To avoid being thrown out with nothing, Gavin spent every day trying to please his wife—and even then, he had to tiptoe around his three sons.


    But today, with Lauren, his battered male pride finally felt restored.


    His mood lightened, and he became extravagantly generous. "I''ll have someone bring you some moneyter," he said, "but all I can give you is cash."


    "I don''t want your money." Lauren''s voice was soft. "I''m not with you for that,


    Gavin. My feelings for you-they''re not something you can measure with cash."


    Gavin felt a jolt of emotion and was about to reply when someone knocked sharply at the door.


    "Open up! Room inspection!"


    Both Gavin and Lauren froze, stunned.


    Lauren scrambled upright, hastily pulling on her clothes, panic in her movements


    Beep.


    The electronic lock clicked open. The door swung wide.


    Two police officers stormed in, followed closely by the three Prescott brothers.


    Seeing his sons, Gavin felt as if he''d been struck by lightning.


    He knew, in that instant, that it was over for him.


    ...


    A video suddenly blew up online:


    A woman, naked and defenseless, pinned to a hotel bed while several other women beat her mercilessly.


    The scene was ugly-humiliating.


    Her face was bruised and swollen, her hair a tangled mess-utterly wretched.


    Someone recognized her. That was Lauren, the former Mrs. Lockwood.


    The video went viral in minutes.


    Public attention exploded.


    Every major tform picked up the story.


    Thement section filled with rumors and "insider" takes-


    [That Lauren is a serial homewrecker! Serves her right—karma finally caught up!]


    [You can tell she''s trouble. Always preying on married men. Malcolm Kensington was fooling around with her before he died, and then she went after Saul Lockwood!]


    [Didn''t she have a daughter? But the Lockwoods never seemed to treat her girl well. I''ve never once heard her mention her daughter in public.]


    Soon, a second video surfaced online.


    It was the one the private investigator had sent Rosita.


    The public was stunned.


    [Is Gavin out of his mind? At his age, still so reckless! Word is, the three Prescott brothers stripped him of all his shares and position at The Prescott Group-he''s looking at a very lonely old age.]


    [Men only seem to behave when they''ve been nailed to a wall. But for Lauren of all people? Gavin really is something else.....]


    [Looks like Lauren finally got what wasing to her. A friend at the hospital says she''s had pancreatic cancer for a while—she doesn''t have much time left anyway.]


    [Pancreatic cancer and she''s still out seducing men? I''m honestly shocked-her stamina is next level, gotta give her that!]


    The storm of public opinion only grew fiercer.


    For three days straight, Lauren was the nation''s favorite target, an outcast hunted


    on every street corner.


    Then Mrs. Prescott filed awsuit, dragging Lauren straight into court.


    As the wronged wife, she sued Lauren for destroying her marriage-and demanded everyst cent Gavin had ever spent on Lauren, right down to the cost of every hotel room.


    Gavin had always beenvish with Lauren. Handbags worth tens of thousands, jewelry worth hundreds of thousands—he''d gifted them all without a second thought. He''d even wired her hundreds of thousands in cash.


    Lauren had long since sold off the bags and jewelry, and the money was all gone.


    When it was all totaled up, the sum came to over three million dors.


    She didn''t have that kind of money anymore-not even close.


    Lauren tried to call Rosita, only to find the number was disconnected.


    It was obvious-Rosita had changed her number.


    That''s when Lauren finally realized: Rosita had abandoned her.