Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
At that, Bard leaned in for another kiss.
Eunice’s smile was beaming as she invited, “Bring Romeo along when you come. We’re really looking forward to having him.”
“Sure, if he can make it.”
Mirabella entered the main house to find her family still discussing the execution of Demetrius and Olga.“Grannie Grace can finally rest in peace,” Louisa said, bringing over a bowl of soup. “Have a little something, you must be hungry.” “Did you hear? Several companies under our uncle and aunt’s names are in trouble,” Clark whispered to his sister.
Everything seemed to be stacked against them.
“Did they find out who did it?” Mirabella asked, lifting her gaze.
“No, but at least we know that there are others who want to take them down besides us.”
“What are you whispering with your sister about? Let her finish her soup first.”
After saying that, Louisa turned to her daughter with a smile, “Bella, Myrna’s parents invited your dad and me over for dinner. I reckon they want to discuss Myrna and Chasel’s engagement. We’ll head over first, and when dinner is ready here, make sure you eat up, okay? Clark’s at home, he’ll keep you company.”
“Sure,” Mirabella said, her smile blooming as she nodded.
“Clark, take good care of your sister while we’re out.”
“I got it. You guys should head off, don’t keep them waiting,” Clark said, stepping forward to facilitate the conversation and wrapping an arm around each of them, “I’ll walk you to the door.”
“Oh, wait, I forgot my scarf.”
Clark turned back and signaled the maid to fetch it, then picked up the pace to see his parents out.
The scarf was brought out, and Clark carefully wrapped it around his mother’s neck, “Have a safe trip, no rush to come back.”
“You rascal, why do I get the feeling you’re hiding something from us?”
“Not at all, I just think you should spend some extra time with the future in-laws, get to know them better.”Louisa found his behavior a bit odd, but didn’t ponder it further. After getting into the car, she couldn’t help but remind him again to look after Mirabella.
Once they had left, Clark went to find his sister.
Mirabella was on the phone. Clark overheard her saying, “Erik used to be a small-time gang leader, right? Check if any of his crew are still lurking around, uncaught.”
The person on the other end of the line was confused, “Boss, why are we looking into this? Shouldn’t our priority be to find the person behind the fire that led to you being switched at birth?”
“So what?” The henchman was still perplexed.
“If Serena knows who’s behind it all, that person killed her father. With her temperament, wouldn’t she want revenge?”
The henchman on the phone had a moment of clarity, “I get it! She’ll either use Martin to get her revenge, or her father’s old crew. But Martin’s not the type to abet evil, so you suspect she might use her dad’s gang for revenge. It’s possible that it’s your aunt and uncle, considering the string of incidents in their companies.” If it turned out Erik did leave behind some loyalists to secretly work for Serena, then by watching who Serena went after, they might just reveal the true mastermind.
After ending the call, Mirabella knew Clark had been eavesdropping the whole time and she didn’t bother to hide it.
“So, Lucas and his wife might be the masterminds behind this?” Clark recalled the recent New Year, when his aunt and her new driver’s peculiar behavior raised eyebrows. “If it really is them, imagine how heartbroken Grandma, Grandpa, and our parents would be.”
“We don’t have solid evidence against them; it’s just a suspicion. Don’t take it to heart, Clark. Actually, I hope we’re wrong.”
The following afternoon.
When Diana went to visit her mother in the hospital, she noticed that Serena, from the adjacent room, was getting ready to be discharged.
June was packing Serena’s things while Dora and a nurse helped Serena into a wheelchair. Their light laughter and conversation stung Diana deeply.
She marched in and slapped Serena hard across the face.
“Miss Diana.” Dora gasped in shock, “Serena is still very weak.”
“And what about my mother?” Diana couldn’t believe her family’s employees were now taking Serena’s side!
She looked down at Serena in the wheelchair, remembering how her brother had knelt on the patio for two hours yesterday to save this wretch. She was furious and slapped Serena twice more.
Serena was both angry and humiliated. If it weren’t for the others present, she would have lunged at Diana.”You stressed my mother into a heart attack, and I haven’t even begun to settle that score with you!”
Diana yanked Serena’s hair, saying in a rage, “Do you have no shame? I’ve made it clear our family doesn’t welcome you, yet you still worm your way around my brother. Where is your dignity?”
“Miss Diana.” Dora tried to intervene.
But Diana warned furiously, “Anyone who dares interfere today won’t be able to set foot in Summerfield again!”
June, who was packing, tried to sneak a call to Martin but Diana caught her, “Go on, try it!”
The two employees and the nurses immediately bowed their heads and stood aside, too frightened to make a move.
Diana held Serena’s hair with one hand and smacked her face with the other. The slaps fell like a relentless downpour, showing no mercy.
“Diana, you’re insane.” Serena, having just recovered from a serious illness, was no match for her.
Even flailing with her feeble arms, she couldn’t stop the onslaught.
“Miss Diana, please stop, you’ll kill her.” Dora fell to her knees, begging.”Serena’s just recovered; she’s as fragile as a paper doll.” a nurse interjected, pleading.
From an initial attempt at resistance, Serena ended up clutching her head, trying to shield herself.
The pointed heels struck her, leaving her with unbearable pain, marking her arms, her legs – each blow a testament to Diana’s wrath.
“Martin, save me!” Despite shielding her head and face, Serena didn’t cease her cries for help within the hospital room, “Martin, come quick, your sister’s gone mad.”
Diana’s rage intensified, her stiletto heel aimed menacingly at Serena’s unprotected head.
The next second, however, the heel didn’t make its intended contact; instead, it was caught firmly by Martin’s hand.
“Martin, where did you.go?” Serena immediately clung to Martin, her tears flowing freely, “I was so scared I’d never see you again.”
Diana was sickened by the display.
“What the hell are you doing?” Martin glared at his sister, furious beyond reason. He had only stepped out to handle some paperwork, and in the blink of an eye, chaos had erupted. What infuriated him even more was the sight of the two maids and nurses standing by idly while his sister attempted to bludgeon his girlfriend with her shoes!
Wielding her stiletto like a dagger, Diana accused, “Mom’s life is hanging by a thread, and have you, her son, shown any concern? This tramp has caused all this suffering, and you think I’ll stand by? How dare she shamelessly force her way into the Cooper family? Doesn’t she need to pay any price for her brazenness? The little discomfort she’s experiencing is nothing compared to what Mom’s going through!”
“Martin, let’s call off the engagement. I can’t bear this burden any longer.” Serena whimpered from her wheelchair, looking the picture of vulnerability, “I want nothing more than for your mom to live a long, healthy life. Your sister has it all wrong. Your mother’s heart attack was something none of us wanted to see.””Save your crocodile tears for someone who buys them.” Diana looked as if she wanted to lunge forward and strike again.
“Enough.” Martin barked in a tone that brooked no argument, “Get out.”
Serena felt a sting of injustice. That madwoman had hit her multiple times, and Martin was letting her walk away without consequence? Clearly, Martin still favored his own family.
Fuming, Diana turned on her heel and stormed out of the room.
Martin immediately knelt beside the wheelchair, checking for injuries, “Did she hurt you anywhere?”
“Martin.” Serena began, on the verge of recounting her ordeal when suddenly, Diana, pretending to have left, hurled her stilettos back into the room. One struck Serena squarely on the head, the other on her face.
Blood gushed from Serena’s nose, her mouth swollen from the impact, teeth stained red.
“Diana!” Martin turned to rebuke his sister, only to see her striding away barefoot, head held high, leaving the chaos behind her.
“What are you all standing around for? Help Serena with her wounds, NOW!” Martin’s anger was directed at the nurses nearby.
The nurses finally snapped to attention and hurried to assist.Meanwhile.
“Boss, we got something.” Jack’s voice came through the phone to Mirabella, “Several companies under Lucas’ name have run into trouble. Looks like someone called ‘Stinger’ is behind it. Not much is known about him, but we’ve tracked him to a rural auction happening at six this evening.”
Mirabella almost let the whole affair slip her mind, but there was still time. “I’ll let him know I’m headed to the auction first, then the dinner party.”
“I’ll swing by to pick you up later,” Jack said, and then, as if struck by a sudden thought, he added, “Oh, right. To keep then from catching wind of Stinger, I’ve cooked up a little distraction. It won’t hold them off forever. Sooner or later they’ll catch on. We need to squeeze all the intel we can out of Stinger, and fast.”
“Got it,” Mirabella replied before hanging up and slipping into some casual wear.
At half-past five, Jack rolled up in his car to fetch her.
They made their way to a desolate stretch on the outskirts of town, where an enormous abandoned factory stood. It was, without a doubt, the location for the auction Jack had mentioned.
From the outside, the factory looked eerily silent, as if it could be haunted.
The weather was foul that day, and even in the early evening, the sky was ominously dark, as if it could collapse at any moment.
Just then, Mirabella’s phone rang.
It was her college buddy, Barry.
“Bella, have you heard from Joyce? I texted her a bunch last night, called her like crazy, and she hasn’t gotten back to me all day.”
Jack gestured at his watch, indicating they were running out of time. It was already six o’clock.
Mirabella gave a slight nod, signaling him to go ahead.With no choice, Jack strapped the paper wristband, needed for entry, onto Mirabella’s wrist and headed in first.
“I think something’s up; she wouldn’t just go MIA. And now Adair just called me, too, saying Mya’s gone off the grid since last night. He called her folks today, and they said she planned a trip with Joyce. They supposedly left last night.”
Barry grew more anxious, “But they would’ve told us if they were going away.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.