Chapter 6 The Dowry Trap

The apartment door unlocked after Revan entered the passcode. But the moment he stepped inside, he came to an abrupt stop.

A woman stood in the living room, watching him in a knee-length satin nightgown. Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her crimson lips curved into the same gentle smile that had always managed to melt Revan's heart.

Teressa Gringer.

Revan frowned slightly. "What are you doing here?"

Teressa's smile widened, as though the question amused her. "Am I not allowed to visit my own fiancé?" She strolled toward him without the slightest hesitation. "Or do I have to make an appointment now just to see my future husband?"

She didn't wait for an answer. With an effortless motion, she slipped both arms around his neck and smiled sweetly.

Her body pressed against his, carrying the soft fragrance of the perfume Revan had come to recognize over the past two years.

"We're getting married very soon," Teressa whispered, her voice almost a pout. "Only one more week." She looked up at him with hopeful eyes. "Can you really be this cold to me?"

If this had been his previous life, Revan would have already given in. Before Teressa even finished speaking, he would have wrapped her in his arms and apologized, even if he had done nothing wrong.

Unfortunately...

The man standing before her now was no longer the same Revan. He glanced at the arms draped around his neck before calmly removing them. "What do you need?"

Teressa froze for a brief moment. The subtle rejection caused her smile to stiffen ever so slightly, but only for an instant.

She smiled again, walked over to the sofa, and crossed her legs gracefully. "Actually... I was just curious about the share transfer."

Her eyes settled on Revan once more. "Didn't you say all of your shares would be transferred into my name before the wedding?" She tilted her head, as though she were merely reminding him of a small promise. "But I haven't heard anything since then. It's already been several days since we last talked about it."

She offered him another sweet smile. "Don't tell me you've changed your mind."

Revan looked at her for several seconds before a slow smile appeared on his face. "No."

Teressa's smile instantly blossomed.

"I still intend to transfer them."

The excitement in her eyes was impossible to hide.

"However..." Revan deliberately let the word hang in the air. "There's one small condition you need to fulfill first."

Teressa's smile never faded. To her, whatever condition he had in mind would surely be easy to satisfy.

She had no idea she had just stepped into another carefully prepared trap. "I knew you wouldn't break your promise."

"But there's one thing we need to do first."

"What is it?"

Revan folded his arms across his chest. "The share transfer will take place before the wedding."

Teressa nodded without hesitation. "That's what we agreed on."

"Which means," Revan continued, "the shares will become premarital property."

Teressa frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"

"If something ever happens in our marriage one day," Revan said casually, "those shares will remain entirely yours. They won't have to be divided as marital assets."

Teressa's eyes immediately sparkled. That arrangement was even more beneficial than she had expected. "I've never imagined we'd get divorced," she said with a sweet smile.

"I hope not, either." Revan paused briefly before continuing. "That's why I want a guarantee as well."

"A guarantee?"

"All of your savings and liquid assets will be given to me as your dowry."

Teressa blinked. "My dowry?"

Revan nodded calmly. "Yes. Consider it proof that you're truly committed to this marriage." His gaze remained steady. "If you're faithful, I'll return everything to you after we've been married for one year."

Teressa studied him in silence.

Inside her mind, she quickly ran the numbers.

Her savings were substantial. But compared to the remaining Sterling Group shares Revan owned, worth tens of millions of dollars, they were insignificant.

More importantly, according to Revan, those shares would become her personal premarital property, belonging solely to her.

The profits she stood to gain were far greater than anything she would be giving up.

Without another thought, her smile returned. "All right. I agree. Tomorrow I'll transfer all of my savings to you."

Revan nodded slowly. "Good."

Teressa had no idea she had just handed over every dollar she had spent years accumulating.

To Revan, however, that money would soon become capital far more valuable than anything else once the apocalypse arrived.

That night, while most of the city's residents slept peacefully, the sky remained calm.

Far beyond the Moon's orbit, millions of kilometers from Earth, a massive cluster of space rocks raced silently through the vacuum of space.

Not a single person on Earth realized the distance between them was shrinking with every passing second.

Inside several astronomical observatories, scientists began noticing minor anomalies in their telescope data.

They assumed they were merely fragments of passing asteroids that posed no significant threat.

Brief reports were submitted for further review.

No one knew that, within days, those celestial objects would forever change the course of human civilization.

The following morning...

Inside the living room of the Anderson family's villa, Vivian sat sipping her coffee.

Documents for the sale of their villa, apartments, and several other assets were neatly arranged on the table.

Billy closed his laptop with a satisfied smile. "The funds are ready."

Teressa nodded as she absentmindedly played with the only gold bracelet left on her wrist. "Today, not only will twenty percent of Sterling Group belong to us," she said.

"What do you mean, Honey?" Billy asked curiously.

Vivian looked at her as well, setting down her coffee cup and leaning forward.

"Last night I went to see Revan and brought up the share transfer," Teressa replied.

"And?"

"He said he'll transfer those shares to me as my dowry and as my premarital property. Which means..." She deliberately left the sentence unfinished.

Billy and Vivian immediately understood. Smiles spread across both of their faces as they finished it for her.

"Which means those shares will belong entirely to you?"

"Exactly."

"He agreed to give them to you just like that? He didn't do anything to you, did he? He didn't touch you?" Billy asked as he looked Teressa over carefully.

"Of course not. I'd never let him touch me," Teressa replied reassuringly.

"Good."

"That's enough. We can celebrate later." Vivian stood up, her eyes gleaming with impatience. "Right now, we should head to Sterling Group and collect our shares."

"Yes, Mom."

"Let's go."

The three of them smiled throughout the drive to Sterling Group.

Not one of them realized...

This was not the day they would become rich. It was the day they would lose everything.