chapter505

Thalassa opened the door to Vibrant Oasis Residences, expecting the usual chaotic warmth of her home. Instead, she was met with the acrid smell of something burning.

In the kitchen, she found Evelyn standing motionless by the sink, the water overflowing onto the counter while a neglected pan sizzled on the stove. Thalassa quickly intervened, cutting the heat and the water, her concern deepening at her mother’s vacant expression.

“Mom? What’s going on?” Thalassa asked, her voice a mix of frustration and worry.

Evelyn snapped back to reality, her eyes filling with a guilt she couldn't hide. The children were safe in their room, she assured Thalassa, but the tension in the kitchen remained.

“Did you take the pendant, Mom?” Thalassa asked directly. “The one Lysander gave me?”

Evelyn’s initial indignation quickly crumbled. She admitted to taking the item, underestimating its immense value. To her, it had seemed like a simple asset to be utilized, but to Thalassa, it was a liability worth three million dollars—a debt of trust she couldn't afford to break.

The truth came out in a flood of tears. Evelyn hadn't just sold it; she had been lured by the promise of an ‘exclusive investment fund’—a classic scam promising impossible returns. The three million was gone, vanished into a digital void of false promises.

“It’s a scam, Mom,” Thalassa said, her voice dropping as the weight of the disaster settled over her. “No legitimate fund operates with those kinds of numbers.”

The realization hit Evelyn like a physical blow. As she wept, Thalassa’s phone buzzed in her pocket—a series of notifications she had been ignoring. She pulled it out, her eyes widening as she saw a string of bank alerts.

Her account balance had changed, but it wasn't the relief she expected. It was a staggering, impossible sum.

Looking toward the children’s room, a new fear took root in Thalassa’s heart. She realized then that the chaos wasn't just outside her home; it was inside, being orchestrated by the very innocence she was trying to protect. The Sinclair Group wouldn't just be looking for their money; they would be looking for the genius who had found a way through their walls.