Chapter 44
“Nephew–in–law? Are you kidding me?” Maria stood firm, hands on her hips, her voice sharp and furious. “Nephew–in–law, my ass!
“Get out of my house–both of you–before I grab an iron rod and teach you a lesson!”
Eloise had never seen her aunt like this. In her memory, Maria had always been the picture of gentleness and grace. But right now? She looked ready to start swinging.
Without another word, Eloise yanked Malcolm’s hand and ran, stumbling over herself as they fled the estate with none of the arrogance they’d walked in
with.
Arya didn’t bother watching them go. She took her mother’s arm and gently guided her to the couch. “Mom, what are you doing downstairs?” she asked, though what she really wanted to know was what had gotten into her mother today.
This wasn’t the soft–spoken woman she was used to–this was someone radiating strength and resolve.
Maria looked her daughter straight in the eyes, and despite the fine lines that age had etched into her face, there was a quiet beauty in the seriousness she wore. “Arya, I let them walk all over me for too long. I was too soft. Your father was right–I need to learn how to say no, how to stop letting emotions cloud my judgment. If I don’t start protecting this family, who will?”
Out in the car, parked just beyond the gates, Eloise sat stiffly in the passenger seat of Malcolm’s BMW, one hand gingerly touching the swelling on her face.
Her eyes burned with rage as she stared back at the house.
Last time, Arya Kad escaped death by a stroke of luck. But next time, that luck would run dry.
Eloise would make sure of it. She didn’t want Arya to be embarrassed or ruined. She wanted her gone–body and soul. Erased.
Drawing a long breath, Eloise forced herself to calm down before turning to Malcolm, her voice soft and tinged with guilt. “I’m sorry, Malcolm. I really didn’t think my aunt and cousin would act like that. I shouldn’t have brought you here–it was a mistake.”
Malcolm’s anger wavered as he looked at her, instantly softened by her fragile act. “Don’t blame yourself,” he muttered. “It’s Arya. That woman’s a menace. It’s all her fault.”
Any illusions he might’ve clung to before this visit had been shattered.
Arya had hit him.
He would never forget that slap–and he would never forgive it.
Eloise’s voice took on a silky note, carefully crafted to wound. “I don’t care about being slapped, but you? You’re the Barnett family’s heir. Arya didn’t just insult you–she insulted the entire Barnett name. If word gets out about this, how are you going to maintain your place in high society?” She paused, then added with a gentle shake of her head, “You deserve better than this, Malcolm.”
The words hit their mark. A flicker of something dangerous passed through Malcolm’s eyes. “Don’t worry,” he said through clenched teeth. “She’ll pay for this. I’ll make sure of it.”
Eloise watched his expression twist with hatred and felt a sick kind of satisfaction rise in her chest. That was exactly what she wanted–hatred, deep and
unrelenting.
She thought, ‘I want Malcolm to hate Arya! The more he hates her, the better!!‘
But then, out of nowhere, pain sliced through her stomach. Panic flared as she remembered the healing crystal Arya had forced her to swallow. Her voice rose in alarm. “Malcolm, take me to the hospital. Right now. Step on it!”
She thought, ‘If I don’t get there now, it’ll be too late.
1/3
21:50 F13 Jun
Chapter 44
BE
Back inside, after helping her mother back upstairs, Arya returned to the living room and tossed the gift box Eloise had brought straight into the trash.
Then, carefully gathering up the broken fragments of the energy stone, she headed to the study to run a test.
The results didn’t surprise her–they only confirmed her suspicions. The so–called energy stone was saturated with radiation, hundreds of times above the acceptable limit.
Wearing it for a day was equivalent to receiving over a hundred chest X–rays.
A few days longer, and the body would shut down entirely.
A chill settled in Arya’s bones as anger took hold.
So that was Eloise’s plan.
She thought angrily, ‘Eloise really has a nerve! How dare she use this kind of thing to harm my dad?‘
If Arya hadn’t been home today and that stone had reached Stephen, with his condition, it would’ve killed him.
She thought, ‘What a beautifully calculated move.‘
And such a shame–it had backfired. Arya had made sure Eloise swallowed some of the most toxic parts herself. No doubt she was in agony right about
now.
Sure enough, after reaching the hospital and sending Malcolm away with an excuse, Eloise rushed to the internal medicine department, demanding to have her stomach pumped.
But after the examination, the doctor looked at her in disbelief.
“What exactly did you ingest?” he asked. “Your stomach lining is severely corroded. And your uterus has sustained damage. I’m sorry, but it’s highly unlikely you’ll be able to conceive children in the future.”
The cofor drained from Eloise’s face. Her flawless makeup couldn’t hide the horror.
She thought angrily, ‘Arya. That venomous bitch. She ruined me. Arya has to die!‘
Back at Barnett Group headquarters, Finn had just returned to his office after a long board meeting when he spotted an unexpected guest on the couch,
Natalie.
He didn’t bother hiding his irritation. “What do you want?” he asked, voice like steel, his gaze cutting.
Natalie rose with poise, walking toward him in high heels and a black slip dress that hugged her figure.
“Mr. Barnett, I came to talk about the partnership between Barnett Group and McKinney Group,” she said, her voice low and polished
She had gone all out with her appearance–glossy red lips, a perfectly contoured face, and a slit in her dress that showed off long, porcelain legs.
She’d turned heads all morning, and she was confident she’d do the same here.
She thought, ‘After all, what man could resist a seductive woman? He is no exception.‘
The moment she got close enough, he caught a whiff of her overpowering perfume. His expression darkened instantly. “I don’t discuss business with women who show up like this. Get out.”
Natalie flinched. There was something cold and dangerous in his eyes that made her uneasy, but she pushed forward anyway.
2/3
21:56 Fri, 13 Jun
Chapter 44
“My father asked me to come,” she insisted, softening her voice and adding a coy look, hoping her charm might still work.
3.49%0
The McKinney family and the Barnetts were poised for a massive collaboration. Today, she represented the McKinney Group negotiating with Finn.
And to be honest, ever since she saw Finn at the family estate, she hadn’t been able to get him out of her head.
So as she closed the distance between them, she let her legs go limp and leaned in, expecting him to catch her in his arms.
She thought, ‘No man can refuse a woman throwing herself into his arms–especially a beautiful woman like me!
But he didn’t. Instead, he kicked her–hard–and she went crashing to the ground in a heap of stunned humiliation.
She looked up, dazed, as Finn’s voice rang out, cold and final. “Get. Out.”
AD
