Chapter 3
Janelle raised an eyebrow with a smirk. “Well, well It’s been a while. Surprised I’m still alive?”
Adrian could only stare, utterly
y mesmerized by her beauty.
Catherine’s face was still puffy from the slaps, but that didn’t stop her. She charged at Janelle, arm raised. You bitch! How dare you humiliate me? I’ll lall you!”
Janelle didn’t even blink. Her expression turned cold as she met Catherine’s rage head–on
Catherine couldn’t even handle kneeling for a minute or taking a few slaps. If she’d gone through half the humiliation and torment Janelle endured, she’d have dropped dead on the spot.
Amber moved fast, grabbing Catherine’s wrist in a vice–like grip. She loathed Catherine for betraying Janelle. Without thinking, she slapped Catherine hard across the face.
“This is Dr. Presley’s friend. You think you can lay a finger on her?” Amber hissed.
“She’s friends with Dr. Presley? No way!”
Catherine couldn’t believe it. Years ago, Janelle had been thrown out of the Moore family without a penny to her name.
By all accounts, she should have been struggling just to get by with her illegitimate child, maybe even forced into prostitution or scavenging through trash. So, how in the world was she connected to Taylor?
Catherine shook her head wildly, her face twisting in near–hysteria. “No way. There’s no chance she’s connected to Dr. Presley. She’s not even worth his time!”
Amber was about to fire back, but Janelle stopped her. She had no interest in spending another second around Catherine and Adrian. They disgusted her. Her tone was razor–sharp as she ordered, “Don’t waste your breath, Amber. Call security, get them out of here, and make sure they’re banned from coming anywhere near our company again.”
Amber gave a quick nod. “On.it.”
The security team moved fast. Catherine and Adrian were hauled outside and dumped on the street before they could even get a word out. With them gone, Janelle finally breathed easier. The room instantly felt less suffocating. She should’ve been savoring her flawless revenge, but one glance at the clock sent a cold ripple through her.
Hannah and Tiffany had left a while ago. Why weren’t they
itory back yer?
Uneasy, Janelle told Amber to hold down the office while she grabbed her phone and rushed downstairs.
She was passing a sleek luxury car when the door flew open without warning. Strong hands seized her before she could even gasp, into the car.
pulling her
roughly
Startled, Janelle looked up to see the man gripping her arm. His voice cut through the air like a life. “Mr. Fletcher wants to see you The last five years had turned Janelle into someone who didn’t flinch. She sat perfectly still now, her face giving nothing away. Since when did traffickers operate so openly? Grabbing women off the street like this? Mr. Fletcher? Was that the guy everyone kept mentioning? The car went straight to the Fletcher residence.
The bodyguards yanked Janelle out of the car and pushed her toward the study, keeping her off–balance the whole way. Anyone would lose their patience
after this
“Qult shoving! 1 can walk by my-
”
The words died in her throat when she saw the man behind the mahogany desk. The whole room seemed to shrink around him.
He reclined in his chair, fingers draped casually over the armrests. His expression was unreadable, but his gaze, sharp and glacial, prickled the back of her neck
Good looks aside, it was his presence that commanded attention. He didn’t need to move or speak to put people on edge.
Janelle’s hands clenched at her sides, her jaw setting tight. So, she’d been right all along. The man staring back at her was Benedict, head of the Fletcher Family
She took a slow breath to steady herself before stepping forward, the weight of the room pressing against her.
Keeping her tone polite, she began, “Mr. Fletcher, would you mind telling me why we’re meeting?”
Benedict’s handsome face might as well have been carved from marble for all the emotion it showed. He skipped the pleasantries entirely.
“Ms. Moore, I know you’re in touch with Taylor Presley. Share his contact details, and the Fletchers will ensure you’re properly compensated,” he said. Achill settled in Janelle’s stomach.
Since when have people asked for favors like that? His tone made it clear this wasn’t a request. It was a threat. Refused, and she wouldn’t walk out of
there in one piece.
no idea what
r you’re talkin
- talking about. You
Janelle’s eyes flickered subtly. Her smile was perfectly crafted to sell her helpless act. “Mr. Fletcher, I have no i must’ve gotten the wrong idea. I’m nobody special.
“Dr. Presley’s been kind enough to treat ine, but that’s it. There’s no way I’d have ties to someone that important.” Benedict’s dark, unsettling gaze slowly lifted to meet hers. The second their eyes locked, her pulse faltered. She wondered if that look was meant to paralyze her or send her bolting for the door.
No wonder Benedict was the renowned head of the Fletchers. He carried himself like someone who’d never heard the word “no” in his life. But Benedict looked perfectly healthy, his complexion strong and vibrant. Was he after a psychiatric evaluation instead?
ון
“oh? So you went to see Taylor for treatment?” Benedict shot her a look, his icy gaze sharp, his voice quiet and cold. “What’s wrong with “Uh, I..” Janelle trailed off, her mouth twitching as she fumbled for a response. “Oh! I–I’ve got brain damage! I grew up in the countryside, and one time,
you?‘ I spaced out while feeding the donkey.
“Next thing I knew, I was kicked right in the head. I didn’t think much of it back then, but turns out it messed me up for good. Now I get these splitting headaches whenever It’s cloudy or rainy.”
Benedict’s stern expression wavered for a split second, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
He braced his palms against the desk and pushed himself up, rising to his full height. The air between them grew heavy, charged with something unspoken.
Janelle took a step back, then another, until she hit the wall. She’d told herself that even if he saw through her lies, she could outrun him. But now?
She swallowed hard, her throat going tight.
Benedict towered over her, his stare sharp and predatory, like the way a hawk watched a rabbit right before the strike.
Fighting him head–on? She wouldn’t last two seconds.
Janelle held her act together. “M–Mr. Fletcher, I don’t even know-
“Then, why would I bring you here?”
Benedict crossed the space between them in a few quick strides, pinning her against the wall. His gaze cut through her, leaving no room for lies. She stayed allent,
His voice remained icy, every word slicing deep. “You’ve been overseas for the past five years, always showing up in the same places as Taylor. Amber said you two were friends. But now, you’re saying you don’t even low him?”
Janelle pursed her lips and looked up at him. That was when it hit her–he knew the truth all along.
She wouldn’t have hesitated to help if Benedict had been some random guy. But he was A that jerk
Benedict took in her ley stare and narrowed his eyes. “Starting to
Jenelle
to remember now?”
Adrian’s uncle, and she wanted nothing to do with anyone tied to
e snapped back to reality, hiding the cold glint in her eyes before forcing another meeksmile. “Mr. Fletcher, I….
“Okay, yes. Dr. Presley and mew each othe
was off. Why did Benedict’s scent feel so familiar?
ronice, but we were barely more than strangers. Honestly, I have
no way to contact him.”
But something
Her g
lingered on his sharp, almost too–perfect features as a quiet doubt settled in. She Imew that scent from somewhere.
Benedict was about to fire back when the door suddenly slammed open with a sharp bang.
His assistant, Ethan Campbell, rushed in, his expression tense as he said, “Mr. Fletcher, Murphy’s gone!
