Chapter 6 Dressing It up Like It was Noble

Faced with Lillian's questioning, her uncles all looked visibly embarrassed.

They had figured they could keep it hidden a bit longer, but it got exposed much sooner than expected — and right in front of everyone.

"Well... we didn't borrow that much, really. No need to make a big deal out of it."

"Yeah, it was just a little bit."

Lillian slowly clenched her fist. "Just a little bit? If that's true, why are people showing up to collect? After all this time, you still won't tell the truth? Are you trying to bring down the entire Genovese family?"

Cody's expression immediately turned cold. "Lillian, watch how you talk to me. Where are your manners? Santos, I think it's time you had a talk with her."

Santos didn't look too pleased either. "Lillian, no matter what, these are your uncles. Watch your mouth."

Lillian let out a short laugh. "Watch my mouth? Sure, I can do that — but will the Elephant Gang? If we don't figure out exactly how much is owed right now, we won't even get a chance to regret it."

Darroch turned to Cody. "What are you standing there for? Start talking! How much do you owe them?"

Cody cleared his throat quietly. "It's not that bad, really. The principal was only ten million, but with interest, it's rolled up to thirty million."

Lillian felt the air leave her lungs. She was completely thrown.

Darroch was furious, speaking through gritted teeth. "How could you do this? The company's finances were already in trouble, and you pulled something like this? Do you even care about this family anymore?"

Cody quickly waved his hands. "Calm down, calm down. It's not hopeless yet. We still have a way out."

"A way out?" Lillian gave a bitter smile. "What way out? There's no way the company can pull together thirty million. Even if we sold the whole thing, we still couldn't cover it."

Cody smiled and said, "You're right, the company can't — but someone else can."

"Who?"

"The Orens, of course! They have power and money to spare. Thirty million is nothing to them — they could put up three hundred million without blinking. All you have to do is marry Troy Oren. They'll definitely take care of this for us, and on top of that, they could give our company a real boost. This isn't just your chance — it's a chance for our whole family."

As soon as Cody finished, the others chimed in one after another.

"Exactly. With the Orens' connections, you'd be set for life. It's got to be better than sticking with a criminal, right?"

"This is the kind of opportunity people dream about for generations. You can't let it slip by."

"Lillian, we're all saying this for your own good. Don't let us down."

Lillian gave a hollow smile. "For my own good? Sounds more like you're doing this for yourselves."

Cody puffed out his chest and said slowly, word by word, "That's not fair. Are we doing this for ourselves? We're doing this for the entire Genovese family. Do you really want to watch the Genoveses get swallowed up by the Elephant Gang? Do you want to see your father and grandfather out on the street?"

Arthur stood nearby, his face stone cold, watching it all unfold. He now knew exactly what it looked like when someone climbed up on a moral high horse to point fingers at others.

Making the younger generation pay for their own mistakes — and dressing it up like it was noble. People like that didn't deserve to be here.

Lillian took a deep breath and shook her head firmly. "I'm not marrying Troy. Not a chance."

Cody stomped his foot in frustration and turned to Santos. "Santos, are you really going to let this go? She doesn't care about the Genoveses — but do you? The Elephant Gang is about to come through that door. We need to call the Orens right now and lock this in, or we're finished."

Santos pointed at Lillian. "I'll say this once. You're marrying into the Orens."

"No." Lillian shook her head again.

"How did I end up with a daughter like you!" Santos raised his hand and swung it hard toward Lillian's face.

At the last second, a figure stepped in front of her, and Santos' hand froze in midair.

Staring at Arthur standing there, Santos was so angry he could barely speak. "What do you think you're doing? Get your hands out of the way."

Arthur scoffed. "She's still your daughter. You treat strangers better than you treat her."

"How I treat my own daughter is my business. It's got nothing to do with you. I'm telling you one last time — move."

"And if I don't?" Arthur asked coldly.

Cody and the others immediately stepped forward.

"Kid, we've been more than patient with you. Don't push it."

"Look at yourself. Who do you think you are, sticking your nose into our family business?"

"We may not be able to handle the Elephant Gang, but dealing with you is nothing. One word from us and you're done. Try us."

Lillian said quietly, "I appreciate it, but this isn't your problem. I'll handle it myself."

Arthur was about to respond when a voice rang out from outside. "Cody! Where are you?"

Everyone spun around. More than a dozen men in black vests walked into the hall. Their muscles were absurdly large, like bricks stacked on top of each other.

The man leading them was heavyset, completely bald, and had a look about him that was equal parts menacing and greasy.

Cody immediately put on a smile and went to meet him. "Krom! What brings you here? You should've let me know — I would've come out to meet you!"

This was Krom, the second-in-command of the Elephant Gang.

Krom let out a cold laugh. "You would've come to meet me? You would've run faster than a rabbit."

Cody chuckled nervously. "Ha, you're joking, Krom. I wouldn't dare hide from you, not in a million years."

"Is that right? Then why weren't you picking up my calls? Afraid I was going to ask about the money?"

"Uh..." Cody rubbed his hands together, unable to string a sentence together.

The next second, Krom grabbed him by the collar. "I warned you before — don't even think about skipping out on what you owe me. Get me that thirty million, every last cent, right now. Otherwise, I'll make sure you wish you were dead. Try me."

"No no no!" Cody shook his head frantically. "Just — just stay calm. Let me explain. I really don't have that kind of cash on hand right now, but the Orens do. They'll cover the debt for me. Please, Krom, just give me a little more time."