Chapter 78
A middle–aged woman in a tight dress jumped out of the car so quickly that she nearly twisted her ankle.
“Stanley!” Iris’s voice cracked as she knelt beside Stanley, her hands hovering over him like she was afraid to touch him. She was shaking, tears streaming down her face.
Who did this to you, son? Was it this wicked woman?” She shot a glare at Tessa, her eyes blazing. “Bitch, what did you do? Explain it!” Without even thinking, she slapped Tessa across the face hard.
Tessa’s cheek turned bright red, and she stumbled back under the impact, her hand flying to her face. She was too shocked to say anything at first. “I–I don’t know… it’s not my fault…” she finally managed to stammer out.
Iris’s face twisted into a snarl. “Don’t give me that! You’ve been with him every second, spending all your time in his hospital room.
“You’re nothing but bad luck! A jinx! How could you do this to my son?” Her voice rose to a shout. “I’ll make you pay for this!”
Iris slapped Tessa hard, over and over. Tessa’s lip burst open, blood dripping down her face. Her head spun, and her ears buzzed from the hits.
Tessa stumbled back, trying to get away, but as Iris lunged again, she tripped and fell backward into the artificial lake. “Ah, help, help!” She splashed around, shouting for help.
Iris just sneered, “Trying to play me? Not a chance!”
But Tessa’s scream jolted Iris back to reality. She turned and saw Stanley in agony, her heart breaking. Tears filled her eyes. “Get him to the hospital now. Be careful with him,” she shouted, her voice shaking. “Son, I’m here. You’re gonna be okay.”
Meanwhile, three people in a car hid in the bushes at the corner, watching everything unfold.
Yasmine couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She nudged Kristina with her elbow. “Isn’t that your sister in the lake? Iris just took off. Should we help her out?”
Kristina shook her head, taking a bite of her skewer. “Nope. If I save her now, she’ll probably think I did it on purpose. She won’t thank me.
The Bentleys–they think they can push you around if you’re too nice. You gotta show them you won’t be a pushover, but don’t be too eager, or they’ll walk all over you.”
She passed out pieces of meat to Trenton and Yasmine, then sipped her juice. “Here, help yourselves.”
Yasmine held her skewer, watching Kristina with a mix of admiration and awe. She was like a fangirl looking up to a superstar. Kristina had really stepped up her game–she went from being ruled by her heart to being a total logic genius.
‘No wonder Kristina has Trenton wrapped around her finger. If I had half that brainpower, Marilyn wouldn’t dare mess with me again, Yasmine thought.
When Kristina said she wasn’t helping Tessa, she really meant it. Tessa splashed around in the water until a young couple walking by hauled her out.
The whole thing was over, and Kristina was about to tell the driver to head out when her phone buzzed. It was Austin, her and Trenton’s assistant.
“Mrs. McClain, I just got a message, Austin said. “Someone’s got a millennium Bloodroot and wants to work with you.”
“Bloodroot?” Kristina’s eyes lit up. “Who is it?”
“He didn’t say who he is, but he gave me a time and place to meet,” Austin explained. “He said if you’re interested, you can meet him anytime. He’s waiting for you right now.”
The millennium Bloodroot was essentially the ultimate herb–people claimed it could pull you back from the brink of death. Even those who had nearly kicked the bucket could be saved by it.
It was perfect for helping Trenton recover. The crazy part was that even James couldn’t get his hands on something this rare.
This meant the deal the other side was offering was no small potatoes. Kristina didn’t hesitate and quickly got the details from Austin.
Trenton, I’ve got something I gotta take care of. Can you head home first?” Kristina asked, giving Trenton an apologetic look. She hated leaving the sweet kid alone, but she didn’t have a choice.
