Chapter 13
Cordelia was caught off guard and failed to react in time.
On the other end of the line, Carter was clearly overjoyed. He told her that not only could they now afford to pay the medical bills, but the Jenners had upgraded their mother’s hospital ward to a VIP one, complete with a professional caretaker and the latest imported medication.
“Sis, Dad’s actually still pretty good to Mom,” Carter said with a naive grin. “Alright, I’ll leave it at that. I’ve got a revision session to attend!”
“Oh, and don’t forget about the money for my reference book. I’m the only one in class who hasn’t paid yet!”
“Okay…” Cordelia murmured, her mind racing even as Carter ended the call.
Had Yelena finally developed a conscience? Did William still harbor feelings for her mother?
Remembering the cold attitude the Jenners had shown her when she went back to visit, she had never expected to see the $40,000 wedding gift again. But now… this was unexpected.
Cordelia rushed back to her bedroom and carefully placed the bangle back in its box. She was glad she hadn’t sold it after all.
With a smile, she ran her fingers gently over the gold jewelry and whispered to herself, “I’ll take good care of you from now on. I won’t sell any of you. Never again.”
Marcus, who had been standing by the door, smiled as he watched her. His heart warmed as he took in the sight of her, and then his gaze shifted to his phone.
Josiah’s message flashed on the screen—[Done].
[Not bad. I’ll reward you soon.]
Marcus was always stingy with words and only responded when he felt like it. This was the first time Josiah had received such a lengthy reply from him.
…
On the weekend, Cordelia was tidying up the house while Marcus practiced his punches on the punching bag out front.
As the rhythmic sound of his punches filled the air, Cordelia chuckled. She didn’t quite understand his obsession with the activity, but she never stopped him. Punching a sandbag at home was safer than fighting in the streets.
Just as she was about to head to the kitchen to cook, her phone rang. Yelena’s shrill voice erupted the moment she answered.
“Cordelia, you’re amazing, aren’t you?! Sleeping with Mr. Bayer… The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree—just like your mother, the old whore!”
“What kind of nonsense is this?” Cordelia asked, still half-asleep. She chalked it up to Yelena being her usual rabid self. But when she heard Yelena’s fury escalate, her grip tightened around the phone.
“If it weren’t for the Bayers, how could Dad have lost that plot of land? Do you know what Mr. Bayer said to Dad? He wondered how Dad could be so stingy with his daughter’s wedding gift but so generous with business partners! So now, we’ve lost the land! Gone! All of Dad’s work—months of effort—gone! Do you know how much that project was worth? $150 million! You slut! It’s all your fault!”
“What…?” Cordelia was utterly confused.
What Bayer? What land?
“Have you lost your mind? You went to the hospital and gave the diamond necklace to my brother, and now you’re making up this Mr. Bayer? I don’t even know this person!”
“Stop pretending! You whore! You act all pure and pitiful, but you must have slept with countless men in secret, haven’t you? Marcus is so lucky to have married a cheap slut like you!”
“You—!” Cordelia’s face flushed with anger. She was usually calm, but this time, she couldn’t take it anymore. Yelena’s insults had gone too far, and she was about to hang up when the phone was suddenly snatched from her hand.
Turning around in surprise, she saw Marcus standing there, his face dark with anger.
He spoke into the phone with a voice like ice, “I don’t care who you are. Show some respect when you speak to my wife! If I hear another word like that, you’ll have to deal with the consequences.”
Each word he said was like a threat, delivered with such cold menace that it sent shivers down anyone’s spine.
The line went silent. Yelena had probably been scared into silence.
Marcus hung up, handing the phone back to Cordelia, then turned and headed back outside to continue his workout, his face as cold as ever.
It took a moment for Cordelia to process what had just happened. No one had ever protected her like that before. Marcus was the first.
…
After a few rounds of punching the bag, Marcus removed his gloves, tossing them aside. He was breathing heavily, his face set in a scowl.
A while later, Josiah received a text from him. [What did you tell William Jenner?]
Josiah hesitated, carefully composing his response. [I did what you told me, Z. You said to pressure him, right?]
As soon as the message was sent, Marcus called him, his voice cold as death.
“I asked you to pressure him. Did I tell you to mention the wedding gift too?”
“Z, but—”
Josiah wanted to vent on Cordelia’s behalf. What else could he say if he didn’t bring up the wedding gift?
“Josiah Bayer!” Marcus ground the words out, his fury clear. “Having a brain is great, but yours still isn’t fully developed!”
Marcus ended the call, leaving Josiah staring at the screen in confusion. Luckily, he had his childhood friend Fredric Constable with him to help him make sense of it all.
Fredric, who had just come from Centrolis, couldn’t stop laughing as he listened to Josiah recount the whole situation.
“Z’s right. You don’t have a fully developed brain!”
Josiah threw a punch at him in frustration.
“Think about it. You pressured William Jenner over the wedding gift and snatched the land from him. Now it’s obvious that you’re on Cordelia Jenner’s side. And what happens now? Even the Jenner heiress thinks there’s something going on between you two. Do you think Z is going to be happy with that?”