Chapter 190

Jonny left without a word after being thrown out,making his way back to the Todd family's house.

Shock hit him the instant he stepped inside.

The living room had been turned upside down.

Uniformed officers were scattered throughout,carefully itemizing everything in sight.

Vickie sat on the floor with her hair in wild disarray,pounding her fists and wailing. "This is a disaster!They're taking everything we own! How are we supposed to survive?"

When her eyes landed on Jonny, hopelit up her face.

She rushed to his side, clinging to him desperately."Jonny, thank goodness you're home! You have to make them stop!" Before Jonny could even respond, a man in glasses stepped forward, flashed his badge, and handed over a legal notice, his expression hard as stone.

"The Todd Group has been accused of unfair competition, buried in debt, and is now bankrupt. By law, we're freezing and seizing every asset in your name-including this property."

Jonny stared straight ahead, refusing to even touch the document.

Vickie looked like she might faint, her face growNing ashen.

She stammered, barely above a whisper, "Bankrupt?That can't be. The company was stable... How did this happen?"

A flicker of suspicion crossed her mind-was this somehow tied to Eleanor or Nolan?

Eleanor had to be the one behind this.

That woman must have pushed Nolan until he tore their family apart. She was ruthless to the core.

Vickie's thoughts spun wildly, and she grabbed Jonny in desperation. "Jonny, this has Eleanor written all over it. She must have told Nolan to destroy us.You have to go and beg him to stop."

Jonny tried to form an answer, but no words came.

An aged, steady voice cut through the air from the staircase.

"That's enough! Why are you blaming Eleanor?Everything that happened is because of your son's choices!"

Sallie appeared, moving carefully as someone steadied her down the steps.

Jonny froze, then a flicker of relief crossed his face when he saw her.

Clutching at hope, he dropped to his knees with a loud thud. "Grandma! I'm begging you! Please help.me. Go to Eleanor and talk to her. Ask her to speak to Nolan and give us one last chance. She's always respected you. If you stand up for us, she'll listen!"

Sallie's lips stayed pressed together as her eyes lingered on him. The weight of her disappointment was unmistakable. To her, he was still just as blind and selfish as ever.

From her pocket, she pulled out a bank card and pressed it into his hand. "There's $2 million left on this. It's everything l've saved. Take it and try to rebuild your life. Eleanor doesn't owe this family another thing. Even if I swallowed my pride and begged her, it wouldn't change a thing."

For most households, that amount would have been enough to live comfortably.

For Jonny, who had lived in excess for years,the thought of scaling back felt unbearable.

His fingers slipped from the card, and his knees gave out as he sank to the floor, his spirit broken.

Regret tore through him.

He cursed the day he ever got tangled up with Lainey, that snake of a woman.

He cursed himself for letting Eleanor go.

But every chance he once had was gone.

Nothing could be undone now.

Watching him crumble stirred something in Sallie, but her sympathy wasn't enough to hold her back. She turned and started up the stairs.

Age had already stolen much of her strength, and she no longer had the power to rescue the ruined Todd Group or to bring Emma back.

The light at the top of the staircase stretched her shadow, making her look as though she had aged ten more years in a single night.