I know this isn't a knockoff?"

"Of course it's real!" Charles barked, his patience shattered. "Take it to an authenticator. If it's fake, you can come looking for me!"

He remembered maxing out his credit cards to buy that exact bag for Lorna at the luxury mall, right in front of Theresa.

Satisfied, the landlord walked away.

Closing the door, Charles slumped against it, utterly exhausted.

He was physically drained from Lorna’s nightly demands and financially ruined from keeping up her lifestyle. He was drowning in debt.

He glanced toward the bedroom. Lorna was sprawled across the mattress in a silk slip dress he had bought her, munching on snacks and mindlessly scrolling through TikTok.

A surge of resentment flared in his chest.

He couldn't yell at her, so he stepped out onto the balcony, lighting a cigarette and smoking in tense silence.

A few minutes later, Lorna wandered out, rubbing her stomach.

"If you don't want me anymore, fine! I'll leave!" she burst into tears, dramatically heading for the door.

"No, wait! Don't cry!" Charles instantly folded, rushing to pull her back into his arms. "You know I hate it when you cry. I was just asking."

He couldn't let her leave now. He had invested way too much time and money. If she walked out, his entire safety net would vanish.

Once he managed to calm her down, Charles finally breathed a sigh of relief.

...

Meanwhile, at the Ellington Group.

Theresa stormed into Rachel Ward's office, slamming the door behind her.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Theresa? Have you forgotten how to knock? Where are your manners?" Rachel demanded, glaring over her monitor.

"Manners? You want to talk about manners?" Theresa fired back. "I wrote that entire proposal from scratch, so why is your name on the official company filing? Do you have no shame? I let it slide the first few times, but you've been stealing my credit for months!"