Sophie had never noticed the thin piece of metal wire hidden within the ne around Colby''s neck. Colby inserted the wire into the lock core. With a couple of simple twists, the padlock was picked open. Standing by, Sophie opened her mouth in surprise and asked, "You can pick locks?"


    "A bit."


    "Then why didn''t you just open the front door lockst time?"


    "That lock was sophisticated, I couldn''t pick it. Besides, you had things you wanted to find out."


    Saying so, Colby opened the box, which contained several old journals that looked like they were from the early 20th century. The blue covers had yellowed with age, and the handwriting was clear and elegant indicating the work of a skilled calligrapher.


    "Is this...the Russell family''s ledger?"This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    Sophie nced at a few others and said, "Here''s the Aldridge family''s, the Costello family''s, and the Tredgold family''s."


    After a moment, Sophie added, "Could these be the ledgers from back then?"


    "It seems the head of the Russell family was in charge of all four families'' ledgers."


    "But... what use were these ledgers at that time?" Sophie was puzzled. While ledgers were important, it didn''t seem necessary to preserve them so carefully.


    "These books are old. We need to handle them with care. Let''s take them back and have a look."


    "Okay."


    Sophie ced the ledgers back into the box, and then they went into the room to delve into the ledgers.


    In the living room, Sophie spread open the ledgers, which seemed to begin from when the four families first formed an alliance.


    "This is double-entry bookkeeping. It looks quiteplicated."


    "You understand it?"


    "Kind of, just haven''t looked at it in a long time. Need to familiarize myself again."


    Sophie carefully examined the ledgers. Colby watched her intently and said, "I didn''t realize my wife was so talented. You even understand this kind of bookkeeping."


    "Did you forget what I studied? I''m a finance major. How could I manage apany if I couldn''t understand ledgers?"


    Sophie said this, but in her heart, she was grateful to James.


    In her past life, she liked James, and to help him, she diligently learned everything rted to finance. She had encountered many things and learned quickly. If not for her knowledge from her past life, she wouldn''t understand these ledgers now.


    Sophie scrutinized the ledgers, her frown deepening. "Something''s off about these ledgers."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "The recorded amounts are strange."


    "How so?"


    "Look, this section mentions the Costello family''s import business had an annual revenue of three hundred thousand dors but expenditures of six hundred thousand dors. Where did the


    vel


    extra three hundred thousand go?


    "The Russell family''s main business was cosmetics, and it''s even stranger. The annual revenue was one hundred thousand dors, and expenditures were two hundred thousand dors.


    "The Tredgold family was in agriculture, with an annual revenue of two hundred thousand dors and expenditures of four hundred thousand dors."


    Sophie then opened the Aldridge family ledger and said, "Here, the total annual revenue is 1.2 million dors, but the expenditure section is empty." "That means the money spent went to the Aldridge family."


    Sophie and Colby looked at each other in silence.


    The ledgers only covered the first year, with each family doubling their losses, ultimately funneling the money to the Aldridge family.


    In other words, the first year''s ounts were fabricated.


    "If everything written in these


    ledgers is false, then we only need to note the total annual revenue in the Aldridge family''s ledger to know they fabricated an extra 1.2 million


    dors that year."


    At that time, 1.2 million dors was equivalent to more than 1.2 billion dors today.


    For Devonport''s development at that time, 1.2 million dors was an astronomical figure. Such a massive sum was astonishing.


    "Could this money be the treasure that the four families were guarding?"


    "The amount is substantial, but


    currency devalues over time. After so many years, focusing on Devonport and dismantling the four families for just 1.2 million dors seems far-fetched."


    "Are you suggesting that the 1.2 million was just a smokescreen?"


    Sophie frowned deeply. If so much money was just a diversion, the secret it concealed was terrifying. ''Ding Ding-''


    At that moment, Sophie''s phone rang. The caller ID showed Tricia.


    Sophie answered the call, asking, "What''s up?"


    "Ms. Sophie, Mr. Burke wants to see you. He''s called several times saying he couldn''t reach you."


    Sophie nced at her phone and opened her call log, which showed no missed calls from James.


    Sophie frowned and asked, "I didn''t receive his calls."


    "Cough..."


    At that moment, Colby suddenly coughed.