Chapter 160

The Sterling family's downfall was swift and brutal. One moment they were swimming in wealth, the next they were drowning in scandal. The internet had a field day, turning them into a cautionary tale overnight.

Netizens joked that the Sterlings had single-handedly provided the public with a masterclass in legal disasters. They deserved an award for "public service through spectacular failure."

Una Sterling was now behind bars, charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Though she'd escape the death penalty, twenty years in prison meant she'd likely never see freedom again. At fifty, her life was effectively over.

Mr. Sterling hadn't fared much better. The stress triggered a massive heart attack. By the time he reached the ICU, the damage was irreversible. Oxygen deprivation left him in a vegetative state.

"Ms. Acacia, I'm sorry," the doctor said grimly. "The prognosis isn't good. Your father may never wake up."

Acacia stood frozen outside the ward, the words hitting her like a physical blow. Her face drained of color.

The Sterling Group was collapsing under mountains of debt. Creditors hounded her daily, forcing her to hide in cheap hotels. She'd burned through her savings just to hire a lawyer for her mother and keep her father on life support.

For the first time in her life, she understood what it meant to be truly desperate.

Then came the final blow.

Camille's studio sent representatives demanding compensation—five times the original cost of the dress Acacia had borrowed and ruined.

"Five times?!" Acacia shrieked, clutching the bill in trembling hands. "This is extortion!"

The assistant smirked. "Our clients pay millions for custom pieces. If you couldn't afford the responsibility, you shouldn't have borrowed it."

"You—how dare you speak to me like that?" Acacia's voice shook with rage.

"Pay within two weeks," the woman said coolly. "Or we'll sue."

With that, she left, her heels clicking against the floor like a death knell.

Acacia collapsed into a chair, sobbing uncontrollably. When the tears finally dried, she wiped her face with shaking hands. There was only one person left who could save her now.

Elspeth.

Her aunt had played a part in this disaster. She couldn't just abandon her now.

The Abernathy mansion was silent at dinner.

Hamilton's health had stabilized, but the tension at the table was suffocating. Thaddeus was present, but no one spoke.

Normally, Elspeth would be flirting shamelessly with Frederic, filling the room with false cheer. Tonight, she barely touched her food, stirring her soup absently.

Glynnis, however, ate with gusto.

"Slow down," Elspeth snapped. "You're getting fat."

Glynnis rolled her eyes. "An Abernathy doesn't need to worry about marriage prospects."

"Enough," Frederic said coldly.

Elspeth flinched. The Stirling scandal had nearly dragged the Abernathys down with it. If Acacia's crimes had come to light after the engagement announcement, the humiliation would have been unbearable.

"Ma'am," the butler interrupted. "Ms. Acacia is here. She insists on seeing you."

Elspeth's stomach twisted.

Frederic didn't look up from his plate. "See her out."

But Acacia wasn't leaving without a fight.

"Auntie!" she cried, latching onto Elspeth's arm the moment she stepped outside. "You have to help me! My mother—your own sister—is in prison!"

Elspeth yanked her arm free. "What did you expect? Hiring a hitman? She might as well have signed her own death warrant!"

"We had no choice! Evadne was closing in on us!"

"You idiots played right into her hands!" Elspeth hissed. "She barely lifted a finger, and you self-destructed!"

Acacia's grip tightened. "I need money. The debt collectors—"

"Money?" Elspeth laughed coldly. "The Sterlings are finished. Your brother's in jail, your father's a vegetable. You have nothing left."

Acacia's eyes darkened. "I've done everything you asked. Everything."

Elspeth went still.

"If you abandon me now," Acacia whispered, "I'll tell Frederic everything. How you used me to manipulate Thaddeus. How you drove his mother to suicide."

Elspeth's blood ran cold.

Acacia smiled, her voice dripping with venom. "We're family, Auntie. Don't make me burn us all."