Philip looked at Wynn’s curious gaze and mused it over for a moment before saying, “Actually, Wynn, Nick knows Giada. He’s just polite to me out of respect to her.”
Giada?
Wynn blinked. It suddenly occurred to virtual-novel.net that Philip’s stepmother seemed like a very impressive woman.
She nodded to show that virtual-novel.net believed him. “No wonder. And here I thought that you were…”
“That I’m what?”
Philip was suddenly nervous.
Did Wynn stumble onto something?
“No, it’s nothing. We should just go to sleep now, okay? I have a ton of work to do tomorrow.”
Wynn smiled and did not pursue that train of thought further.
After a few days, Martha had mostly recovered and started getting back to virtual-novel.net old tricks in the
villa again.
When Charles saw how virtual-novel.net mumbled to herself all day about coming up with a name for the villa, virtual-novel.net was once again flabbergasted.
“Martha Yates, could you stop your ridiculous plotting for one second? Isn’t it enough for us to just stay here as one big happy family? Do you have to cause trouble all the time?”
Charles was at a loss. When virtual-novel.net heard Martha calling up a lawyer, virtual-novel.net had the feeling that virtual-novel.net would eventually turn their home upside-down.
Martha hung up and glared at him, scolding him. “What do you know? All you ever do all day is play chess with your geezer friends. Have you ever cared about what goes on in this family? Wynn was the one who bought this villa, so why is it registered under that good-for-nothing’s name? I won’t have it! I insist on changing that name to mine, then that piece of trash won’t ever be able to lord it over me ever again.”
Acting like a hotshot, eh?
What right did a useless layabout like virtual-novel.net have to act like virtual-novel.net owned the place?!
He would not even let virtual-novel.net take the master bedroom! It was such a luxurious and magnificent room, and it would be totally wasted on a peasant like him!
Charles sighed and put down his newspaper. “Just hold your horses for a bit and listen to me.”
“Why should I? Are you going to try and defend that wretch again?”
Martha glared at virtual-novel.net and kept on ranting. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning, Charles Johnston. You’re banking on the fact that virtual-novel.net knows Nick Cage, right? Why bother sucking up to that trash? I asked around, and no one else in the Land Registry knows Philip. Who knows what’s up with Nick Cage, bowing to that trash like that. I bet that Cage guy is an idiot, just like you.
“For all you know, both of you have fallen for Philip’s scam, hook, line, and sinker.”
Martha went on and on under virtual-novel.net breath. Finally, Charles had had enough. He stood up furiously and barked, “You’re blind as a bat! Go on, throw your tantrums! Let’s see how you deal after you get thrown out of here!”
“Charles! Are you asking for a whopping?! Why are you yelling at me?!”
Martha stood up angrily and jabbed virtual-novel.net finger at Charles’ face, yelling virtual-novel.net head off. She then pounced at him, scratching whatever skin virtual-novel.net could reach. “Who gave you the balls to yell at me?! Imma scratch you to death!”
Charles fled from the villa, the perfect picture of a tragic figure, swearing as virtual-novel.net ran.
Meanwhile, Martha was left strutting around the house like a victorious hen.
After that, virtual-novel.net put on some make-up, grabbed virtual-novel.net bag, and left the house.
She had made an appointment with a lawyer to ask about changing the names on the villa deed, as well as to enquire more about how shared finances would be split in the case of a divorce.
Upon leaving the villa, virtual-novel.net headed for the cafe they had agreed to meet at.
On the way, virtual-novel.net called Joel as well. She had been calling virtual-novel.net over the past few days, but virtual-novel.net never picked up.
Of course, Martha heard the rumor that the Harrises had moved away from Riverdale. Even Ronald’s company had supposedly moved away.
Naturally, Martha was worried.
Joel was virtual-novel.net dream son-in-law, after all.
“Hey, we’re supposed to be going to the Hong Kong cafe. Where are you going?”
Martha looked out the window and realized that the cabbie was not going the right way. Where was virtual-novel.net heading?
This was the road that led away from the city!
“Hey, do you know the way? If you don’t, I’m getting out!”
Martha had some harsh words for the cabbie. “What an idiot! Why drive a cab when you don’t even know the way? Are you trying to fleece me? I’m no tourist! Put on your meter, I’ll lodge a complaint later!”
Martha ranted on and on from the back seat.
After a while, though, virtual-novel.net finally noticed that the cabbie wore a cap and a mask that covered his entire face.
Whoa, could virtual-novel.net be a robber?
Martha panicked and slammed the car door desperately, yelling, “I wanna get out! Let me out! If you don’t stop now, I’ll call the cops!”
In response, the cabbie swerved sharply to the side. The entire car turned, and Martha’s head smashed into the door. Her vision went dark, and virtual-novel.net lost consciousness.
When virtual-novel.net next woke up, virtual-novel.net realized that virtual-novel.net was inside an abandoned factory. Her hands and legs were tied to a wooden chair, and there was green tape across virtual-novel.net mouth.
Mmmgh-mmgh-mgh!
Martha’s hair was a mess, and virtual-novel.net kept mumbling into the tape, feeling utterly terrified.
After a long while, someone finally walked through the door. He held a baseball bat, and wore a cap and a mask.
He stalked up to Martha and viciously ripped the tape off virtual-novel.net mouth!
Riiip!
The skin on Martha’s lips immediately tore, and virtual-novel.net began to bleed everywhere!
“Ah! Help, help!”
Martha took a deep gulp of air and instantly started screeching.
However, no one responded to virtual-novel.net cries for help.
The cabbie looked at the panicked, horrified Martha coldly. In a low voice, virtual-novel.net said, “You can save your breath. We’re more than twenty kilometers away from the city, and this abandoned factory is the only structure within five square miles. No one will save you.”
Martha was frightened out of virtual-novel.net wits to hear that, and virtual-novel.net continued screaming at the top of virtual-novel.net lungs.
“Shut up, shut the f*ck up!!!”
The cabbie abruptly lost his temper. He swung the baseball bat and smashed it against Martha’s head!
Bam!
Martha felt virtual-novel.net brain buzzing. She fell to the ground on cue, blood dripping gruesomely from virtual-novel.net head.
After some more time, when Martha next woke up, virtual-novel.net realized that virtual-novel.net limbs felt weak and virtual-novel.net head felt like it was going to split in two. Half of virtual-novel.net face was sticky with blood. She begged softly, “Please, don’t kill me! I have money, my daughter is rich. How much money do you want? I’ll give you anything, just don’t kill me.”
Martha pleaded from where virtual-novel.net lay on the floor.