Chapter 168

Harvey stood frozen, muttering, "How could this happen? This isn't right." He was completely devastated by the news. He had invested everything, even borrowing money and convincing the Stevens family to contribute their savings. He'd planned to repay them a small portion of the payout and keep the lion's share for himself. Instead, he was in even worse financial straits than before. For a fleeting moment, he genuinely considered ending it all.

"Harvey, what's going on?" Christina asked, her voice heavy with disappointment. "Did your family's inside information turn out to be wrong, or were you just gambling blindly?"

Harvey attempted a smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "Christie, please believe me, we really did have inside information. I wouldn't have—"

"I don't believe anything you say anymore," Christina interrupted. "Mr. Thatcher made it clear—we've lost everything."

Irene shouted, "Harvey, I don't care what it takes, but you better find a way to get my money back! Use your family connections! If I lose my retirement savings, you can forget about having any future with Christie!"

Leroy snarled, "Yeah. You better return my money too! Otherwise, you're not my brother-in-law anymore—you're my enemy!"

The other Stevens family members exchanged glances, some even snickering quietly in the corners.

"Serves him right for trying to keep all the profits to himself," one whispered. Another added, "I used to think he was some investment genius. If I could go back in time, I'd slap myself for being so blind." A third chimed in, "This whole mess just proves he's nothing but an overrated hack. I'm done wasting my time here—it's not worth it."

Their scornful remarks fueled Harvey's humiliation, his face burning. He had always been viewed as the perfect, capable young man from a prestigious family, and now he was a laughingstock. Irene's threats concerning Christina were the final straw. For a moment, Harvey felt an overwhelming urge to physically subdue Irene and Leroy, silencing them. They were nobodies! Who gave them the right to treat him this way?

Chapter 166

"Mrs. Stevens, Leroy, please calm down. I'll make this right," Harvey forced a smile, unwilling to burn his bridges with the Stevens family just yet. Their hostility made him want to lash out, but he had to remain composed. Otherwise, Christina would be lost to him.

However, Irene and Leroy's aggressive demands made it impossible to focus. Trembling with anger, Irene leaned on someone for support, gasping for air. "Make it right? How are you going to make it right?" she snapped.

Leroy sneered. "I don't care what excuses you come up with. All I care about is my money. Pay it back, and you're still my brother-in-law. If you don't, we're done here."

Harvey's forced smile froze as his eyes darkened dangerously. These people were pushing their luck. Did they really think he had no limits?