Chapter 9
Jenny regarded Serena with a teasing smile, her tone light and casual.
“I heard you’re the local tyrant around here. Is that true?”
Hearing that her reputation had reached even Jenny’s ears, Serena lifted her chin proudly, her voice tinged with smugness.
“I wouldn’t call myself a tyrant… but in the provincial capital, people know better than to cross me.”
She flashed a flattering smile and added quickly.
“If Miss Goffman ever runs into any trouble while visiting, just say the word–I’ll take care of it personally.”
Jenny gave a slow nod and replied smoothly, “As a matter of fact, I have run into a bit of trouble.
“I invested in a club on the west side of your city–a little place I planned to use for some rest and relaxation whenever I come by.”
“But recently… it was vandalized.”
The smile froze on Serena’s face.
Her spine stiffened instantly as her expression tensed. She forced a smile and said urgently, “Who would dare destroy Miss Goffman’s property?!”
“I’ll take care of them immediately–personally!”
The surrounding guests, eager to please, quickly added their voices, “That’s right! Anyone bold enough to cross Miss Goffman must have a death wish!”
“Just give us the word, Miss Goffman–we’ll make sure they regret it!”
But Jenny simply examined her nails with detached amusement, then said slowly, “The name I heard was… Mark Portman.”
Her voice remained calm, but then she placed one hand on Serena’s shoulder. Her smile faded as her tone turned icy.
“I was told he’s your cousin. And your most trusted enforcer.”
Serena’s face went ghostly pale.
She gulped, her voice faltering, “A–Ah, I… I’m not entirely sure what happened…”
“Miss Goffman, please don’t misunderstand. I’m certain my cousin didn’t know that club belonged to you. If he had, he wouldn’t have dared touch it!”
She spoke with a trembling voice, visibly shaken, her arrogance from earlier now replaced by sheer panic.
Jenny’s smile returned–soft and almost comforting.
“No need to be nervous.”
“After all, I came here today for your company’s 30th anniversary celebration. I even brought a gift. Have you forgotten?”
Relieved at the shift in tone, Serena let out a shaky breath and laughed awkwardly.
Chapter 9
4:27 am
“Thank you, Miss Goffman, for your graciousness. It’s truly an honor to receive a gift from someone like you.”
Jenny chuckled lightly but said nothing.
Then, with a casual wave of her hand, her bodyguards entered–carrying a large wooden box.
All eyes turned to the box as it was placed at the center of the banquet hall.
When the lid was slowly lifted, gasps of horror rippled through the crowd.
Inside lay Mark–limbs severed, barely recognizable.
A wave of screaming erupted through the room. Guests stumbled backward, their faces drained of color. The once lively atmosphere froze into a chilling silence.
Amid the chaos, Jenny turned to Serena with a serene smile.
“So?” she asked sweetly. “Do you like the gift I brought?”
In that instant, everyone understood: this wasn’t a celebration.
It was a reckoning.
Serena staggered backward in shock, her lips trembling as panic seized her.
When she finally found her voice, it came out in a desperate plea.
“Miss Goffman, this… this has nothing to do with me!”
Then, without hesitation, she spun around and pointed directly at me.
“It’s him! It’s all his fault!”
“He’s my ex–husband. Even after the divorce, he keeps meddling in Portman Family affairs- always throwing around his former status as our son–in–law!”
“He must’ve sent Mark to sabotage your club! I had no idea!”
Faced with a crisis, Serena did what she did best–she deflected and she betrayed.
The elites in the room, sensing which way the wind was blowing, rushed to echo her claims.
“That’s right, Miss Goffman! He’s always acting superior around here–just because he used to be the Portman Family’s son–in–law!”
“He’s the arrogant one! Always stepping out of line!”
“He probably thought he could use your name to settle a personal grudge!”
They turned on me like a pack of jackals, eager to shift the target of Jenny’s wrath.
But they didn’t realize…
They had misread everything.
Chanter a
