After Rebirth, I Became My Ex's Aunt-in-Law-Chapter 115: Daddy’s Little Bankruptcy

The rapid toxicology panel was still processing when the double doors of the ICU swung open.

The lead surgeon stepped out, looking harassed. He scanned the waiting room, his eyes sliding over the weeping Lydia and landing squarely on Aria, who was currently checking her cuticle oil while Zoe held her purse.

"Mrs. Sinclair," the doctor said. "Mr. Vale is conscious. He’s... agitated. His vitals are unstable, but he is demanding to speak with you before we sedate him for the procedure."

Lydia shot up from the beige sofa like she had been electrocuted.

"I’m his wife!" she cried, rushing forward, her heels clacking on the linoleum. "I should be the one to—"

She didn’t make it three steps.

Two of Damien’s guards simply stepped sideways, closing ranks. They didn’t touch her; they just existed in her path. Lydia slammed to a halt, looking up at a wall of black wool and indifference.

"Access denied, Stepmother," Aria said without looking up from her nails. "You heard the doctor. He asked for me."

"He’s confused!" Lydia shrieked, peering around the massive arm of a guard. "He needs me! Aria, don’t you dare go in there and stress him out!"

Aria stood up. She adjusted Damien’s oversized shirt, smoothed her messy bun, and walked toward the doors in her fuzzy slides.

"Stay here, Zoe," she instructed. "If Lydia tries to rush the door, film it. It’ll make a great blooper reel."

"On it," Zoe said, raising her phone.

Aria walked past the doctor into the ICU.

The room was cold, filled with the rhythmic beeping of machines. Raymond Vale lay in the bed, looking small and grey. Tubes ran from his arms, and an oxygen mask covered his mouth. He looked like a man who had been hollowed out by life.

Aria stood at the foot of the bed. She didn’t feel sadness. She didn’t feel pity. She felt a vague sense of annoyance that her fun day with Zoe was ruined by this.

"You called," she said.

Raymond’s eyes fluttered open. He pulled the mask down with a trembling hand.

"Aria," he wheezed. "The lawyers... did you sign?"

"Not yet," Aria said, crossing her arms. "I’m waiting on a blood test to see if your wife poisoned you."

Raymond let out a dry, rattling laugh. It turned into a cough that shook the bed.

"She didn’t poison me," he rasped, his eyes darting to the door. "But she wants to. She wants me dead, Aria. I know it."

"Paranoia is a side effect of dying, Raymond," Aria said. "Just tell me what you want."

"She sold it," Raymond whispered, grabbing her wrist with surprising strength. "The house. The Vale Estate. She sold it to S.H. Holdings last week."

Aria froze. S.H. Holdings. Sinclair Heritage.

"Grandfather Sinclair?" Aria asked. "Lydia sold my mother’s house to my husband’s grandfather?"

"She made a deal," Raymond gasped. "She needed cash. The IRS... the accounts are frozen... but she found a way. She sold the land. She thinks if I die... the life insurance... the Trust payout..."

He looked at her, his eyes wet with terror. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"She’s going to let me die on this table, Aria. She needs the payout. She’s broke. The company is bankrupt. I leveraged your shares years ago. There’s nothing left but the insurance policy."

Aria stared at him.

It wasn’t a master plan. It was just greed. Stupid, desperate greed.

Her father wasn’t a villain. He was a fool. A weak, blind idiot who had let a viper into his bed and was now surprised he was getting bitten.

"You spent my inheritance?" she asked quietly. "You stole my mother’s legacy to pay for her lifestyle?"

"I had to!" Raymond whined. "She has expensive tastes! I was trying to keep her happy!"

"And now she’s selling your grave plot to pay for her next vacation," Aria noted.

"Save me," Raymond begged. "Sign the release. Authorize the surgery. Don’t let her win. If I die... she gets everything."

Aria looked at him.

"The Trust still has funds for medical emergencies," Raymond promised. "Use it. Save me. And I’ll testify against her. I’ll tell the police everything she did."

Aria pulled her hand away from his grip. She wiped it on her shirt.

"Testify," she repeated.

"Everything," Raymond swore.

Aria turned and walked out of the room without saying yes or no.

She burst into the waiting room. Lydia was standing there, arguing with a nurse.

Aria walked right up to her.

"You sold the house," Aria said.

Lydia froze. She turned slowly, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "I... I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"To Sinclair Heritage," Aria hissed. "You sold my mother’s house to my husband’s grandfather. That’s why you were at the gala. You weren’t there for charity. You were there to collect your check."

Lydia’s chin went up. "I did what I had to do! We were drowning! And now he owns it. So good luck evicting me, darling. The Sinclairs never sell land."

Aria stared at her. She realized, with a jolt of dark humor, that Lydia was right. The Sinclair Elders collected property like dragons collected gold. Grandfather Sinclair now held her childhood home hostage.

"Mrs. Sinclair?" the lawyer interrupted, holding out the clipboard again. "The release form? For the surgery? The doctors are waiting."

Aria looked at the paper.

She looked at Lydia, who was watching her with terrified, greedy eyes.

She looked at the ICU door, where her father lay bargaining for his life.

She took the pen.

She didn’t sign it immediately. She tapped it against her chin, looking from the lawyer to Lydia.

"The toxicology report," Aria said. "Where is it?"

"It’s clean," the doctor said, stepping forward with a printout. "No toxins found."

Lydia let out a loud, dramatic sigh of relief. "See? I told you! It was a heart attack!"

Aria looked at the clean report. Then she looked at the release form.

"Interesting," she murmured.

She leaned over the clipboard.

The pen touched the paper.

Aria made her decision.