?Chapter 1243:


    Gracie’s body ached, her face swollen and bruised, but thankfully, she had only soft tissue injuries, no fractures.


    She shook her head weakly. “I don’t know, Ethan. I would rather die now…” She started crying.


    Ethan’s gaze was cold. “There are guards outside. Rest well. I have things to handle.”


    Gracie felt too ashamed to ask him to stay after what she had donest night. After Ethan left, her phone rang. Seeing the familiar number, she answered the call with trembling hands.


    “Well, Gracie, are you selling the shares?” Jed Gordon’s cold voice sent a chill through Gracie, nearly making her drop the phone.


    “You were behind the matter?” she asked, suspecting he had orchestrated the attack.


    “Does it matter? I’m offering fifty billion for the shares. Will you sell?”


    “Yes,” Gracie replied.


    For roughly a month, Isabe had been employed at Brenna’s store. On June 10th, the day sries were disbursed, her phone buzzed with a bank notification as she left work, confirming a deposit of 57,891.


    In Shirie, such earnings were notably substantial.


    Overjoyed, Isabe strode home with a buoyant gait, eager to mark the asion by purchasing some meat and seafood to cook.


    Passing by the supermarket, Isabe went in and bought plenty of groceries before going home. Upon reaching her doorstep, Isabe was about to open the door when she heard voices inside.


    It was Ruby’s voice.


    Every story starts at g ? ln σ ν?? ??s,


    “Mack, have younded a job yet?”


    Inside, Mack sprawled across the couch, engrossed in his phone, his expression souring at the question. “No, Mom, leave me alone. I’m convinced the Harper family has cklisted me across Shirie. Nopany in this city will hire me.”


    Ruby’s frustration boiled over. “Those Harpers! We’re already scraping by, and they are still targeting us?”


    Still, she knew her anger was futile; the Harpers held power to squash them effortlessly.


    “Why not try driving for a rideshare service? Your dad did it and brought in over 10,000 dors a month. It could ease our financial strain and improve our situation,” Ruby suggested.


    Mack’s irritation red. “Absolutely not. Isn’t our situation humiliating enough? I used to be the vice president of the Barrett Group, rubbing elbows with Shirie’s elite. I can’t be a driver now. What if I run into someone I know? I would be aughingstock!”


    Ruby felt frustrated. For a week, she had watched Mackze around, either lounging in bed or on the couch, showing no effort to find work.


    With only Alec’s ie supporting the family of four, funds were tight, and even in the scorching summer heat, they couldn’t afford to run the air conditioner.<fn2218> Latest content published on fin?novel</fn2218>


    “You dismiss every suggestion. Do you n to loaf around forever? I can’t keep supporting you like this!” she eximed.


    Mack nced up from his screen. “Isabe’s working. She’s pulling in over thirty thousand a month, maybe even about fifty thousand with bonuses. We can rely on her ie. She’s my sister; she ought to support me.”


    Ruby, exasperated yet powerless, snapped, “How can you say that? A grown man leaning on his sister? That’s shameless!”


    .


    .


    .