Chapter 43
Esther hung back in the shadows, her eyes burning with anger as she bit her lip so hard that it drew blood.
Ever since Lenore had shown up at Jinslenburg, she’d stolen all the spotlight that used to be on Esther, including Carlos’s.
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Esther had tried to cozy up to Janet and Carlos, but Carlos only ever came around to talk about Lenore, embarrassing her in front of everyone. She was convinced that it was all Lenore’s fault.
‘Lenore’s got the guts to tangle with both Carlos and Ivan. There’s no way Carlos will let this slide. I wouldn’t lift a finger if she died, but I can’t afford to get caught in the crossfire!‘ Esther thought, her nails digging into her palms.
As the school gate commotion died down, the black Volkswagen parked in the distance finally pulled away.
In the passenger seat, Wayne stroked his chin, his charming eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. “Carlos from the Duncan family is a real piece of work, always playing dirty. He won’t take this lying down. Lenore’s in for a world of hurt.”
Witnessing Lenore’s brawl, Wayne finally got what Silas had meant on Riverside Avenue that night. He remembered Silas saying, “What do you do with someone who’s not honest? Beat them until they are.”
‘Lenore’s really a straight shooter. She’s the strong, silent type,‘ Wayne thought.
Watching Carlos being helped into a car in the distance, Silas‘ eyes turned as dark and cold as ice. He rolled up the window and barked, “Head to the Duncan residence.”
Chuck, behind the wheel, did a double take, puzzled by Silas’s intentions. He shot a questioning look at Wayne.
Glancing back at the poised Silas in the back seat, Wayne raised an eyebrow and leered. “You’re going in for the kill, huh?”
Silas cut him a sharp look and said coldly, “Drive.”
Later that evening, Esther returned to the Smedley residence. “Dad!” She rushed to greet Troy as he returned. Her eyes were red as she blurted out, “Dad, Lenore beat Mr. Duncan today…”
Troy paused, taken aback. “Which Mr. Duncan?” he asked reflexively.
“Carlos,” Esther replied. In Jinslenburg, only one person was known as Mr. Duncan, and that was Carlos.
At the mention of the Duncan family, Troy’s face paled, his voice rising in pitch. “You said Lenore hit Carlos?”
Esther nodded, casting her eyes downward, her gaze laced with animosity. “Today, Mr. Duncan came to the school looking for me, but as soon as Lenore showed up, she laid into him. It had something to do with Ken Sharpe.”
Troy recalled the night at Culinary Ascent when Ken had seemed particularly agitated upon seeing Lenore. Troy wondered if Ken had been waiting for her that night.
“Dad, Lenore…” Esther hesitated, biting her lip as she eyed Troy’s expression, her voice wavering with uncertainty. “Could she be… You know, kept by someone…
Esther was baffled by Lenore’s ability to get into Greenvine High School, have Kyle’s protection, and stand up to Carlos. And the two men around her seemed out of the ordinary.
‘What’s so special about Lenore? She’s just got a sly face! There’s no way she could afford a limited–edition necklace worth 180 thousand. Yeah, she must be being kept! And not by just one guy!‘ she thought.
Esther clutched Troy’s sleeve. Her eyes welled up with fear as she sobbed, “Dad, Lenore isn’t just hurting me. She’s going to bring down the whole Smedley family!”
Troy’s face darkened to a thunderous scowl, his fists clenching with an audible crack. “Where is Lenore now?” he demanded.
Esther shook her head. Troy had been in talks for a business deal these past few days, with the Duncan family as the potential investors. If it went through, the Smedley family’s company could get linked up with the Heartland Chamber of Commerce.
Now, with Lenore having hit Carlos, if she’d incited the wrath of the Duncan family, it would mean the end of the investment, the Heartland
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12:03 PM
Chapter 43
Chamber of Commerce, and quite possibly, the entire Smedley family.
Troy pulled out his phone and dialed Lenore. The phone rang out for what felt like an eternity before Lenore finally picked up. Troy’s hand was tense with anger as he gripped the phone and growled, “You hit Carlos?”
At the Regal Villas, Lenore took a casual sip of milk from the glass nearby, her fingers tapping out a message to Siren on her keyboard while she held the phone to her ear.
“Yeah,” she replied, her tone as airy as a feather, with a hint of defiance.
That brief admission was all it took to ignite the fury Troy had been holding back for days.
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“Do you have any idea who Carlos is? How many times have I warned you to keep a low profile, Lenore? Do you really think that just because you’re sitting on an inheritance, I’m powerless to touch you?” Troy asked.
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