Chapter 20 Surrounded and Ambushed
+8 Pearls
Margaret would visit from time to time, even deliberately giving her nutritional supplements in front of Lily. After more than a week of this, her complexion had significantly improved.
One day, Margaret visited again, but this time, it was to say goodbye.
After divorcing Jensen, she could no longer stay in the country. She was leaving for a long trip abroad.
If it were not for Yunice’s engagement issue, she would not have come back just to see the other woman flaunting her victory.
“I advised you to break off the engagement with Paul not because I look down on you,” Margaret said. “The Powell family is too complicated. Without strong backing, you’ll suffer.”
Daughter–in–law and mother–in–law were natural enemies. And now, there was a stepmother involved, making things even more precarious.
Yunice was not sure how sincere Margaret was, but she was not wrong. The Powell family was embroiled in internal strife. There was no need for Yunice to be dragged into it.
Margaret suddenly thought of something. “By the way, do you remember Gill?”
Gill had been a maid for the Saunders family. Margaret had introduced her back then, and when Elsie moved in, Gill had been the one who protected Yunice. But after Yunice was sent to the asylum, Gill had left the Saunders family as well.
Yunice’s eyes lit up. “Madam Margaret, do you know where Gill is?”
Margaret smiled. “She’s looking after my house in Silverburgh
She handed Yunice an address. “This is my private residence. Not many people know about it. If you ever have nowhere to go, find Gill. She’ll take care of you.”
Tears welled in Yunice’s eyes. She wanted nothing more than to rush to Gill’s side immediately.
Seeing her reaction, Margaret subtly hinted, “Elsie and Owen are on a business trip. They won’t be back for a week.”
Was she suggesting I make a run for it?
Yunice did not respond immediately. After everything she had been through, she found it difficult to trust people. Especially when Margaret was Paul’s mother, it was even harder to simply place trust in her.
But Margaret did not mind. She was leaving soon. Whether Yunice trusted her or not did not matter, as long as she trusted Gill That will do.
That night, after Margaret’s flight took off, Yunice hailed a taxi to the private residence.
Her phone number was not registered, so it took a while before she managed to find a cheap, off–the–books cab.
The driver was irritable, speeding recklessly down the road.
Yunice was still reeling from the nausea of sudden acceleration when the car screecheded to an abrupt stop.
Thankfully, she was wearing a seatbelt, or she would have slammed into the dashboard.
Before she could regain her senses, the sharp sound of tires skidding across pavement filled the air.
More than one car. Engines roared. Tires burned rubber against the road. It sounded just like a racetrack.
The taxi driver swore. “Damn it, I knew I should’ve stayed home today!”
Yunice glanced at him. His forehead was bleeding, his hand pressed against the wound.
Then she turned to look outside, and her breath caught in her throat.
10:47 AM
Chapter 20 Surrounded and Ambushed
And aside from their decrepit taxi, one other car was caught in the middle.
+8 Pearls
Unlike their stopped cab, the other car fought desperately, its tires spinning frantically in search of an escape route.
Yunice’s heart sank. She knew they had been caught in a gang conflict.
She bit her lip. Sometimes, she really wondered if she was cursed. What were the odds of getting tangled up in something like this?
Just as she was calculating her chances of escape, the surrounding cars screeched to a halt.
Their doors swung open in perfect unison, and dozens of men poured out like a tidal wave. They ripped the struggling car’s doors clean off, dragging its passengers out and tossing them onto the pavement.
The agonized screams sounded eerily familiar.
Just as Yunice leaned closer to the window to see who it was, she felt a presence. A gaze. Strong, piercing, and locked directly
onto her.
Her back hit the seat as she instinctively shrank away, trying to disappear from view.
Chapter 21 Meeting Wyatt
+8 Pearls
With a click, the taxi driver opened the door and fled. No one dared to mess with these lunatics, running into them was just bad luck
Yunice reacted quickly and immediately jumped out from the other side to escape, but her physical skills were too poor. Before she could even climb onto the hood of the luxury car, someone pulled her down from behind. Instinctively, she curled up, wrapping her arms around her head as she stumbled and was dragged back by the collar.
When she finally steadied herself, her gaze lifted from the bottom of the black cane, eventually landing on Wyatt’s face.
The winter night’s wind was cold. Wyatt wore a black cashmere coat, and his long fingers rested on the silver handle of his cane–the only hint of brightness in his entire figure. Unlike their first encounter, Wyatt now had a slight smile, the corners of his mouth carrying an unreadable expression. At least his hostility wasn’t as sharp, and Yunice’s heartbeat slowed a little.
The man who had been beaten to a pulp was being dragged away, his wails and groans sending chills down everyone’s spine. Yunice recognized him… It was the same man who had chased Wyatt in the alley back at the black market. She didn’t know what kind of grudge they had, but it confirmed one thing–Wyatt always repaid his debts.
So she had no idea what he wanted with her.
Three years in the psychiatric hospital had ingrained obedience into Yunice. When she was beaten, she endured it. When faced with unknown dangers, she would remain numb and wait. Any resistance or trickery would only lead to more beatings from the orderlies. She knew this kind of passivity, just like 1030, was a bad habit, but she couldn’t change it yet.
Wyatt had never seen someone this dull before. She wasn’t like those men who pissed themselves and begged for mercy. But calling her brave? She had the nerve to straddle him and grind before running off.
Seeing her keeping her eyes down and avoiding his gaze, Wyatt tilted his head, deliberately shifting his position to catch her eyes from the side.
Yunice’s nervous gaze happened to meet his waiting one, and she immediately shrank back.
“Hmph,” Wyant let out a satisfied chuckle and adjusted to a more relaxed stance.
“Wyatt,” a young man who looked like one of Wyatt’s associates walked out from the shadows, wiping his hands.
Noticing Wyatt standing next to a disheveled girl, he instinctively asked, “Who’s this?”
His question was to determine whether she was an enemy or
or an
ally
Wyatt casually replied, “Little rabbit.”
Little rabbit?
Jordan took another look at Yunice, his eyes flashing briefly as if he realized something, but he quickly smirked and teased, “Big bad wolves love little rabbits the most.”
Seeing that Wyatt was about to leave, Jordan gestured toward Yunice. “Little rabbit, Wyatt is inviting you for a drink. Show some appreciation”
Yunice knew that rejecting a toast meant drinking a forfeit instead, but she still sincerely corrected him, “My name is Yunice.” Little rabbit. It sounded like some kind of plaything.
Jordan didn’t care. I know you. Paul’s soon–to–be wife, right? We met when we were kids.”
Silverburgh’s social circles were both big and small. Because of her ties to the Powell family and her father’s status as a legendary doctor, Yunice had many elite childhood friends growing up Jordan, as the second son of the Conrad family, was
one of them.
Maybe because they had met as kids, or maybe because Jordan seemed easygoing. Yunice subconsciously Call-
10 47 AM
Chapter 21 Meeting Wyatt
stronger. Yunice could even distinguish the different components in the smell.
+8 Pearls
As the car started moving, she stole a glance at Wyatt, who sat one seat away from her. He paid her no attention. Noticing that he wasn’t wearing his coat, Yunice grew a little bolder and looked at his wrist
He was still wearing her bracelet.
A pang of frustration hit her. She had been in such a rush when pawning it that she hadn’t even gotten a good look at it. Now, it was on his wrist; not only out of her reach but completely beyond her control.
Feeling annoyed, yet not daring to act out, she could only pretend not to see it. Instead, she took advantage of the good lighting in the car and pulled out a notebook, quietly writing and drawing
Wyatt glanced over and saw her scribbling–Alphasirox pills component analysis. He watched for a while, noticing that she seemed uncertain about a few parts.
“You’re not gonna ask where I’m taking you?” Wyatt asked.
Yunice replied, “Isn’t it for a drink?”
Wyatt crossed his long legs and scoffed, “You dare drink with us?”
He might as well have asked if she wasn’t afraid of being played to death.
