Ethan Grant ignored the stunned Shirley Thorne and said to Mr. Thorne, "I'm right here. I can look at it now."
Mr. Thorne's family was so shocked they didn't know how to react.
They couldn't for the life of them figure out why Ethan Grant would show up.
Seeing Mr. Thorne hesitate, Ethan Grant snatched the photo directly from his hand. He saw a teenage Shirley Thorne hiding behind a police officer, her face streaked with tears.
Ethan Grant couldn't help but scoff. To think Mr. Thorne believed a photo like this could threaten the wife of the richest man.
Shirley Thorne's mind went completely blank. Fearing Ethan Grant might actually believe it, she stepped forward to explain, "Mr. Grant, I admit I was foolish before, but I'll be smart from now on. I swear!"
'Please don't take back my hundred million!'
Ethan Grant didn't spare her a glance, simply asking, "Where are the statements you prepared last night?"
"Huh?" Shirley Thorne was momentarily stunned.
'How did he know I printed out statements last night?'
'But then she remembered the man before her was the richest man in Veridia. He could probably find out anything she had done, or planned to do, if he simply chose to investigate.'
"Right here!"
Shirley Thorne pulled a folder containing the statements out of her bag. With a sly smile, she said to Mr. Thorne and the others, "Guess what's in here?"
Mr. Thorne and the others were confused.
But before they could react, Shirley Thorne eagerly opened it. With a great flourish, she flung the statements at the Thorne family.
Gideon Thorne picked one up and looked at it, his eyes going wide. They were bank transfer receipts from all the money Shirley Thorne had sent them in the past!
The youngest Thorne sister cried out, "Sis, you actually gave him this much money? This must be over a million!"
That's right. The old Shirley Thorne had worked herself to the bone, scrimping on food, clothes, and any sort of fun, saving every penny for her vampire family.
She sneered, "Gideon Thorne, what kind of stories do you think the media will cook up when they see these statements?"
"Let me guess for you, shall I? 'Freeloader Brother Exposed: The Rock-Solid Proof!' 'How to Feed a Vampire Brother.' 'Exploited by Her Brother in a Family That Favors Sons'..."
The more Shirley Thorne spoke, the more Gideon Thorne sweated.
He passed himself off as a rich heir, spending lavishly and dressing impeccably. How else would he have gotten close to a true heiress?
'If Shirley Thorne exposed all this, how could he keep pretending to be rich?'
Mr. Thorne was furious. "You did that willingly!"
Shirley Thorne shrugged. "The media doesn't care if I was willing or not. All they want is a story that will grab people's attention."
And a story about a scumbag brother bleeding his sister dry is far more eye-catching than a heartwarming tale of sibling devotion!
Mr. Thorne was hopping mad. "I forbid it! Delete all of this! Delete it!"
As he spoke, Mr. Thorne lunged forward and grabbed Shirley Thorne's purse, trying to see if there were any more statements inside.
'He couldn't let his precious son be labeled a vampire!'
Caught off guard, Shirley Thorne was yanked forward and nearly fell.
Ethan Grant instinctively reached out to steady her, thoroughly enraged.
Before Shirley Thorne could say a word, Ethan Grant took out his phone and made a call. "Come here and pick up a file."
Shirley Thorne, having just steadied herself, asked, "What's wrong? What are you doing?"
Ethan Grant simply said, "Wait."
Soon, a sharp-looking, handsome man in glasses entered the Thorne residence.
"President Grant, your orders?"
A rare smile touched Ethan Grant's lips. He handed the man the statements and the so-called "hostess" photo. "Tomorrow's headlines. Write a good story."
The man in glasses glanced through them, his expression unchanging. He simply asked, "How about this for a headline? 'From Family Martyr to Tycoon's Wife: The Arduous Life of Mrs. Grant.'"
Ethan Grant nodded.
Shirley Thorne added, "That works! Make me sound as pathetic as possible!"
"Shirley Thorne!" Mr. Thorne couldn't take it anymore. "Won't you be satisfied until you've driven me to death?"
Facing her "heartbroken" father, Shirley Thorne said bluntly, "If you're going to die, do it quickly. While I'm still the wife of the richest man, I can at least afford to give you a decent funeral."
Mr. Thorne was so furious he could barely breathe. If Ethan Grant hadn't been there, he would have already slapped her.
Gideon Thorne had already witnessed how terrifying Ethan Grant could be. So, even though he was grinding his teeth in hatred for Shirley Thorne, he didn't dare cross the line.
None of them had expected that even after seeing a photo like that, Ethan Grant would still be on Shirley Thorne's side, his attitude completely unchanged.
'Could it be that after spending the last few days together, they'd actually gotten close?'
Gideon Thorne thought resentfully.
Finally, it was the youngest Thorne sister who broke the awkward silence. "Sister, I'm so sorry things got so unpleasant. Next time, after everyone's had a chance to cool down, we'll invite you and President Grant over again."
"Fine!" Shirley Thorne thought. 'I've put the scumbags in their place and told them off. Time to go home.'
"Mr. Grant, let's go home."
Shirley Thorne's smile was radiant. After a moment's thought, she linked her arm through Ethan Grant's.
'We're in public now. It's perfectly normal for the richest man's wife to be on his arm!'
'Yes, perfectly normal!'
The moment she took his arm, Ethan Grant stiffened slightly. A moment later, he relaxed and simply said, "Mm."