Chapter 6
As cold sweat beaded on Arnold’s forehead, he continued to pretend to be calm.
Betty laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. Then she said, “Ms. Erica, you really must not know. Things in Jedo have long changed!”
Bruce dusted the sleeve of his tailored suit, pride written all over his face. He said, “With the Eight Families joining forces, crushing the Costellos would be as easy as squashing an ant!”
He dragged out his words on purpose. “Oh, right. I should say ‘what used to be‘ the Costellos.”
Bonnie covered her mouth as she laughed theatrically. “Just wait till the others show up. I want to see the two sisters beg us for mercy!”
I gently pried Grace’s fingers off my sleeve. Her palm was already marked with deep cuts from her nails.
“Take Ms. Grace for a full examination,” I instructed my medical team. My voice was soft but firm. “Make sure there’s not a scratch on her.”
I said to Grace, “Don’t worry. I’m back now, and I’ll make them pay for what they did.”
As I turned, every trace of warmth in my eyes turned to ice.
“So, who was betting on Grace’s innocence just now?”
I raised a finger and pointed straight at the loudest ones. “The Dixons, the Walls, and the Barbers. Perfect. Everyone’s here.”
“Are you scared?” Bruce craned his neck as he shouted defiantly, “I ruled the streets in Jedo before you even showed up!”
“Draw their blood.” Icut him off coldly. A team in white coats stepped forward with syringes.
I walked slowly up to Bruce and slapped him hard across the face.
“If you’re so obsessed with playing the role of a boss,” I said, “then let me show you how it’s really done.”
The crowd exploded in outrage.
“Are you crazy? You dare mess with the Eight Families?” one yelled in disbelief.
Another man laughed and said, “At the end of the day, it all comes down to a DNA test, doesn’t it? So what if the test proves something? Grace is still just
a-
I cut him off mid–sentence with a loud, hard slap. The man staggered back, coughing up blood and spitting out teeth.
He held his quickly swelling cheek, eyes wide in disbelief. But the moment he met my gaze, he flinched and fell silent, not daring to make another sound. The crowd below the stage glared in fury, and they tightly clenched their fists with audible cracks.
But when they caught sight of the stern–faced bodyguards behind me, they swallowed their rage. They could only stand there, grinding their teeth as they waited for backup.
Soon, loud footsteps echoed from outside the hall.
“Who dares touch anyone from the Dixon family?”
“You must have a death wish!”
“That bitch isn’t leaving here in one piece!”
Members of the Eight Familjes stormed in as if on cue. Their hired muscle flooded in behind them, sealing off the nightclub entirely.
Bonnie straightened with a triumphant smile. She said, “This nobody from God–knows–where thinks she can stir up trouble in our city?”
Betty laughed along and said, “Sure, she’s pretty enough. But she’s all show and no substance! How dare she act tough here?”
I gently swirled the wine in my glass, and I couldn’t help but smirk coldly.
“I’ve only been gone for a few years. Now even my family’s old lapdogs think they can show off in front of me?”
“That’s outrageous!” several of them shouted, pointing right at me. “How dare you insult us from the Eight Families? This won’t end well for you today!”
I didn’t even bother to look up and took a slow sip of wine.
“No one has ever dared to speak to us like that!”
“Get on your knees and beg for our forgiveness right now!”
Several of the men shrieked.
Victor’s face darkened as he stood behind me. He said, “Do you even know who Ms. Erica is? Watch your damn mouth!”
Bruce sneered, “So what if she’s Grace’s sister? The Costellos are nobodies now. They’re worthless to us!”
I scoffed and set my wine glass down with a thud.
Victor’s eyes turned as cold as ice.
Dark figures flashed by. Before members of the Eight Families could react, blows struck the backs of their knees. They were all forced to the ground.
“You dare-” Betty started to shout, but a sharp slap cut her off mid–sentence.
“Ms. Erica didn’t permit you to speak. Keep your mouths shut!” barked a bodyguard in black.
People from the Eight Families knelt on the floor. Only then did they realize in shock that their hired muscles had already been disarmed.
“You bitch! Let us go if you know what’s good for you, or we’ll all make you pay!”
Before he could finish his threat, the nightclub’s doors slammed open again.
As I watched the new crowd pour in, the corners of my mouth lifted slightly into a smile.
Things were getting more and more interesting.
