Chapter 43
Despite Eloise’s desperate struggle, every single shard of the crushed energy stones was forced into her mouth.
A split second later, Arya let g
go without warning, and Eloise dropped hard onto the floor.
Panicked and humiliated, Eloise didn’t even have time to react to the pain. She clawed at her throat, trying to make herself throw up the stones.
These things were packed with radioactive energy. Wearing them for a day was like getting over a hundred chest X–rays–swallowing them? That was practically a death sentence.
Arya watched her with icy detachment. “Didn’t you say those stones were supposed to be good for you?” she said coolly. “So why are you trying to spit them out?”
Seeing Eloise in distress, Malcolm immediately stepped forward, overflowing with righteous fury. He grabbed Arya’s wrist without a shred of politeness. “Arya,” he barked, “Eloise came here out of kindness to deliver something for your father, and this is how you repay her? You owe her an apology–now.”
Last time, Arya had kicked him at that private club, and he’d chalked it up to being caught off guard.
But today, if he wanted to twist her arm until it snapped, he could do it in seconds–or so he thought.
Arya glanced down at his hand, her expression cold. Without a word, she seized Malcolm, hauled him clean off the ground, and slammed him onto the floor.
Quick. Clean. Brutal.
7
Malcolm didn’t even get a chance to react.
Eloise froze mid–gag, utterly stunned.
In her worst nightmares, she hadn’t imagined Arya could be so savage. Slapping her, forcing her to swallow those toxic stones was bad enough–but now she’d just body–slammed Malcolm like it was nothing?
She wondered, ‘And what is with Arya’s strength? Isn’t she supposed to be delicate and easy to push around? That’s what Dad always said.‘
Malcolm lay on the ground, every nerve screaming in pain.
His mind flashed back to the Estello Auction, when that fierce mixed–race woman slammed him just as hard.
Just like today, he hadn’t been able to fight back at all.
He wondered, ‘Since when are women this terrifying?‘
As Eloise scrambled to recover, she screamed toward the second floor in a voice sharp with panic: “Aunt Maria! Uncle! Help! She’s trying to kill us!”
Arya’s eyes darkened at the sound.
She could barely contain the fury boiling just beneath her skin. Without hesitation, she marched forward, grabbed Eloise by the collar, and slapped her again–this time even harder than before. “Still haven’t learned your lesson? If you’re going to be this loud, I’ll do your uncle a favor and teach you some discipline myself.”
The force of the blow left half of Eloise’s face numb.
The bitter stench of the energy stones mixed with the sharp tang of blood filled her mouth, making her stomach churn.
A piercing ring buzzed in her ears.
Instinctively, she touched her face–only to feel the swelling already spreading across her cheek.
1/3
Chapter 43
Terrified, Eloise screamed, “Help! Somebody help! She’s going to kill me!”
Arya was just about to drag the two of them out of the house when a displeased female voice called down from upstairs. “What the hell is all that noise?”
Eloise looked up as if she’d just spotted salvation. “Aunt Maria!” she cried, scrambling to her feet and rushing to the bottom of the stairs. “Arya hit me twice! She shoved stones into my mouth! She even threw Malcolm to the floor! You have to do something!”
Maria had always seemed soft, gentle, the type who never raised her voice. She’d treated Eloise well.
Eloise thought surely Maria’d come to her defense.
Malcolm, still trying to save face, struggled upright and added, “We came here today just to visit Stephen and check in on him. But Arya…”
His voice trailed off when he met Arya’s gaze–dark, cold, and unreadable.
Something in her eyes made his blood run cold.
A deep instinct warned him not to push further.
This woman was dangerous. If he dared say another word, she’d beat him and leave him screaming.
This wasn’t over. He’d make her pay later. But right now? He wasn’t about to die on this battlefield.
He used to think Arya was sweet, composed, maybe even a little naïve. He thought, “What a joke. It’s all an act!
Maria finally descended the stairs, her gaze sweeping across the wreckage–Eloise with her swollen face, Malcolm looking like he’d been hit by a truck,
and Arya standing there, calm as ever. Her usual softness was gone, replaced by something steelier. “What happened?” she asked.
Eloise burst into tears again. “Auntie, we heard Uncle had woken up and came by with gifts to see him, but Arya attacked us for no reason!”
Maria turned to Arya. “Is that true?” she asked, voice still level.
Arya didn’t deny it. “I told them to leave. They refused. They insisted on being here, so I taught them a lesson. How is that my fault?”
She shrugged slightly. Honestly, her hands had been itching for a good warm–up all day.
Eloise gawked at her in disbelief.
She thought, ‘Who the hell admits to violence so proudly?‘
Malcolm felt that his authority had been severely challenged.
Malcolm’s face darkened. “Mrs. Keller,” he said sharply, “Arya humiliated me at the Norrian Club before, and I let it go. But today, we came here with good intentions, and she assaulted me. This can’t go unanswered. If you don’t handle this properly, the Barnett Group and the Keller Group-”
He thought, ‘Now that the Keller family is on the verge of bankruptcy, they naturally dare not offend our Barnett family.
‘So what if Arya married my uncle? Not a single member of the Barnett family acknowledges her.
‘Moreover, Grandfather has said he will definitely find a way to make Arya divorce my uncle!
‘When that happens, I’ll make the entire Keller family kneel at my feet.
‘My words will surely scare Maria–after all, Arya’s mother has always been a soft and easily bullied woman.
‘And Arya has always been obedient to her mother. In that case, manipulating Arya will be easy!
He didn’t finish the threat, because Maria had suddenly picked up the broom leaning against the wall and swung it straight into his side. “You bastard!” she snapped. “When my daughter was kidnapped, you let the kidnappers take Eloise and left Arya behind. You abandoned her! You think only she wants
2/3
21:30 HI, I Jun
Chapter 43
to beat you up? I’ve been wanting to do it too!”
The broom hit him so hard that he fell over.
49%
Maria didn’t stop. She raised the broom and smacked him again and again, shouting. “You dare show up here and act like a big man? Get out! Get the hell out of my house!”
Eloise and Malcolm were stunned into silence.
Néver in their wildest dreams had they imagined that Maria–soft–spoken, polite Maria–could be so vicious.
Even Arya blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
Since when had her mother become this… fierce?
But she liked it.
If Maria had this kind of fire, maybe Arya wouldn’t need to protect her so much.
“Wait, Aunt Maria!” Eloise cried, darting forward and yanking the broom out of Maria’s hands. “You can’t hit Malcolm! He’s going to be your future nephew–in–law!”
AD
Comment
Send gift
