Jason felt like the ground was slipping out from under him, his chest growing unbearably heavy. “Find her. Now.”
Colton’s voice was low, sharp, his expression growing darker by the second. Meanwhile, Nora suddenly burst into tears. “Mom! I want my mom!”
Colton immediately crouched down, pulling her into his arms. Yolanda, still desperate to save face, stepped forward with a forced smile. “Uncle, if Aunt isn’t here, let me calm her down-“N
Nora recoiled instantly, crying harder. “Go away! You’re a bad woman! You yelled at my mom and cut off her finger! I want the police to arrest you!“N
The entire room fell dead silent again.
Then, almost instinctively, the guests took several steps away from Yolanda, as if not wanting to be associated with her.” Her face turned ghastly pale. Just then, Colton’s assistant pushed through the crowd. “Mr. Jagger, your wife is here.” Jason turned sharply, his breath catching. I was slumped in a corner, unconscious, my hands still bleeding.”
Colton knelt beside me, his fingers hovering over my face but not touching, like he was afraid I would break. His assistant spoke carefully. “Sir, 911 has been called and a team is retrieving the finger.”
Colton nodded, draping his suit jacket over me. Then he looked up. His face was unreadable. His voice, calm. “You actually dared to cut off my wife’s finger. “N
The temperature in the room plummeted. Jason’s face went pale as paper.
“No,” he whispered, shaking his head. “No! Uncle, you’re lying! Whitney isn’t Aunt! This has to be fake! What did she promise you?!“N
Colton ignored him, but his assistant didn’t.
“Sir,” the assistant said coolly, “do you really think anyone could make Mr. Jagger act for them?“W
Jason’s mouth opened, nothing came out.N
The assistant scoffed. “Stop lying to yourself. His wife, the woman missing a finger, is standing right in front of you.”
“You should worry less about who she is and more about what happens to people who hurt her.”
Seeing how Colton held me like something irreplaceable, Yolanda’s jealousy exploded. The words poured out before she could stop them.N
“Uncle, don’t be fooled by Whitney! That bitch is an expert at acting innocent. She looks sweet, but she’s vicious and filthy inside. When we lived together, she brought home different men all the time, so dirty-“W
SMACK.N
The slap rang through the room.N
Jason’s chest was heaving, his eyes bloodshot. “Shut up!” he roared. “Whitney is nothing like that! It’s you, you jealous, bitter liar–who’s been making up stories about her for years!”
Something snapped inside him. His gaze swept the crowd, landing on a man trying to slink away unnoticed.
Jason didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it over the man’s head. Glass shattered. The man collapsed, blood trickling down his face as he scrambled to his knees.
“P–Please!” he stammered. “It–it wasn’t my idea! Miss Yolanda paid me! She told me to spread rumors, get people worked up so she could go after Miss Whitney! She gave me thirty grand! I swear, I was just doing what she asked!”
The crowd turned to Yolanda. Her face drained of color.”
“What the heck are you talking about?!” she screeched, stumbling back. “I don’t even know you!“}
But the damage was done.”
