With the bank president brought down and Lucca dragged into such a scandal, it was unlikely she would ever recover.
When Catherine saw the news, she was at the hospital caring for Channing. Although Bert had hired a personal nurse for him, Catherine still went to visit every morning, sotis bringing breakfast along.
The breakfast she and Bert ate was always made by Bert himself. Catherine genuinely wanted to be a good wife one day—soone who prepared three carefully planned, nutritious als a day. She was willing to do it. Yet ever since moving in with Bert, she had hardly ever stepped into the kitchen.
As for breakfast, she used to be soone who could wake up early. But because Bert was always so enthusiastic about what happened in bed at night, she rarely managed to get up early anymore, so breakfast naturally beca his responsibility.
Dinner was the sa. Whenever Bert didn’t have social engagents and they returned ho together, he would be the one cooking. If Catherine offered to do it herself, he would always say,
"I didn’t marry you to have you act like a housemaid—cooking, washing, cleaning. I married you so you could enjoy life with ."
So as long as Bert was ho, she never had to cook. Besides, his cooking was excellent. Catherine did nothing but eat—and eat—and recently she felt she’d even gained a little weight.
On the television in the hospital room, reports were playing about the bank president’s scandal—and Lucca. Upon seeing it, Channing trembled with anger. But after the initial outburst, he slumped back weakly, unable to say a word.
Who could Lucca bla for ending up like this?
She had overestimated herself. She had been ignorant of her own limits. She had been arrogant, complacent, convinced she could do anything.
Channing finally understood why Bert had seed so gentle and accommodating toward Lucca—it had all been a trap, one she had willingly stepped into. Now, the word "disgraced" was no longer enough to describe her situation. She was despised by everyone.
And that bank president...
When Channing thought of how he had once nearly handed Catherine over to that man because of Tracy’s poisonous whispers—and now how Tracy had reaped what she sowed, with Lucca ending up in that man’s bed—his heart was filled with a bitterness beyond words.
This was not only Lucca’s retribution. It was Tracy’s retribution.
And it was also his own.
Fear crept deeper into his heart toward Bert. A man so ruthless, so vengeful, so unforgiving—anyone who crossed him would truly be better off dead.
Catherine glanced at Channing’s reaction and said nothing.
There was nothing for her to say.
She felt not the slightest sympathy for Lucca. She had once felt a trace of it, but it had long since been worn away by Lucca’s own despicable and filthy actions.
Catherine knew that once Bert decided to act, the consequences would never be small—but she hadn’t expected him to drag the bank president down as well. At the thought of that man, an indescribable nausea rose in her chest.
She would never forget how close she had co to being handed over to him.
Still, Bert was truly vindictive. Just because she had once endured such a disgusting dinner with that bank president, he had gone so far as to bring the man down.
No matter how one looked at it, seeing Lucca and that bank president end up like this filled Catherine with a sense of grim satisfaction.
And after all those scandals broke, Bert did one more thing—he went to see Tracy.
Tracy looked utterly haggard now, with none of her forr glamour left. Her daughter had fallen to this point, and worse still, had ended up in that bank president’s bed. And back then, she herself had maliciously tried to send Catherine to that very man.
What Tracy felt now was like being pierced by ten thousand arrows—painful, hateful, yet utterly helpless.
From the mont Channing discovered that she had been keeping a younger man on the side, to her daughter’s present disgrace, everything had been orchestrated by Bert from behind the scenes. This man’s mind was too ticulous, his thods too vicious, his power too overwhelming—terrifying beyond asure.
At this point, Tracy had no choice but to concede defeat.
So when she saw Bert, her expression was almost one of pleading.
"Bert, what more do you want? Please—please leave us a way to live."
Things had already spiraled so far that they likely could no longer remain in Burg Eltz at all. If he continued to pursue them, there would be no escape. So Tracy’s first instinct was to beg for rcy.
She no longer cared about dignity or pride—she only wanted to survive. Bert was far too ruthless, and she was genuinely afraid he would not stop until he had destroyed them completely.
Seeing Tracy in such a servile state, Bert let out a cold laugh.
"I don’t recall ever denying you a way out. Weren’t you the ones who kept charging straight into the line of fire?"
If Tracy and Lucca hadn’t been so vicious back then—hadn’t ruined Catherine’s life so cruelly—how would he have had the excuse or leverage to tornt them now? If they had lived with a clear conscience, how could retribution have co so swiftly?
Tracy broke down crying.
"It was our fault—it was all our fault. Please, just spare us. I promise we’ll never cause trouble again. I’m begging you—just leave us a way to live."
This ti, Tracy was truly begging in despair.
Bert cast a cold glance at Tracy’s humble, almost servile posture and spoke indifferently.
"I can leave you a way to live. Of course, you’ll have to agree to my conditions."
Tracy asked in alarm,
"What conditions?"
Bert took out a check and handed it to her.
"Channing needs soone to take care of him now. I want you to be his full-ti caregiver. This money will be your salary."
At the ntion of caring for a stroke-stricken Channing, Tracy’s first reaction was resistance and rejection. But when she saw the amount on the check, she wavered.
It wasn’t a shocking sum—back when she lived extravagantly, it would have ant little to her. But for soone with no inco and no one left to rely on, it was no small amount at all.
Bert raised an eyebrow and sneered.
"Your family has no ability to make a living anymore. Do you really think you still have a choice?"
His words struck Tracy straight in the heart.
Yes—none of them had any ans left. Channing Group no longer belonged to them. Lucca was disgraced beyond repair. Their only son was still in school, at an age when money was desperately needed. And she herself had no employable skills whatsoever.
She had once relied shalessly on her many years of marriage to Channing, continuing to demand money from him even after the divorce. But now Channing had suffered a stroke, and that last source of inco was gone as well.
So as she stared at the check, she hesitated—yet the thought of spending her pampered life caring for Channing filled her with dread.
Bert continued calmly,
"I’ve discussed this with Catherine. Your son’s education expenses will be covered by us. If he wants to study abroad in the future, we’ll provide the funds—but only for his schooling. Everything else is your responsibility."
Although Lucca, Channing, and Tracy had brought all this upon themselves, the child was innocent. Bert had no intention of ruining a child’s future because of their sins—though, judging by the boy’s idle behavior, his prospects were questionable anyway.
Still, Bert would not deprive him of the chance to study, nor prevent him from further education. That said, he and Catherine would only cover tuition—nothing more.
As for the check given to Tracy, if she didn’t squander it, it would be enough to ensure her son’s future wouldn’t be too bleak.
Bert felt he had already gone far enough. If Tracy still refused to accept this, then she would have no one to bla but herself.
Tracy stared at the check for a long ti. In the end, she nodded and agreed.
"A.T. is by the sea," Bert added. "The climate is mild—warm in winter, cool in sumr. Very suitable for recuperation. I’ll arrange for all of you to be sent there."
After Tracy agreed to take care of Channing, Bert continued his instructions.
"I think you understand what I an by ’taking care.’ This isn’t sothing you can just go through the motions on. The doctors have said that if he’s well cared for, he can gradually recover. What I want, at the very least, is for him to regain the ability to take care of himself."
His tone turned colder as he issued the warning.
"Catherine and I will visit regularly. So whether you’re doing a good job or not—we’ll know."
Bert was well aware of Tracy’s thoughts, which was why he made his warning clear in advance.
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