"Mom, what''s wrong?"


    "Come with me to your brother''s office." Gina''s voice was tight with anger.


    "Mom, what happened? I''m still at work!" Serena pressed.


    "Stop asking-juste, and you''ll see for yourself."


    Eight billion dors. What on earth had Eleanor done to putn under her spell? Gina had expected her son might give Eleanor some assets in the divorce, and she wouldn''t have objected. But Eleanor had walked away with eight entirepanies nearly eight billion dors'' worth of their family fortune.


    That was something Gina simply couldn''t ept.


    Serena had no choice but to request time off and head to her brother''s firm.


    Half an hourter, inside the lobby of Goodwin & Co. headquarters, Serena arrived first. She anxiously watched as her mother stormed through the revolving doors.


    "Mom, what''s going on? Please, just tell me!" Serena pleaded as Gina approached.


    It wasn''t until they''d stepped into the elevator that Gina finally exined what had happened. By the time Serena finished listening, she was so stunned she nearly cked out, her anger boiling over.


    "What? Eleanor took eight billion dors from my brother? How dare she even ask for that much?" Serena''s hands clenched into fists. In her mind, Eleanor must have pulled some kind of trick to get what she wanted.


    Upstairs, inn''s office, his assistant rushed in. "Mr. Goodwin, your mother and sister are here."


    Even before the words were out, Gina strode in, fixing her eyes on her son behind his desk. She was furious, but beneath the anger was a deep disappointment.


    "Ian, tell me—did you really give Eleanor eightpanies? Eight billion dors'' worth?" Gina demanded, pointing at her son.


    "Are you out of your mind? Why would you give an outsider eight billion? It''s not like we''re drowning in cash!" Serena jumped in, her voice rising in frustration.


    "Evelyn is still just a child. She should inherit your fortune one day. But you''re giving it to Eleanor? What if she marries someone else? That money will just end up in someone else''s hands!" Gina was nearly shaking with rage. She couldn''t believe how foolish her son was being.


    "Eight billion,n. Not eight million. What did Eleanor do to get her hands on all that? Did she use Evelyn to threaten you or something?" Serena''s imagination was running wild.


    Looking at the storm of emotion on his mother''s and sister''s faces,n spoke quietly but firmly. "This was my decision. There''s nothing more to discuss."


    "Then give me a reason," Gina pressed. "Why would you do this?" She had always considered her son wise, shrewd, and forward-thinking-how could he make such an irrational choice?


    "She''s right,n. Tell us what on earth did Eleanor do to deserve eight billion in a divorce settlement?" Serena bit out, her anger only growing. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like Eleanor had struck gold at the Goodwin family''s expense.


    Eight billion dors-enough to live in luxury for eight lifetimes.


    Butn had no intention of exining himself. "Mom, I have my reasons. Please, just let it go."


    Gina stared at her son, momentarily speechless. As shrewd as she was, she could only guess at what was really going through his mind.


    After a long moment, she steadied herself, sighed, and took Serena''s hand. "Come on, Serena. Let''s go."


    "But Mom-"


    "As long as your brother doesn''t regret it, that''s all that matters." Gina shotn onest withering look, having lost the will to argue any further.