4: 4
I finished speaking and walked straight into the mansion.
The living room was already stripped bare.
My custom handmade leather sofa, the hand-carved dining table done by a master craftsman, all of it gone without a trace.
Upstairs, a woven sack sat dumped outside the master bedroom door, my clothes stuffed into it like trash.
Vivien saw me and her face went awkward.
"Mom says this house belongs to Miles now, so the master bedroom should be his. She wants us to move down to the maid's room!"
Then she stepped closer and grabbed my hand.
"Honey, Miles ordered a set of furniture. Pay for it later, would you? Call it making up for these past few days. Then we can live as one family again, okay?"
I gave a cold laugh, shook her hand off, and carried the sack downstairs.
A hopeless case deserves to meet the fate she chooses.
I'd barely reached the bottom of the stairs when the roar of engines came rolling in.
Miles's pack of hangers-on stood in the garage staring at the limited-edition supercars, greed glinting in their eyes.
"Miles, these are all limited editions! You're unreal, man!"
"Miles knows how to live. This is every guy's dream car!"
Under all the flattery, Miles's grin only spread wider.
"This is nothing. These are all going to be mine soon. If you like them, I'll give each of you one. On my wedding day, you can drive them in the procession to bring me my bride!"
The whole group sucked in a stunned breath at his words.
"Miles, you serious? These cars go for a couple million each at least. You'd really just give them to us?"
Miles shot me a taunting look.
"I keep my word. Not like some people, too stingy to hand over one house."
"Besides, they're just a few cars. I'll buy new ones later, no big deal."
The moment Miles confirmed it, his crew rushed into the garage cheering, ready to pull the cars out.
Engines roared one after another from the garage, and Miles turned to me, pleased with himself.
"Duke, you see that? That's what real vision looks like!"
Then he sent a photo of the newest supercar model to my phone.
"Remember to buy me this one as a wedding gift. Otherwise, next time it won't just be cars I'm giving away."
I looked at that smug face of his and gave a cold laugh.
"Miles, you sure you want to give away all the furniture and the cars in this house?"
His face darkened.
"You think I'm stingy like you? That I don't keep my word?"
My mother-in-law chimed in from the side.
"You think our Miles is a cheapskate like you? Our Miles has vision. That's how a man who does great things carries himself."
Vivien stepped up too and took my hand again.
"Honey, you've got so many cars anyway. What's the harm in my brother giving a few away? These past few days were your fault to begin with, so consider it your apology to Miles!"
I looked at their greedy, insatiable faces and felt nothing but disgust.
Right then, the furniture company pulled up in front of the house with several truckloads of furniture.
A manager climbed out with the invoice and came toward Miles, all smiles.
"Mr. Cobb, here's your bill. Settle it first, if you don't mind."
Miles looked at the thick stack of invoices and ordered me around.
"Hurry up and pay the furniture bill. I'll count it as you making amends."
Then he turned to go tear around with his crew.
The next second, over a dozen bodyguards in black rushed forward and blocked his path.
A tall, broad man stepped up in front of Miles.
"You broke into my house, stripped it of furniture, and gave away my cars to whoever you pleased. That's a serious crime. Either you pay up, or I send you to prison!"
