Chapter 34: Who Dares Say a Word Against Me?

"Crash… crash…"

The servants at the Smith family villa scurried to the sides, leaving the spacious hall for Mrs. Smith.

Gloria's usual poised and elegant demeanor vanished in an instant. Like a madwoman, she swept all the steaming food and soup off the table.

Along with the shattering of bowls, there were her hysterical screams.

"Vincent, how many more filthy secrets are you hiding from me?!"

"I trusted your sweet words and sold Jadeite Lane to AW.Inc. at a low price, but little did I know, you were using it to cover your gambling debts! I didn't get a single penny, and you've swindled away my retirement funds— you liar…"

Gloria's rage was overwhelming. After being astute for most of her life, it felt like she had been utterly fooled by the man beside her.

Meanwhile, in the servants' quarters, the butler and Pearl whispered to each other.

"Wasn't the Miss Pruitt who came and caused a scene your daughter?" Pearl leaned against the doorframe, looking at the shattered porcelain pieces on the floor, sighing. "Such a disaster."

"Should be," Albert said helplessly.

They were just employees, after all. Their boss was throwing a fit, smashing things, and when it was all over, they'd have to clean up.

"Just like mother, like daughter. The daughter smashes things, and the mother does the same," Pearl commented, pulling on a pair of cotton gloves over her plastic ones to prepare for the cleanup, making sure not to cut herself on the broken pieces.

Albert tugged her back, "Don't be so blunt, you want to lose your job? Be quiet and cover your ears. Once she's done venting, they'll let us clean up."

"Ah-choo!" Vivian sneezed.

"You always lie to me, saying you're on business trips, but you're gambling away your days at the casino, you heartless jerk!" Gloria threw her phone in front of Vincent. "Look at all these debt collector calls! They've been calling every day! You're so capable, but when it's time to pay up, you shrink like a turtle. You make me, a woman, go out there and cover for you?"

Her voice grew more agitated as she spoke. She yanked the emerald beads from around her neck, sending the glistening green stones scattering across the floor.

"Eve's engagement… You tricked me into wearing a fake emerald necklace, claiming it was real, just to save face! Vincent, you're not human! You made me look like a fool, spinning in circles!"

She started hitting Vincent, but he didn't care much. He had his own problems to deal with.

The debt collectors from the casino had already threatened him. If he didn't repay soon, they'd break one of his legs.

He thought that by fleeing to the country, he would be safe, but the debt collectors called overseas, even sending pictures of him from the casino to Gloria's phone.

Now, he had nowhere to hide, and under pressure, he admitted everything.

"What's all this noise? Isn't there Blazing Core? I've almost found a buyer, and once it sells, the money will be back in no time. Stop yelling, it's giving me a headache!" Vincent pushed Gloria away, looking irritated.

As soon as he mentioned a possible solution, Gloria quieted down but still doubted, "Really?"

She had seen Blazing Core before— it was a priceless treasure. The necklace was studded with top-tier diamonds and rubies, with extremely high collectible value. It was said to be the crown jewel of Smith Jewelery and was never shown to the public.

But Blazing Core wasn't actually his; it was a gift from Daniel's mother when she married Vincent.

If it were before, Gloria would have been all for selling it. But now, things were different. Would Daniel approve of it?

"Don't worry. That woman isn't dead. On paper, she's still my wife. I'm selling my wife's things— who would dare say anything?" Vincent boasted shamelessly, looking like a bloated, middle-aged man who'd spent years indulging in wine and women.

Gloria, well-maintained despite her age, still managed to please Vincent in bed, which is why he held her close now, speaking softly to comfort her. "Don't worry. Daniel's my son. He should listen to me. As far as inheritance goes, his first priority is me, his husband."

Vincent and Gloria had both been involved in affairs when they got together, and it was a messy situation. Vincent's first wife had gone mad, but they hadn't divorced, and Gloria married him in a grand ceremony— the media knew, but they never officially registered their marriage.

After all these years, they were still living together.

What Gloria hadn't expected was that by not officially registering their marriage back then, it had turned out to be a blessing in disguise now.

"Gambling is fine in moderation, but large bets are dangerous. You're almost fifty— you need to protect your reputation. Don't ruin your future just for a quick fix," Gloria admonished. If selling Blazing Core could smooth things over this time, then so be it, but what about next time? Would anyone come to his rescue again?

"Who's the buyer?" Gloria asked, her concern clear.

It wasn't easy to find a proper buyer for such a top-tier jewel. Given Vincent's urgent need for money, word of his troubles might cause potential buyers to drive the price down.

This was the one treasure that could save them, and she couldn't afford any mistakes.

Vincent, confident, casually replied, "Don't worry, I've got a buyer lined up."

Seeing his self-assuredness, Gloria still didn't fully trust him. "With your financial situation, you'll need at least two billion to fix this. In Lumina, maybe even nationwide, there are only a handful of people who can pull that kind of cash together immediately."

At her age, Gloria didn't have the same fighting spirit anymore. She just wanted to live the rest of her life comfortably. She was more concerned about whether they could continue to live well after all this.

"And if we exclude those who aren't interested in jewels, there can't be more than five buyers. Who are they?"

Vincent tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair, smirking. "You'll know when the time comes."

He then stood up, calling to Albert, "Old Xu, get someone to clean this place. It looks like a dump."

Meanwhile, at Daniel's Office:

Daniel was attending the weekly R&D progress meeting, leaning back in his chair, his sharp phoenix eyes fixed on the flashing numbers on the projector screen.

Though he appeared casual, there was a killing aura in his gaze, like a predator watching its prey.

The head of the R&D department was sweating bullets, struggling to keep up with Daniel's barrage of questions. The details, down to the voltage tolerance, were being asked and re-asked, putting immense pressure on him.

Suddenly, the door to the conference room swung open.

Lawrence stood at the doorway for a moment before Daniel, sensing his presence, turned his gaze toward him.

After receiving a nod, Lawrence walked up and whispered, "Dan, Smith Jewelery called. They want you to come home for dinner on Saturday."

Daniel lifted his gaze to meet Lawrence's, both understanding immediately. "Got it," he replied, his tone calm.

Vincent hadn't bothered to check in on him since he came back. Now, suddenly asking him to come over for dinner on Saturday— it was clear Vincent was desperate, likely driven to the brink by his mounting debt.