Chad Jennings’s words made Sophia Shaw nauseous. Even more repulsed by his touch, she yanked her hand away at once.

"Chad Jennings, what makes you think I’d want to be your so-called ’one and only’ daughter? Anything you have to offer has no value to me!"

Chad Jennings was stunned. "Faye, but you used to say every day that you wanted me to love only you, to be good only to you."

"That was when I was a child!" Sophia Shaw reminded him.

’He wouldn’t give her what she needed back then, but now that she doesn’t need it, he’s here trying to force it on her.’

’I’m not his trash can!’

"I won’t help you, and you don’t need to treat me as your daughter. My uncle just made it very clear to you. Our relationship ended fifteen years ago when you didn’t care if I lived or died."

"Chad Jennings, you listen to me. If you dare cause a scene here again, I won’t be so polite!"

Sophia Shaw’s expression turned cold. A murderous glint suddenly appeared in her usually gentle eyes.

Chad Jennings’s heart leaped in fear, and his face turned pale.

But the thought of going to jail made him anxious again, and he grabbed Sophia Shaw, refusing to let go.

"Sophia Shaw, I’m your father! You can’t disown me just by saying so! I have nowhere else to turn. I’ve got nothing left to lose!"

"If you don’t give me money, I’ll go public, threaten to jump off a building, and play the victim! I’ll tell everyone about our relationship and see if you can afford that humiliation!"

A scoundrel will always be a scoundrel.

Sophia Shaw trembled with anger, but she calmed down after a moment.

"I suppose I could help you."

Seeing her give in, a triumphant smile spread across Chad Jennings’s face. "Now that’s more like it. You’re a rocket genius and a partner at Lead Aerospace. You’ve got tens of billions in your pocket. Spending four hundred million to pay off my debt should be a drop in the bucket for you."

Leah Evans had followed them out, worried Sophia Shaw might be at a disadvantage. When she heard Sophia relent, followed by Chad Jennings’s shameless demand, she was so furious she felt like she would explode.

"How is the money Sophia Shaw earns any of your damn business? You wouldn’t raise her when she needed you, but now that she’s successful, you show up to be a Vampire. How can you be so shameless?"

Chad Jennings had never cared about saving face. In fact, when he heard Leah Evans call him a "Vampire," his eyes lit up.

"Since I’m already a Vampire in your eyes, then I want eight hundred million!"

"You!" Leah Evans raised her foot to kick him.

Sophia Shaw pulled her back.

Chad Jennings pointed outside, gloating, "This place is full of people coming and going. Sophia Shaw is so famous now. If a scandal about her hitting her own father breaks out, let’s see how she’ll manage!"

’He’d already planned it out. After paying off his debt, he’d use the remaining four hundred million to invest again. With Sophia Shaw as his personal ATM, what was there to fear?’

’Ah, sometimes being too famous is more trouble than it’s worth.’

’They can’t handle even the slightest bit of negative press.’

Chad Jennings was quite pleased with himself for knowing how to exploit an opportunity.

And just as he expected, Sophia Shaw nodded. "You want eight hundred million? I’ll give it to you!"

"HAHAHA!" Chad Jennings was ecstatic, roaring with laughter.

’The fortune teller was right. Brianna Shaw was a good wife. She was his ATM when she was alive, and after she died, she even left him a capable daughter to keep giving him money.’

"However—"

Before he could finish laughing, Sophia Shaw’s tone shifted.

"You must confess everything, in clear detail, about how you and Yvonne Sherman acted like Vampires and bled my mother dry! Otherwise, you won’t get a single cent!"

The smile on Chad Jennings’s face froze instantly.

This time, it was Leah Evans’s turn to be delighted.

"Hahaha, Jennings, aren’t you shameless? Go on, say it."

"You get eight hundred million just for opening your mouth and telling the truth. What a bargain."

"Don’t worry, I’ll get a TV station to set up a camera for you. We’ll record every single word you say and let the entire nation of Cathan see what a shameless father Cathan’s rocket genius has!"

"Mhm, the footage will definitely be inspirational!"

Chad Jennings’s face was stiff and pale, his mouth hanging open for a long time.

’He might not have a head for business, but he wasn’t stupid enough to agree to such a demand.’

’With Sophia Shaw’s current status, if he revealed this, the whole world would know what a scumbag he was.’

’He couldn’t afford that kind of humiliation!’

Sophia Shaw could see right through Chad Jennings.

’He took it for granted when he was scheming against my mother, but now he’s worried about being humiliated?’

"Faye, let’s both take a step back. I won’t ask for eight hundred million, and you don’t have to..."

"Whether it’s four hundred million or eight hundred million, that is my only condition!"

Her mother had been slandered for so many years. Every time Sophia Shaw thought about it, her heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife.

’If I can’t even do this much for her, what right do I have to be her daughter!’

Backed into a corner, Chad Jennings resorted to his old tricks. "Believe it or not, I’ll go tell them right now that you’re abandoning me!"

"You have tens of billions but won’t even give your own father four hundred million! Let’s see if you can handle that kind of shame!"

"Go on, say it."

Sophia Shaw made a call. "Bring a sound system over."

Chad Jennings didn’t understand what she was planning to do.

A staff member quickly brought over the sound equipment. Sophia Shaw handed the microphone to Chad Jennings. "You can talk now. Go ahead and explain exactly how you ended up four hundred million in debt. Let everyone know just how stupid the rocket genius’s father is!"

"And while you’re at it, let everyone help you remember what a ’good’ daughter you have!"

The daughter she was referring to was Joanna Sherman.

Chad Jennings had clearly bought good stocks, but Joanna Sherman had manipulated him several times until he lost every penny.

Thinking of this, Leah Evans couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"You really should tell everyone all about it."

"Joanna Sherman used to be called a rocket genius, too. The former rocket genius scams her own father, who then loses everything and comes to leech off Sophia Shaw. Hahaha!"

Leah Evans’s laughter was piercing. Enraged, Chad Jennings snarled, "Shut your mouth!"

Sophia Shaw said coldly, "The evidence of you and Yvonne Sherman bleeding my mother dry was destroyed by you two. But the fact that I haven’t received a single cent of child support from you since I was fifteen is well-documented. Go ahead and cause a scene. We’ll see whose side people take!"

With that, she turned and walked away, not caring whether he threw a fit or not.

Leah Evans caught up to her and gave Sophia Shaw a thumbs-up. "That move was ruthless! Did you see that? Chad Jennings was panicking but didn’t dare bother you again."

When Vincent Grant returned, only Cedric Grant was left in the empty five-star hotel.

He stood alone among the chairs, looking indescribably desolate.

The birthday party venue had been dismantled and was in disarray.

Vincent’s chest heaved violently, a rare sight. The dark hair at his temples was soaked with sweat; he had clearly rushed all the way back.

"Cedric," he called out in a low voice, striding over. "Where are your mother and sister?"

Cedric Grant looked up, his face covered in tears.

The moment he spoke, he yelled, "Dad, why are you only back now? Why did you take so long to come back!"

Sophia Shaw and Bun had gone on a trip with Yancy Shaw and the others.

Yancy Shaw had specially arranged an overseas trip for the family, and they were already on the plane.

Cedric Grant couldn’t suppress his disappointment in Vincent Grant.

"If you had come back sooner, we could have gone too! We could be with Mom and my sister!"

Cedric Grant clenched his fists tightly, his whole body trembling as he cried.

"Grand-aunt said you were easily scared away by Auntie Joanna’s suicide attempt, which proves you don’t care that much about Mom!"

"You’re only good to Mom when Auntie Joanna is safe and sound! Mom isn’t your second choice, and she won’t follow you just to be wronged again!"

’When Grand-aunt said those things, he really, really wanted to defend his father, but he couldn’t think of a single word to say that would help him.’

"If you hadn’t left, Dad, then in Grand-aunt’s eyes, Mom would be your number one priority, and they wouldn’t have such a big problem with you!"

"Dad, there’s no chance now! There’s no chance at all!"

After yelling, Cedric Grant turned and ran out.

Vincent Grant’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees...

Sophia Shaw’s trip was quite comfortable. She soaked up enough of the warm tropical sun and ate her fill of tropical fruits.

She spent a week traveling abroad with Yancy Shaw’s family before returning to Crestfall.

This time, Levin Sawyer and Mrs. Sawyer had also gone with them.

When they returned, Mrs. Sawyer specifically told Levin Sawyer to see Sophia Shaw home.

When the two of them arrived downstairs, they saw a tall figure from a distance.