Chapter 233: Eavesdropping and Exposing the Mask

"Ding."

When the elevator doors slid open, Eric stepped out and walked toward the unit where Jade lived. As he reached the front door and rested his hand on the handle, Eric caught the sound of raised voices coming from inside. Releasing his grip, he figured it was better to play eavesdropper first rather than barge in unannounced. He pressed his ear flat against the door.

"Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, mooching off Jade like this, Dad?!" Caleb’s voice echoed loudly from inside.

"I already told you, I just need a temporary hand right now. The moment my investment pays out, I promise I’ll find a place of my own immediately," David replied, his tone carefully measured.

"Okay, so how long is that gonna take? Give me a real answer! There’s no way there isn’t a hard deadline, right?" Caleb demanded loudly.

Then, silence fell inside the apartment. Heavy footsteps paced toward the door, only to retreat a moment later.

"You can’t even answer that, can you? Fine, let’s do it this way: what company is this investment in? What’s the business model? What kind of revenue are we talking about? Better yet, show me the contract," Caleb pressed.

"How could you, Dad? This is just like before, isn’t it? You convinced Mom to pour her family’s money into your business ventures, only for everyone to find out you gambled it all away at the casino! In the end... everything went down the drain and Mom was left to clean up your mess! Please, Dad, this is my home with Mike. I don’t want any more friction between Mike and me!" Jade chimed in, her voice pitched high with visible frustration.

"Let me speak with Mike myself. I’m sure he’ll understand," David urged calmly.

"No, Dad. You need to leave right now. Please, while Caleb and I are still asking you nicely without calling the cops, because right now you’re refusing to leave and trespassing on tenant property," Jade snapped back, her patience wearing thin.

"You’d really call the cops to arrest your own father? Don’t forget, Caleb, we’re family. Our rule has always been to handle things peacefully among ourselves," David warned, his voice taking on a heavy edge.

"That’s why we’re still handling this peacefully! So just pack up and go, Dad," Caleb shot back.

"Yeah, Dad. Mike’s gonna be home any minute, and I refuse to welcome him home to a huge shouting match. So please, don’t make a scene," Jade added.

"The only ones making this a problem are the two of you! Just let me speak to Mike. Like I said, he’ll understand since this is purely temporary, not permanent," David insisted, regaining his calm yet forceful tone.

"I’m warning you, Dad. I’m still trying to speak to you respectfully. But if you keep forcing your way after being asked nicely, I am calling the police," Jade stated firmly.

Suddenly, the sound of a table scraping against the floor echoed, followed by brief scuffling sounds and retreating footsteps. After that, only faint murmurs reached the door as all three continued talking inside. Eric paused for a moment, glancing down at his pocket where David’s phone rested.

"Hmm... better just call the cops and get this over with fast," Eric thought to himself.

He pulled out his own phone, closed his notes app, and dialed emergency services while taking a few steps back from the door. Once the call was wrapped up, he walked back to the entrance and took hold of the handle again. "Sigh." He let out a breath, bracing himself, and turned the knob.

The moment Eric stepped inside, the living room fell dead silent. Caleb and Jade turned to look at him, their expressions breaking into relieved smiles.

David’s eyes locked onto Eric as well, his demeanor shifting instantly. His jaw clenched tight, and his eyes narrowed into a razor-sharp glare. Unfazed, Eric walked in casually with one hand in his pocket. Reaching into the other, he pulled out David’s smartphone and held it up, intentionally displaying it in clear view.

The second David spotted his phone in Eric’s hands, his face changed again—this time, a flicker of genuine panic crossed his features for about five seconds before he quickly pulled his mask back on, forcing a smooth smile.

"Hey, Eric! How have you been?" David greeted with a smile.

"Doing just fine, Uncle David," Eric replied with a cold smile.

"So... how did my phone end up in your hands?" David asked smoothly.

"Oh, this? I happened to bump into my mom downstairs. We chatted for a bit, and she mentioned she was waiting on you to pay back what you owed her, which is why she drove you all the way here. So I went ahead and covered your debt for you, and she’s already headed home. She asked me to pass your phone back to you," Eric explained casually, setting the smartphone down on the coffee table.

A heavy silence descended over the room. Caleb and Jade exchanged amused nods at Eric, while David’s face drained of color. The panic returned to his features, and this time, it lingered. Forcing another strained smile, he stared back at Eric.

"Your mom went home? Then... how am I supposed to get back?" David asked, his voice cracking slightly despite his smile.

"You’ve got options, Uncle David. Rideshares, taxis, buses, trains, take your pick. Besides, showing photos while you’re on the road is pretty dangerous, isn’t it?" Eric replied smoothly, glancing down as his fingers tapped across his phone screen.

David caught sight of Eric’s screen, which was still displaying the enlarged photo from Ruby’s Instagram account. His jaw tightened, and his eyes dug into Eric with pure venom.

"You know you’re violating my privacy by going through my phone without permission, right?" David growled, struggling to keep his temper in check.

"Oh, don’t worry, Uncle David. When my mom handed it over, Ruby’s account was already wide open on the screen. I didn’t touch a single button because I actually respect the law. That’s why the photo is still zoomed in and focused. I haven’t even touched the display, I’m sure you remember the exact state your phone was in when you handed it off," Eric replied with a sarcastic smirk, his eyes locking onto David with chilling intensity.

"Hmm... why were you showing this picture to Aunt Vanessa in the first place, Dad? What were you trying to pull? Trying to stir up more drama between everyone?" Jade interjected, her tone laced with disgust.

"Sigh... how much longer are you gonna keep doing this, Dad?" Caleb muttered under his breath, letting out a tired sigh with a faint, mocking smile.

David stood speechlessly. Turning around, he walked over to the window and peered down at the parking lot below. Vanessa’s SUV was nowhere to be seen, confirming that Eric wasn’t bluffing. Spinning back around to face Caleb, Jade, and Eric, his fiery temper flared as his calm facade finally shattered to pieces.

"You kids are completely ungrateful! Playing mind games with your elders! If Martin hadn’t sold his lakehouse, I wouldn’t even be standing here!" David shouted, pointing an accusing finger at the three of them.

Hearing David’s outburst, all three of them burst into broad, synchronized smiles. Staring at the grins on their faces, David choked on his next words, realizing instantly that he had just slipped up big time.

"Oho... so you finally admit that the house actually belongs to Uncle Martin! You always told us it was a family property, which is why Eric, Jade, and I haven’t set foot there in four years because it was tied up in a dispute!" Caleb laughed.

"And thanks a bunch, Dad! Ever since you walked in, I’ve been recording everything on Mike’s advice. We live in an one-party consent state, so we’re completely covered legally," Jade added, holding up her smartphone with a triumphant smile.

"Y-you... all of you! I came here because I literally have nowhere else to go! Just because you’ve made something of yourselves, you think you can push an old man like me around?!" David yelled, his face red.

"Keep talking, Dad. We’re all ears," Caleb taunted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Oh, by the way... I called the cops right before stepping inside because I heard loud shouting from out in the hallway. You know, just in case... They should be here any second now. I was really just killing time chatting with you," Eric added nonchalantly.

Hearing Eric’s words, David went dead silent, his red-rimmed eyes darting across the unyielding faces of Eric, Caleb, and Jade. Then, without another word and certainly without saying goodbye, David rushed past the three of them as they stepped aside. He grabbed his suitcase, threw his bag over his shoulder, made a bee-line for the door, and walked out.

As the door clicked shut,

"Sigh."

Eric, Caleb, and Jade all let out a collective sigh of relief before sinking onto the sofa. Caleb turned to look at Eric,

"Did you actually call the cops, dude?" Caleb asked.

"Hmm... yeah, her name’s Officer Emma," Eric replied with a grin.

All three of them burst into loud laughter. Caleb shoved Eric’s shoulder beside him with a wide smile while Jade doubled over laughing.

Meanwhile, back at Caleb’s house, Emma was taking a relaxing soak in the bathtub, having asked Avery if she could borrow the bathroom, when she glanced at her smartphone screen in confusion. A text message from Eric read, "I love you."

"What’s got into him?" she wondered to herself, a sweet smile spreading across her face.