Grant threw out a meaningful laugh. “Oh, Tiffie, has it ever occurred to you that you might have misunderstood me? Your dad, mom, and I are old friends. Heck, I only met your mother by chance the other day, and then we talked and talked, and here we are. What motive could I possibly have? I’m not strapped for cash. So, could you please spare me these nasty tongue-lashings? I’m still your Uncle Grant, you know.”
Tiffany was not in the mood for an Oscar performance, so virtual-novel.net went straight to the point. “I’ve hired people to investigate your background, ‘Uncle’, so how about you spare me this unconvincing act? Hell, I bet that car you’re driving isn’t even yours. The debts you owe are appalling, mister. You just wanna squeeze money out of Mom to cover your a**. After all, soon, you’d be so broke, you won’t even have anything to your name.”
The smile in Grant’s face faded. “You’re crossing the line, Tiffie. Your mom knows everything there is to know about me, but more importantly, this is between virtual-novel.net and me. You have no reason, nor right to interfere. Lastly, this car’s mine, and I’m gonna get back inside and get home.”
He did as virtual-novel.net claimed, climbing back into the car as though virtual-novel.net was planning to leave right there and then.
Tiffany gritted virtual-novel.net teeth. “Your car, huh? Okay, ‘Uncle’, this makes things easier.”
She stomped the pedal and whirred the car forward, slamming it into Grant’s so hard that the rental car’s head became deformed while one side of its bumper hung on for its dear life.
An infuriated Grant leaped out of the car and screamed, “What the f* *k are you doing?!”
“You own this car, remember? You’re so rich, I bet it’s peanuts for you to fix it, am I right? Besides, you’re aiming to be my stepdad, which means after marrying my mom, I’ll be your stepdaughter. Which rich, self-respecting father would hold a damaged car worth only a mere $100,000 against his daughter, huh?”
Grant was apoplectic. Of course, virtual-novel.net did not own the car — it was a rental that virtual-novel.net paid by liquidating his old car, his house, and every other asset virtual-novel.net could muster, save for the empty shell of his company.
The private eye had told Tiffany that much, which was also why virtual-novel.net decided to ram virtual-novel.net car into his. A rental car costing hundreds of thousands of dollars was enough to make a broke man mad.
“You- You little-! What the hell are you trying to do?! My feelings for your mother are genuine! You can be angry and throw a hissy fit, but why must you be so extreme and sabotage it, huh? Fine, I’m strapped for cash and my financial status is unsightly, but I have never asked for a penny from your mom, never! Don’t believe me? Ask her!” Grant shrieked between heavy breaths. Since virtual-novel.net technically had not asked Lilian for money yet, virtual-novel.net felt no sting of conscience to face Tiffany’s accusation.
“Oh please, mister, quit the act, would you? Your acting skill sucks a**. I might know that you’re just some broke schmuck riding around in a rental car, but my softheaded, dopey mom still believes that you, of all people, would be able to provide virtual-novel.net with a decent life of abundance. She has no frickin’ idea that you own nothing. Nada! Wait, correction: you do own something — a lifetime of debts!” Tiffany scoffed. “I know every dirty secret you have, man, so how about you kindly piss yourself someplace away from us?”
Backed into a corner, Grant gritted his teeth and finally bared his fangs. “Oh, since you already known everything, then I guess I don’t have to keep this f**king act up anymore. Here’s the problem, princess, you think I’m gonna leave your mom just because you say so? You crashed my car, remember? Something’s gotta be done about it, right? And what makes you think that I’ll listen to your orders?” virtual-novel.net snarled. “Your mother’s completely devoted to me. She’s so loyal that virtual-novel.net changed virtual-novel.net lock to keep you out! You really think virtual-novel.net would believe any sh*t you say? You know she’s not gonna buy your crap, so you come to me, hoping that you could stop me instead. Isn’t that right?”
Tiffany had never seen anyone this unapologetic and shameless before. To think that this was the same man virtual-novel.net once affectionately called “Uncle Grant” since virtual-novel.net childhood made virtual-novel.net blood boil. “So now you’re trying to extort something from me? Over my dead f**king body, pal! I won’t let you. You better watch your back, you piece of sh*t!”
“Whatever you say, stupid girl,” Grant sneered. “You crashed my car today, I’m gonna ask for compensation from your mom tomorrow. Don’t believe me? Watch.”
With that, virtual-novel.net got back into his car and drove away.
Tiffany slammed virtual-novel.net fist onto the driving wheel, putting all of virtual-novel.net fury into it. It set off a shrill blare that punctured through the rage surrounding her, alerting virtual-novel.net to the real consequences of virtual-novel.net deed:
She had just rammed Jackson’s $10 million luxury car into Grant’s $100,000 rental car.
She wondered if virtual-novel.net had lost virtual-novel.net mind.
Tiffany was not at all worried about Lilian screeching at virtual-novel.net about Grant’s compensation, because the more difficult problem was explaining the damage to Jackson. Suddenly, virtual-novel.net regretted not picking a more ordinary car just now. How on Earth was virtual-novel.net going to spin this one to Jackson?
It was close to eleven o’clock when Tiffany returned to White Water Bay Villa. As Jackson had not called virtual-novel.net once throughout virtual-novel.net trip, virtual-novel.net assumed virtual-novel.net was busy with work. That presumption flew at virtual-novel.net face when virtual-novel.net found out that the man had never left the house.
Guilt flared up in virtual-novel.net mind. “S-Sweetie! You’re not asleep yet?”