This neighborhood boasted top–tier high schools, international supermarkets, and full medical facilities.
Word had it that as soon as sales opened, the place was swarmed with buyers.
Every layout came with a model unit. A sales agent was currently showing one to a mother and her daughter when Audrey leaned in for a quick look.
She was about to turn away until a familiar voice stopped her.
“Mom, didn’t I tell you we’re going to check out Ashbourne? Why are you here?”
Audrey froze. That voice sounded a lot like Valerie.
She stepped back quietly, and sure enough, it was her.
Valerie had just had her hair done, soft waves, dyed a smoky green–blue. She wore a fitted dress and eight–centimeter heels, polished head to toe.
If not for the faint trace of a regional accent, she could’ve passed for someone born into wealth.
Cheryl, unimpressed, shook her head. “If you’re off to Ashbourne, then I’ll stay here with Luna. The hospitals and schools nearby are convenient. And more importantly…”
She leaned in to whisper something in her daughter’s ear. Valerie’s expression instantly changed.
The exact words she’d fed to Clayton over the phone had clearly come from her mother. She’d thought she’d talked her out of it, yet the moment she stepped out for a haircut, someone had lured Cheryl here for a tour.
“Mom, after what we did to Clayton, aren’t you afraid his family will come after us?”
“Afraid of her?” Cheryl scoffed. “I’m already being generous not giving her trouble. I don’t know anyone in Ashbourne. I’d rather stay somewhere familiar.
At least I have friends here.”
“This isn’t some minor decision,” Valerie said, pulling her mother’s arm. “Let’s talk about it at home.” But as she turned, she caught sight of Audrey.
Audrey was standing in the open kitchen, admiring the cabinetry. She turned just then, as if only now noticing Valerie, eyes widening in a look of faint
surprise.
“You’re looking at units here too?” Her gaze betrayed a trace of disdain, as if the idea of sharing a neighborhood was reason enough to reconsider.
Valerie hadn’t planned on buying until she saw that look on Audrey’s face.
“Audrey, this kind of development isn’t for people like you. You belong in that shabby little apartment. Bet you can’t even afford the down payment
here.”
She let out a scoffing laugh, then added with a mock apology, “Unless I’m mistaken, your tiny place is still on a mortgage, right?
“That bathroom can barely fit one person. If Clayton hadn’t asked me to put up with it for now, I never would’ve moved in.”
Audrey pulled out a bar stool and sat down casually. She glanced around the space, then lifted her eyes to meet Valerie’s.
“Clayton’s busy scraping together money for my letter of forgiveness. Who exactly do you think is buying you a house.
Valerie’s face darkened for a split second but quickly returned to its usual arrogance.
“If I want a place, I’ll get one,” she said coolly. “No need for you to worry.”
Calvin stepped inside, gave them a passing glance, then walked over to stand behind Audrey. “This one gets good natural light. The layout’s not bad.
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About 215 square feet smaller than the east–facing unit.”
Audrey pointed at the bar. “I kind of like this design,” she said, sliding her legs underneath. “But the height’s a little low. It might cramp your leg
Not hers, of course. She was thinking of Yann’s.
Calvin caught the subtext immediately and gave a subtle nod.
Valerie moved closer, eyes locked on Calvin, openly sizing him up.
He wasn’t as sharply featured as Clayton, but his presence was solid, with broad shoulders and steady gaze, the kind of man who made people feel safe without saying a word.
“That him? Your new bedwarmer?” she said coldly.
Calvin’s gaze turned sharp, his hand on the bar tightening just enough to make the veins rise.
Audrey laid a hand on his arm, holding him back, and smiled at the sales agent. “I’m not living in the same neighborhood as her if she buys, we’re leaving.”
“Oh please,” Valerie scoffed, folding her arms. “As if you could even afford it.”
Calvin didn’t respond. He simply pulled out a receipt and handed it over. The agent took one look and nearly dropped it.
They had paid a deposit for two units with the best floor and layout.
Calvin calmly took the paper back, turned to Valerie, and gestured toward her with the slightest lift of his hand. “So? Cash or mortgage?”
Valerie stared at the sales agent, hoping for denial, but the agent nodded.
In an instant, her expression collapsed. “You have no idea who she is,” she spat, her voice rising. “She’s not even from this city, an orphan, scheming, vain
to the bone. You stay with her, and she’ll ruin you…”
A loud crack cut her off.
She flew sideways, crashed into the sofa, and didn’t move for a moment.
Cheryl screamed and rushed over while Valerie spat blood onto her/palm, along with a tooth.
“You hit me!” she shrieked, a voice suddenly whistling through the gap in her teeth.
Cheryl turned and charged at Calvin, aiming her head straight at his gut. It was her go–to move, brutal and usually effective.
But Calvin didn’t budge. He didn’t even dodge and just raised an arm at the exact moment of impact.
Her head collided with his forearm like it was steel. She yelped in pain and staggered back.
“You lunged at me,” Calvin said flatly. “I didn’t touch you.”
“She hit my daughter! He injured her!” Cheryl clutched her head and turned to the sales agent, eyes wide with theatrical outrage. “Call the police. Now!”
The sales agent didn’t even flinch. She’d seen unreasonable clients before, but this was just absurd.
“Go ahead,” Audrey said calmly, her gaze fixed on Valerie. “Once the cops show up, I don’t care even if Clayton offers me a million. I’m not signing that release.”
Valerie, still clutching her face, shot her mother a look to stop. Now was not the time.
Clayton couldn’t afford to get arrested not yet. She’d already taken the money, and he still owed her a bone marrow donation. If that fell through, she’d
Chapter 169
be on the hook for twice the amount. And she didn’t have it.
“Let it go,” she muttered, eyes low, signaling her mother to back down.
Cheryl’s face was full of heartache, Her daughter’s cheek had swollen to the size of a fist, and her eye was barely open. “We’ll go to the hospital first.”
They passed by Audrey on the way out.
Valerie kept her head down, one hand shielding her face. Cheryl, however, couldn’t resist a final parting shot. “Don’t get too comfortable. We’re not
done!”
Outside, a fresh wave of pain hit Valerie. She spit blood into the bushes, her molar feeling loose with pain.
She turned her head slightly and froze. By the lake stood a man on the phone, tall, lean, his frame sharp and straight as a blade.
There was something quietly commanding about him. Even the way he held his phone spoke of restraint and power. But what caught her attention was the watch on his wrist, a sleek Patek Philippe, unmistakably high–end.
The best hunters never look like hunters. They appear, almost always, as prize games.
And just like that, regret washed over her. If only she hadn’t caused a scene. With her looks and charm, she might’ve had a shot at catching his eye.
“Do you know him?” Cheryl followed her daughter’s gaze, confused by the dazed expression on her face.
“Mom…” Valerie’s voice was strained, half from pain, half from disbelief. She made a small gesture with her thumb. “That watch? Easily over a million dollars.”
“A million? What’s it made of, diamonds?” Cheryl frowned.
But Valerie couldn’t take her eyes off him. If Clayton had even half this man’s presence, all her scheming might have felt worth it.
Then Cheryl nudged her again.
Yann, unaware of their stares, pulled his left hand from his pocket and idly twisted the ring on his fourth finger.
“He’s married!” Cheryl hissed.
Valerie didn’t even blink. “A man like that? Of course he is.” Her voice was flat, but her eyes burned with something far less resigned.
She wasn’t the kind to walk away just because someone was taken.
