Chapter 3 Make Him Penniless

Miley had paid dearly for the marketing strategy, letting Harold have passionate sex with her.

Upon waking up in her messy room, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

The couch, the large window, the mirror...

All those moments came rushing back. Miley shifted and winced from the pain. She couldn't shake off a bit of resentment towards Harold.

Harold was wild, to say the least. His boldness in their adventurous sex had left Miley astounded.

Yet, the hard work seemed to pay off. Harold's revisions to the plan were far superior.

This boosted Miley's confidence in handling the Douglas Group.

Before leaving for work, Miley made sure to take her birth control pills.

While searching the cabinet for the pills, her eyes fell on an old report of miscarriage from two years ago.

She was momentarily lost in thought.

Miley's health wasn't the best, making pregnancy a challenge. Plus, she had relied on birth control pills whenever Harold was careless.

However, she had forgotten to take the pills for one time two years ago, and it had resulted in an unforgettable lesson.

She quickly swallowed two pills without a second thought.

Her relationship with Harold was purely for satisfaction. They were bound to divorce in the future, and she didn't want a child tying them together.

At the office, Miley handed over the marketing strategy to her team. During the meeting, she stressed the importance of a solid deal with the Douglas Group.

Afterwards, she encountered her uncle, Sean Tucker, outside the conference room.

"You've made a fine marketing plan, Miley. Well done."

Sean's praise was soft and kind. Miley responded with a smile, "Your years of hard work laid the groundwork. Securing this deal with the Douglas Group will set our minds at ease."

"Things will work out," Sean assured her with a smile and a sigh. "But what's important for you now is having a baby with Harold. I've heard Leyla and Harold have been quite close lately."

"Those are just baseless rumors." Miley responded with a shy smile, "Thanks for your concern. Harold and I are working on it. After all, the fortunes of both the Tucker family and the Wheeler family await their heir."

Her timid smile seemed heartfelt, yet Sean found it disagreeable.

If Miley and Harold were to have a child, it wouldn't be good for them.

After a brief talk with Sean, Miley excused herself and left.

The moment she turned away, her smile vanished.

Her expression turned cold as she clenched her fists.

After Abel, an adopted son of Miley's grandparents, founded the Tucker Group, Miley's grandparents had passed away in a drunk driving accident. To protect Abel, Miley had declared him dead and had secretly sent him overseas.

Luckily, Abel had publicly stated that Miley would inherit his shares if anything happened to him.

Miley had investigated the accident, learning from Officer Alex Fuller that it likely wasn't accidental.

For years, she had been secretly investigating the details of the accident. And she only uncovered Sean's involvement.

Miley couldn't help but scoff.

She would never have known Sean was in touch with Leyla if she hadn't stumbled upon it by chance.

She would find proof one day and make Sean and Leyla regret it.

Miley took a deep breath and returned to her office. She got a text from a woman as soon as she walked in.

"Miss Tucker, we need one hundred thousand dollars."

Miley paused for a moment after reading the message.

Their conversations always seemed to go this way.

Images of a man's kind gaze flickered through her mind.

"I'm convinced they left me only as a last resort. If there's a chance to reconcile, I'll still stand by them. Miley, we can always earn more money, but once relationships are damaged, they're often beyond repair. It's always sensible to use something replaceable to preserve something irreplaceable."

Miley's throat tightened with emotion.

She quickly sent the requested funds to the woman.

"Ensure he's well cared for."

But she didn't receive any response.

Images of the man's gentle smile surfaced in Miley's mind, sending her into a reflective silence. Soon, the ringing of her phone interrupted her thoughts.

It was a call from her father, Joel Pearson.

"Miley, come home for dinner this Friday. I'll have the cook prepare something special. It's been too long since we all gathered."

Miley responded with a stoic tone, "No, Mr. Pearson. I won't be returning."

Her cold, distant voice pierced Joel's heart. Ever since her mother died, Miley had left the Pearson family's home and had never come back.

Joel had tried repeatedly to mend his relationship with his daughter, but all his attempts seemed futile.

The air hung heavy with tension. After a quiet moment, Joel let out a sigh and admitted, "Miley, It's all my fault. I failed to look after you and your mother properly. Leyla's feeling better these days. She's planning an art exhibition next week. You and Harold seem happy. I'm hoping you and Leyla can resolve your issues and stop this ongoing conflict."

"That's easy for you to say, Mr. Pearson," Miley retorted with a sharp edge in her voice.

Her father's suggestion was almost laughable.

He let Leyla get too close to Miley's husband and now expected Miley to just forgive her.

However, Miley was caught off guard upon hearing about Leyla's upcoming art exhibition.

After hanging up the phone, Miley sent a message to her bestie Karina Holden.

"Is Leyla really hosting an art exhibition next week?"

Karina was always in the know. Realizing Miley was out of the loop, she became quite upset. "Yes, and it seems your husband has been quite supportive. How else could Leyla manage an art exhibition? He's been all too generous!"

Leyla had been studying art for seven years and was, at best, a mediocre talent.

However, her young age and the scale of her exhibition hinted at more than just talent. Strong financial backing and influential connections seemed the only plausible explanation.

"I'll send over the brochures for her art exhibition. Don't get me wrong. I'm not biased, but her art is a disaster! Yet, oddly enough, one piece really stands out."

Soon after, Karina forwarded the brochures.

Miley's expression turned gloomy at the sight of the third painting.

The artwork was titled The Girl by the Seine River.

Among all the other paintings, this one truly stood out.

Because it wasn't Leyla's work.

Rather, it was painted by Faye Tucker, Miley's mother.

After initially being sent to a friend by Joel, it had changed owners multiple times, eventually disappearing from the public eye. Miley had attempted to reacquire it, but it was nowhere to be found.

Yet now, it resided with Leyla, the woman responsible for her mother's death, and it was being used to bolster Leyla's reputation.

Miley was certain Leyla lacked the means and money for such an acquisition. She asked Karina, "Do you have any idea how she acquired this painting?"

"Last month, your husband spent several hundred million at an international auction to purchase it," Karina replied.

Miley bit her lip. Her lovely face was devoid of emotion.

Then, a message from Harold popped up.

"Join me for dinner at my parents' place tonight. I'll pick you up at six."

When Miley didn't reply, Karina inquired, "What's your plan?"

What was her plan?

Miley's response was a cold smirk.

She intended to create chaos at Leyla's art exhibition!

And subsequently, she aimed to make Harold penniless!