She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 196

Harrell did not wake up.

The Judson family business plummeted disastrously.

Hilda liquidated every single asset she owned. Absolutely everything. Even the properties Matilda had left her. She kept only a jade bracelet as a memento; everything else, including the lavish bridal gifts Harrell had given her, was sold for cash. Even Gardenia emptied her personal savings to help bridge the massive gap.

Hilda handed the funds over to Harrison.

Pieced together, it barely amounted to fifty million dollars.

Looking at that number, Harrison felt a profound wave of emotion. As the head of Judson Corporation, he knew this money was just a drop in the bucket. But as Harrell's father, he wanted Hilda to keep it to live on, or at least ensure Harrell's final days were dignified.

Harrison didn't want to accept it.

Catherine covered her mouth and sobbed when she saw the amount.

She knew Hilda had given them her entire net worth.

But Hilda insisted Harrison take it. Deep down, she knew that if it weren't for her, the Judsons wouldn't be in this desperate situation. Luther had drawn a line in the sand, and people were too terrified to offer help—they were just glad not to be actively destroying them.

She had never reached out to Luther.

And Luther hadn't reached out to her, either.

Occasionally, he would visit to see the children.

Spring turned to summer, and then autumn arrived.

They were still living in Alpha City.

Harrell was still comatose.

That autumn felt exceptionally bleak. Hilda learned from Sebastian that the Judsons' offshore trusts had been breached, leaving them entirely out of options. The family's sprawling estate in Havenworth City had already been auctioned off by the bank. Catherine stopped talking about moving back, leaving only Morton and Harrison in Havenworth to try and salvage the ruins.

Judson Corporation was teetering on the edge of the abyss.

Out of sheer desperation, Hilda sold Erudite Arts, the company she co-owned with Harrell.

The buyer offered a preliminary price of $26 million.

Since Erudite wasn't publicly traded, that price tag was essentially to purchase The Bibliophile.

The buyer demanded The Bibliophile sign an exclusive ten-year contract.

Fifty paintings over the course of ten years.

June relayed the buyer's terms, and Hilda agreed.

She just wanted to negotiate the price a little higher.

June forwarded the address where the buyer wanted to meet.

Seven o'clock. The Cerulean.

Looking at the restaurant's name, Hilda instantly knew who the buyer was. It was Luther.

The Cerulean—the very same upscale French restaurant he had booked the night he bought First Love.

The night he had slapped her twice to defend Jolie.

—Shortly before their divorce.

The past felt like a tomb.

Hilda refused to dwell on it.

She desperately needed the money now. Whether Luther bought Erudite Arts or not, she didn't care.

Driving through the city center, she passed by a bakery.

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