Chapter 33 Name Your Price
Both Eleanor and Victoria were instantly moved by his apparent
sense of justice.
Victoria stepped forward and took his hand. “Lucas, don’t. Let us
handle it.”
“How could I just sit back and let that happen?” he protested with deliberate reluctance. “Even if Kenneth can’t stand me, I’m not going to let you two face this alone!”
Eleanor, reminded by his words, suddenly recalled just how much worse Kenneth treated Lucas compared to how he treated them. She stepped forward as well.
“Lucas, Victoria’s right. Let us go instead.”
He was more than satisfied, though his expression remained perfectly measured.
Scratching his head like a man torn with worry, he added, “But I just don’t feel right letting you go alone. What if Kenneth snaps again?”
Victoria visibly hesitated at that, her confidence faltering.
Lucas glanced at her, inwardly sneering.
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Coward!
He took the opportunity to nudge them in the direction he wanted. “Why don’t you talk to the girl directly? Just avoid Kenneth if you can.”
“And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” Eleanor sounded intrigued now.
He caught her interest and ran with it. “I heard she’s still working part–time somewhere. Kenneth’s health is awful. He’s not likely to be tagging along to a job.”
“I knew it. She’s obviously in it for the money,” Victoria scoffed, her contempt plain on her face.
“Then it’s settled.” Eleanor nodded, though something nor nodded, though something unreadable flickered behind her eyes. She said calmly, “We should have a proper conversation with her. This can’t go on.
“After all, we’re the ones who are truly close to him.”
Victoria agreed at once. “Eleanor, you’re too soft. She’s been slandering us behind our backs, and you still want to be nice to her?”
Her indignation built with every word, as if it all really had
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happened.
Lucas watched her performance with barely concealed delight,
He loved how stupidly easy she was to manipulate.
Eleanor, returning to the matter at hand, said, “Let’s find her first.”
“I know where she is,” Lucas offered promptly. “There’s a little
diner near the back gate of campus. I saw her there once back when I couldn’t even afford a proper meal and had to survive on cheap snacks.”
He scratched his head again, this time with just the right touch of awkward embarrassment.
But Victoria, a beat behind as always, finally caught something odd. “Wait, Lucas, plane tickets from overseas aren’t exactly cheap. Where’d you get the money?”
“I…” He paused, letting a moment of emotion show, just enough to strike a chord. “I couldn’t stand seeing you both so upset over Kenneth. So I took out a loan on the house.”
“What?!” The two girls were genuinely shocked, utterly blindsided by his claim.
Victoria immediately thought of his supposedly ill father and
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frowned. “Does your dad know about this?”
“Not yet,” Lucas lied without flinching. “I figured I’d take on a few part–time jobs once I got back and earn it back myself.”
“I’ll pay you back,” Eleanor said without hesitation, already pulling out her phone to transfer the money.
He reached out to stop her, feigning resistance. “No, I couldn’t possibly accept that.”
“You did it for us,” she replied, withdrawing her phone and completing the transfer in one smooth, practiced motion.
As he caught a glimpse of the “Transfer Successful” screen flashing briefly on her display, a gleam of triumph passed through
his eyes.
Lowering his head to mask the thrill surging thr gh him, he put on an expression of guilt and humility.
With that sum in his hands, practically the worth of a house, his worthless father back home would have no grounds to scold him, even if he found out.
And if he played the victim well enough, moving into Eleanor’s home would be nothing more than a logical outcome.
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For the first time, Lucas felt that being exposed earlier had actually been a blessing in disguise.
At least now, in the eyes of Eleanor and Victoria, his father had
been painted as a scheming man who would fake illness for benefits, while he, poor, pitiful Lucas, was nothing more than collateral damage.
And when the day came that his father tried to stir up trouble, no one would believe a word he said.
“Lucas, don’t blame yourself,” Eleanor said gently, patting him on
the shoulder. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
“Yeah,” Victoria added, her voice tinged with bitterness, “Kenneth
could never compare to you.
“I’ll pay you both back once I’m on my feet again,” Lucas replied smoothly, tossing out the empty promise like it meant nothing.
And of course, the two women fell for it without question, moved, touched, and completely convinced.
Across town in a modest little diner, Marianne was diligently clearing away plates/her every movement neat and methodical.
Despite the generous income from her job as Kenneth’s personal caregiver, she had never once considered giving up this part–time
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gig.
;.
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The diner owner watched her from the counter with evident satisfaction. He found himself wondering whether it might be time to give her a raise.
But the tranquil rhythm of the restaurant was suddenly shattered.
The front door slammed open with a deafening bang, drawing every eye in the room toward the entrance.
Marianne looked up and met Victoria’s eyes.
Her brows drew together. That look alone told her all she needed to know. These two were here for her.
“Where’s the menu?” Victoria lifted a brow, her gaze sweeping over Marianne in a slow, deliberate scan that dripped with
contempt.
The insolence in her expression was impossible to miss.
Marianne’s fingers tightened around the cloth she was holding, but she didn’t move. She stood her ground in silence.
Eleanor followed close behind, eyes locking on her with the same cold sharpness. “This is how you treat customers now?”
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Their attitude left no room for ambiguity. Even the other diners, though unaware of the backstory, could sense the hostility in the air.
Noticing a worried glance from her boss, Marianne gave a near–imperceptible shake of her head, quietly signaling that she had it under control. Then she picked up a menu and walked toward the table.
Her voice, when she spoke, was calm and measured. “What can I get you?”
“We’d like you to stay away from Kenneth,” Victoria replied, arms folded tightly across her chest, chin tilted with theatrical defiance.
Marianne’s frown deepened. “Unfortunately, we don’t offer that kind of service.”
“Maybe this will help.” Eleanor placed a thick e.velope on the table, pushing it toward her.
Marianne glanced at it, bills peeked from the unsealed edge, hinting at a hefty sum inside.
A low, disbelieving laugh escaped her.
Never in her life had she imagined she’d one day be dropped into a scene straight out of a bad TV melodrama. And yet here she
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was.
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And the two women sitting across from her weren’t even the stereotypical domineering mother of the male lead.
“What’s so funny?” Victoria snapped, catching the edge of her smirk like a splinter. “You think that’s not enough?”
“I’m just amazed,” Marianne replied coolly, looking down at the two of them. “Didn’t think you could actually take this level of absurdity seriously.”
She shifted slightly, raising a hand and gesturing toward the door. “If you’re here to stir up drama, I suggest you turn around and
leave now.”
“Then name your price,” Eleanor said, unmoving.
Her gaze held steady as she tapped a finger on the envelope. “What would it take for you to back off?”
“No amount is enough,” Marianne answered, her voice crisp and unwavering.
“You really think you’re untouchable now, huh?” Victoria suddenly slammed her hand on the table and sprang to her feet, jabbing a finger in Marianne’s face. “Just because Kenneth’s protecting you, you think you can… Aah!”
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Tapici do name your Price
13 min loft
Her tirade broke off in a sharp scream.
Marianne had caught her pointing finger and twisted it down
without a shred of hesitation. “I warned you before. Keep your
claws to yourself.”
“Let go of her!” Eleanor barked.
But the command fell on deaf ears.
Victoria’s face contorted in pain, eyes brimming with tears.
Eleanor lunged forward, trying to intervene, but Marianne moved first. With a sharp motion, she released Victoria’s hand and shoved her back.
Another cry of pain pierced the air.
B
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