Cami’s smile gradually faded, her long nails nearly tearing the leather sofa. To retaliate, she quickly thought of something.


    “Miss Pearl, how could you say that? This is Gilliam Mansion, your home, not some club.”


    “Actually, soon it won’t be your home either.”


    “What do you mean? If this isn’t my home, is it yours?”


    Pearl put her hands on her hips, ring at the woman to make her stance clear.


    “I don’t like you. You can date my dad, but nothing more!”


    She didn’t want to meddle in her father’s love life, but if necessary, she would step in and be the bad guy.


    Cami wasn’t fazed by Miss Pearl’s threat; she even let out a mockingugh.


    “Don’t speak too soon, Miss Pearl. You might have to call me stepmother someday.”


    Stepmother? This woman indeed intended to marry her father. Pearl would never agree to that.


    “Dream on! I’d rather die than call you stepmother!”


    “Tsk tsk… Miss Pearl, you probably don’t know yet. Your father is already nning for you to marry Lord Parker.”


    Once she was married off, she would have no authority to interfere. All Cami needed to do was keep Den happy, and Miss Libby would honor their agreement and send her back home.


    As for Miss Pearl, her long future would be spent with a man who couldn’t perform, and life’s harshness would eventually dampen her spirits without Cami doing anything.


    “What did you say!”


    The news hit Pearl like a thunderp, leaving her unable to calm down. Her face turned pale with anger, her body trembling and heart racing.


    “You must be lying! My dad would never hand me over to that pervert! I don’t believe it!”


    Lord Parker had lost his manhood; even if he hadn’t, she wouldn’t marry a debauched, uneducated yboy!


    Pearl’s reaction delighted Cami. Yes, this was what she wanted! Given Miss Pearl’s personality, she would surely have a big fight with Den. The bigger the conflict between father and daughter, the closer Cami was to sess.


    “If you don’t believe me, Miss Pearl, you can ask Mr. Gilliam yourself.”


    “Hmph, I will! If I find out you’re lying, don’t me me for kicking you out.”


    Pearl stormed upstairs towards the study. Cami watched with a satisfied smile on her small face.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    In the study, Den was meticulously inspecting every detail of the room. His vignce was high; as soon as he entered, he felt someone had been there.


    To verify his suspicion, he used a magnifying ss to search for clues. Finally, he found a subtle w.


    A fingerprint on the drawer handle. Hepared it with his own.


    It wasn’t his.


    “Judging by the size and shape… it should be a woman’s fingerprint.”


    There were many women in the vi: Libby, Cami, the maids, and the cook. Finding out who had entered the study wouldn’t be easy.


    “The drawer was opened, so my documents inside must have been tampered with.”


    “Better check!”


    Den quickly ced the magnifying ss on the table and opened the drawer. The documents were still there but had indeed been moved.


    He habitually wrapped the seal’s string clockwise three times and hid the end inside the cardboard. Now it was counterclockwise-indicating a left-handed person had tampered with it.


    “Moreover, only two types of people could unlock my study: someone I trust or someone with exceptional lock-picking skills.”


    He changed his study’s password every three months; only Brody knew it.


    Den wouldn’t suspect Brody; he was present when the will was drafted and had no reason to do this.


    Suddenly, he recalled an incident from earlier that day.


    He and Brody had just returned from the hospital when they encountered Cami and Libby at the stairs.


    He had wondered when Libby and Cami had be so close,ing and going together.


    “Was it Cami or Libby?”


    If it were Cami, Den wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. But if Libby had seen the will’s contents, it would cause endless trouble.


    “Check the secret room immediately.”


    Den pressed a hidden button on the wall and waited for the entrance to appear before slipping inside.


    Just then, Pearl arrived and was shocked to see her father disappear before her eyes.


    “A secret room… just like on TV. Art truly imitates life.”


    She felt an unprecedented curiosity.


    “Let’s follow and see!”


    Entering the golden room, she was dazzled by the sheer amount of gold. The air was filled with the scent of wealth.


    Pearl took a deep breath; her already chaotic heart now pounded like a drum. She leaned against the cold wall, clutching her chest to calm herself.


    “My God, so much gold.”


    “This… this is probably more than what banks have in reserve. No wonder Dad built a golden room to hide it; he must be afraid of being robbed.”


    After calming down, Pearl had another question. Her father imed to be self-made; what did he do in twenty years to earn so much money?


    Only her father knew the answer.


    Unaware that his secret room had been exposed, Den checked the surroundings as usual.


    He then went to a marked spot, dug up some soil, and retrieved an iron box. Opening it, he found the book and photos still inside.


    “Thank goodness this wasn’t discovered; otherwise, my secret would be out.”


    Besides the secret room and golden room, did her father have other secrets? Pearl wondered curiously.


    The next moment she witnessed something horrifying: Den moved a gold rack revealing another space.


    It was dark inside, starkly contrasting with the golden splendor outside.


    When he turned on the light, a woman with disheveled long hair was revealed inside. Her hands and feet were bound and suspended in mid-air; her eyes covered with a ck cloth. Blood-stained tears trickled down her dirty face.


    Hearing footsteps, the woman struggled against her chains, letting out beast-like growls.