Chapter 3

At the Gray Villa, Jack shouted, "What? She said no?"

Jack shot up from the sofa, his face red with anger. Why would money-hungry Calliope refuse this time?

Vivian and Grace, sitting nearby, exchanged worried glances.

"Alright, alright, just hang up!"

Jack, feeling irritated, slammed the phone down. One problem after another kept popping up. He thought this would be easy, but nope, another fail!

Jack slumped back on the sofa, his face dark and brooding.

River Corporation's cash flow had been a mess for a while now. He always thought if he could just hold on, things would get better. But now it was getting worse, and they were even struggling to pay the employees. Was the company going to go under?

He had looked everywhere for help, but no one was willing to assist him. This was the reality that when you were successful, everyone flattered you; when you were down, they all distanced themselves.

Now, the Moore family was willing to acquire River Corporation, which was a huge relief for Jack!

But the Moore family had one condition that Vivian had to marry into the Moore family, putting Jack in a tough spot.

Everyone knew Sylvester was not only a hot-tempered lunatic but also terminally ill. How could he let his precious daughter marry such a person?

If he didn't marry off his daughter, his business would face bankruptcy. But if he did, he couldn't bear it.

Fortunately, there was Calliope, the illegitimate daughter. Both were daughters of the Gray family, so the Moore family shouldn't mind.

The only problem now was that Calliope refused!

Jack was furious. If Calliope were in front of him, he would definitely give her a good beating!

"Dad, Calliope refused?"

Vivian was furious that Calliope dared to reject their father's goodwill. That Calliope was indeed a low-born illegitimate daughter. Marrying her into the Moore family was a favor to her!

Jack nodded. "Megan said she threw the money all over the place. She even cursed me to die a horrible death and said she wanted revenge!"

"A horrible death?"

Grace suddenly stood up, her face twisted in anger, no longer resembling the once dignified lady.

She now looked like a shrew, cursing without any regard for her image. "I think she's the one who deserves a horrible death! An illegitimate daughter who shouldn't even exist, now finally has a use, and she refuses? Letting her enjoy the wealth of the Moore family is too good for her! I feel disgusted just having her call me mom!"

"Exactly! Dad! Do you really want me to marry into the Moore family? I don't want to!"

Vivian's eyes filled with tears as she spoke. Marrying Sylvester was no different from marrying a dead man!

Jack frowned deeply. He certainly didn't want to marry Vivian off to Sylvester, but with Calliope unwilling, what could he do? She had grown up and was no longer someone he could threaten!

He couldn't just tie her up and send her to the Moore family! How would he explain that to them?

Grace hugged Vivian, comforting her, "Vivian, don't cry. Don't worry, Mom will never let you marry that lunatic. There will be a way. Calliope will marry him whether she wants to or not!"

"Mom, you have to think of something! I'm still so young. If I marry him, he'll torture me to death!"

Vivian's tears kept flowing, and Jack felt heartbroken. He had cherished his daughter since she was a child. How could he bear to let her go?

"Alright, stop crying! How could I let you marry him? Even if that unfilial girl doesn't want to, she has no choice this time!"

A glint of determination flashed in Jack's eyes.

Jack's favoritism was so obvious, it was like a neon sign.

Vivian was his baby girl, and he couldn't stand the thought of losing her. But what about Calliope? Wasn't she his daughter too?

Jack had Calliope with another woman back in the day. No one twisted his arm. Now, he treated Calliope like she was garbage!

"Honey, I don't care what you have to do, you gotta get Calliope to marry into the Moore family. If you can't even do that, I'm divorcing you! We need to save River Corporation! And also our daughter! Do something!"

Grace shot her husband a death glare as she laid down the law, then stormed upstairs with Vivian in tow.

The sky was all gloomy, like it was about to pour, but folks on the street were still hustling.

Calliope, wrapped in a blanket, walked out of the hotel, flagged down a cab under the curious eyes of passersby, and headed home.

Even though she was a daughter of the rich Gray family, she lived in a rough neighborhood. The people here were a mix of street vendors, the unemployed, drug addicts, and even prostitutes, like her mom, Rose Lauren.

After navigating through the smoky streets, she finally reached her front door, which was slightly open. Inside, she heard unfamiliar voices. Calliope froze at the door, too scared to move.

"Shut up! Pay up! I don't wanna hear your excuses! Pay up! It's been a month! If you don't pay today, pick between losing a hand or a foot!"