Chapter 9:
Serena’s POVE
Malcolm raised his hand with a subtle nod to his assistant. A phone call was made, and several people in the room were receiving calls that sent them spiraling into panic.&
That girl already dropped the lawsuit. Why is she suing my son again?” one man yelled at his phone, his voice cracking angrily
“Sir Francis, this is serious! Major shareholders are pulling out, and our company’s capital reserves are completely drained another voice shouted, panic evident in his tone.
“What’s going on with the Fitzgerald family?” someone else barked. “How dare they use shady contracts to take over our subsidiary?”
Chaos broke out in the room. Men who had once been proud and unshakable were now scrambling. One by one, they knelt and slapped their faces, desperately trying to make amends. The slaps echoed throughout the room, adding to the madness.
Clearly out of his depth, Francis stumbled backward with each slap. He looked less like a man in control and more like a fool, completely confused by what was happening.X
Nadine, trembling like a leaf, hid behind Francis. Her fear was clear as she ducked her head, hoping no one would notice her shaking.
Malcolm, unable to hold back his anger any longer, marched over to Francis, grabbed him by the collar, and punched him square in the eye. The force of the punch sent Francis crashing to the floor, his face swelling instantly into a grotesque mess of blood and bruises.
“As President of The Elite Four, I, Malcolm Kentwood, hereby revoke all of Francis’s shares, assets, and positions,” Malcolm declared, his voice cold and filled with authority” expel you from the Prescott family”
Just like that. Francis, once the Prescott’s heir apparent, was reduced to nothing. The power he’d held vanished in an instant. Sensing an opportunity to cover their backs, the crowd quickly tumed on Francis.!!
“We weren’t the ones who rebelled. Francis started this!” they shouted, pointing fingers in every direction, scrambling to absolve themselves.8
James, who had been eerily quiet until now, was the first to act. Without hesitation, he slapped Francis across the face, his voice thick with disgust.
“Ungrateful son,” he spat, his voice dripping with contempt “Look at the mess you’ve gotten us into!”
Still in shock, Francis covered his face with his hands, tears welling in his eyes. He looked at Nadine, hoping for support, but she was too busy to hold on to whatever dignity she had left.
“I’m carrying your child,” Nadine whispered desperately, clutching her stomach like it might somehow fix everything.
But the truth came crashing down when the three men sitting on the sidelines finally spoke up.
“The child isn’t even his!” one of them yelled. “She slept with the old security guard to sneak out of school, and now she’s pregnant with his bastard child‘
James’s face twisted with rage. He gritted his teeth, his fists so tight his knuckles turned white.
“If it weren’t for this slut’s manipulation, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” he hissed.
Without a moment’s hesitation, James marched over to Nadine. His face twisted with fury, and before anyone could react, he kicked her hard in the stomach?
One kick, then another and a third
Nadine’s pants were soaked with blood, and she couldn’t even muster the strength to scream
But James wasn’t done. His anger seemed endless. He grabbed a wooden benchand swung it at her head with all his might. The first smash hit her face, sending her head snapping to the side. Half of her face was crushed under the impact.
The second smash was interrupted by the housekeeper, who tried to intervene but was struck in the back of the head and collapsed.
unconscious
The third smash hit Nadine square in the mouth, sending her teeth flying and half of her lower lip hanging loose from her gums.!!
Francis stood there, paralyzed with fear. He didn’t speak, didn’t move. He just stared, frozen, unable to even breathe.!!
Nadine’s minions rushed forward to check her pulse, but after a few moments, they stumbled back in horror, their faces pale.
“She’s… gone,” one of them said, his voice trembling with shock.
Hearing this, Francis’s grandfather, Edmund, gasped and clutched his chest. His legs gave way beneath him, and he collapsed to the floor, unable to process the weight of what had just unfolded
Because of what happened, James was arrested for intentional homicide and thrown into prison. Meanwhile, Francis was expelled from the Prescotts, quickly spiraling into a mental breakdown. On the other hand, Nadine’s minions were expelled as well
Their futures, once so bright, were now destroyed by their actions.
I
Under Malcolm’s careful guidance, I began to recover. He stayed up for three days straight, organizing a city–wide engagement ceremony for me, pulling every string he could to make sure it was perfect!!
When the day of the engagement party arrived, I looked out the window and saw a disheveled homeless man wandering around in front of my house. Now and then, he would raise a broken bowl, begging for food.
At first, I thought nothing of it.
But then, when he lifted his head to glance around, I saw his face hidden under messy
hair!
was Francis.8
9:21 AM
A tide of memories rushed back–memories of him kneeling at my feet, calling me with fond grace. He had once been my hope, the man
I believed could be my strength. I had planned for him to take the mantle of head of the Prescotts once we were wed and for us to bask in the glory together.
But everything had changed.
His fall from grace felt almost too fitting.
I couldn’t help but stare, lost in thought, feeling both pity and vindication.
“What are you looking at?” Malcolm’s voice snapped me back to reality, his hand gently tapping my forehead.!
“Nothing,” I replied quickly, brushing it off. “I don’t know where that stray dog came from.“}
(The End)