Chapter 268
“Ms. Talmadge used your name. The casino manager contacted Miss Lynwood, and she instructed me to inform you,” Xavier replied. Internally, he couldn’t help but sigh at the cruelty of such a mother-one who completely neglected her child, only to relentlessly bleed him dry the moment he reached adulthood.
Kingsley fell silent for a moment before speaking, his voice cold as ice. “Ignore it for now. Let them hold her. I want you to look into exactly how much she owes, and find out what her real motive is for coming to Switzerland.”
“Understood. I’ll get right on it,” Xavier said, ending the call.
Across town, Lucy arrived home and handed a sleepy Seven over to the nanny. Still clutching her phone, she headed straight for her study.
The moment she sat down, a notification pinged. It was a message from her subordinate: [Kingsley Sherwood said to keep her detained. He didn’t explicitly agree to pay, nor did he refuse.]
Lucy read the text, tapping her manicured fingers rhythmically against the desk. Her thoughts drifted elsewhere. Was Susan Talmadge really just in Switzerland to gamble? Or was there an ulterior motive?
She reopened the chat thread and fired off a swift reply: [Focus on finding out Susan Talmadge’s real reason for coming to Switzerland.]
Kingsley had barely stepped foot in his estate when Xavier’s email hit his inbox.
He settled onto the sofa and opened the attachments. As he read through the files, a cold, mocking smirk twisted his lips. He had already flatly refused her, yet Susan still flew to Switzerland, resorting to this despicable stunt just to force his hand.
He immediately dialed Xavier, his voice stripped of all warmth. “Leave her be. Let the casino keep her locked up. Just casually mention to the casino manager that she has plenty of funds in her personal accounts.”
“Got it,” Xavier replied before hanging up.
The line had barely disconnected when his phone lit up again. This time, it was Bacchus Sherwood.
Kingsley answered, and his brother’s steady voice came through the speaker. “Did Susan go to Switzerland to find you? I heard she ran up a debt at a casino. I’ll cover what she owes, just have someone send her back.”
Kingsley slid a cigarette from his pack, rolling it between his fingers. “She has her own money,” he said flatly. “There’s no need for you to bail her out If she’s dead set on playing the victim and dodging the bill, let the casino hold her. She won’t last long.”
On the other end, Bacchus took a drag from his own cigarette. “Alright, we’ll let her deal with it. Afterward, I’ll have someone revoke her travel privileges so she doesn t cause any more trouble.”
Kingsley stood up and walked over to the balcony. He slid open the glass door, letting the biting wind rush over him, cutting through his frustration.
He spoke into the receiver, adding, “I don’t care what happens as long as she pays
off her debt to the casino. Beyond that, it’s not my problem.”
Hearing this, Bacchus sounded intrigued. “That casino… is it yours?”
“It’s Lucy’s,” Kingsley replied, his voice completely level.
A low chuckle resonated through the phone. “Since it’s hers, we definitely can’t let her take a loss. If it comes down to it, I’ll cover the tab. I’ll even pay double.”
Kingsley’s lips curled into a faint smirk. “I’ll cover it. Keep out of this and save your money for your future wife.”
“Don’t worry, I’ve got someone looking after me. Grandmother slipped me a black card just yesterday,” Bacchus replied with a playful tone.
Kingsley feigned a tragic sigh. “The favoritism is frankly insulting at this point.”
“What can I say? I’m the broke brother,” Bacchus laughed.
Kingsley raised an eyebrow. “Do you need me to compile a full list of your assets for her?”
At exactly ten o’clock that evening, Lucy received another text message.
She skimmed the contents and
quickly typed her response: [Since the debt has been settled, tell Kingsley Sherwood to send someone to collect her. We’re not running a daycare.]