John remained utterly unfazed by Raelynn's outburst. He cast her a sidelong glance and remarked, unable to hold back, "Who would have thought the Mercer family would collapse in just a few years?" Though his voice wasn't particularly loud, everyone in the room heard him with absolute clarity. The crowd stared at John in disbelief, as if struggling to comprehend that he could be this kind of man. Back then, because the Mercer family was wealthy and powerful, John had abandoned Renee to marry Raelynn. But when the Mercer family fell from grace, he was consumed by regret. Zac's eyes brimmed with contempt. Ha! Mom has been right all along. John is nothing but a despicable scoundrel. Once, his mom had also longed to marry John. Among the men who had pursued her, John's family had been the wealthiest. Yet just as they were about to discuss marriage, John had suddenly turned his back on her and married Raelynn, the Mercer family's daughter! At the time, Renee had been so enraged she had nearly passed out. For John, she had given up two exceptional suitors. But after witnessing his marriage to Raelynn, she had turned back in desperation, only to find that those two men had already settled down with their own wives. With no other choice, she had returned to John. From that moment on, she became his shameful, hidden mistress, never to be acknowledged in public. Ten years ago, Renee had finally reached her breaking point. She faked her own death, forcing John to take Zac into the Gray family. But the consequence was irreversible. She could never show herself again. Even now, she remained a ghost, a woman erased from existence. And it was all John's fault. Since childhood, Zac had harbored a deep, burning hatred toward John. His mom had drilled one truth into him from a young age. Nothing was more important than money. He had to find a way to sow discord among them. Against those who opposed him, he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, especially when it came to Arthur, John's legitimate son. And he had succeeded. He had secured wealth, seized shares, and shattered the relationship between John and Arthur. He had even manipulated the other foolish members of the Gray family into casting Arthur aside like worthless refuse. He had not failed his mom's expectations. Hearing John's callous words, Raelynn felt like she was about to lose her mind, overwhelmed by the bitter realization that she had been foolish enough to fall for his lies and marry him. Suppressing her fury, she gritted her teeth and demanded, "You've sold the house, and you're keeping all the shares for yourself. Where are we supposed to live? How are we supposed to survive?" John responded indifferently, "Julie and Rosie still have a house, don't they? Just live there." At that, the smoldering rage in the room reignited in full force. "John! Julie and Rosie only have one house left! That's supposed to be their dowry!" "Dowry?" John scoffed, completely unfazed. "Our family is in crisis now! Who has the luxury of worrying about dowries?" "Oh, right." He suddenly remembered something and added, "Rosie, I already put your house up for sale. The buyer came to see it yesterday and will be here later to finalize the paperwork. You'll need to sign." His voice was devoid of emotion. He wasn't asking for Rosie's opinion, he was informing her of a decision already made. The entire room froze in shock. Rosie's face twisted with disbelief as she shrieked, "Dad! That's the house I worked so hard to buy! How could you sell it?" She broke down on the spot. Their parents had always favored Zac. In the entire family, John had only ever bought a house for Zac. Julie and Rosie, on the other hand, had scraped and struggled to purchase their own homes. Susie had it even worse. She hadn't been working long, her career had never taken off, and as a result, she didn't own a single piece of property. And now, John was telling them that Rosie's house had already been put on the market! Rosie hadn't even known! He had never so much as mentioned it to her! That was her house! John frowned, irritated. "Why are you making such a fuss? The family is in trouble, shouldn't you be contributing?" Then, turning to Julie, he continued, "Your house has been listed as well. A buyer is interested and will be coming to see it tomorrow. Be ready to sign." "What?" Julie gasped, horrified. "Dad! How could you sell my house without even asking me?" John's scowl deepened. "Rosie is immature, but you? You're the eldest! Can't you show some responsibility? I've already sold the villa, what makes you think your house is off-limits?" "But I've already sold several houses! This is the only one I have left!!" Julie cried out in anguish. Susie shrieked, her voice sharp with panic, "Where the hell are we supposed to live if you're selling Julie and Rosie's houses?"