<b>As </b>the call ended, Edgar’sst glimmer of hope shattered. His gaze on Briar was a mix ofplexity and malice, utterly devoid of <b>the </b><b>pretense </b><b>of </b>a <b>lousie</b>, father. “Briar, you’re still part of the Jennings family,” he gritted through clenched teeth.
Briar did not doubt that if Edgar could overpower her, he’d beat her senseless.
“Oh, you think I want to be part of the Jennings family?” Briar shrugged nonchntly. “If I wanted, I could change myst name to Grant anytime. <b>Briar </b>Grant sounds way better than Briar Jennings.”
Thest name “Grant” was the one that haunted Edgar with shame.
No matter how sessful he became, it was a humiliation he could never escape.
It was also his greatest weakness, the one thing others could use against him.
Seeing Edgar was just about ready to explode, Briar brushed off some imaginary dust from her clothes as she said, “Alright, it seems like you got <b>nothing </b>else to say to me. I’ll go downstairs and have a little chat with your golden boy.”
Edgar’s defeated look vanished in an instant, and he demanded, “What do you want from Camden<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Briar cocked her head, utterly unfazed by Edgar’s protective–dad routine. She stared straight into his eyes with a nk face. Her gaze practically spitting fire as she said, “What do you think I want with him? You think you can make Camden look innocent, and I won’t figure out whose idea it was to drag me
back here?”
Edgar flinched, clearly not expecting Briar to see through everything. He stammered, “You…”
Briar never had much patience for Edgar. Without giving him a chance to defend himself<b>, </b>she strode straight out of the study. Edgar rushed <b>after </b><b>her</b>, but Briar was already downstairs in a sh.
Edgar hurried down the stairs, and soon, screams echoed from below, “Ah! Why are you hitting Camden? Someone, help!”
“Quick! Stop her!” Edgar shouted from the stairs.
At his shout, four or five bodyguards rushed over at once, trying to pull Briar off Camden, but she had him pinned down and was beating the crap out of
him.
To everyone’s shock, instead of rescuing Camden, the four or five bodyguards were sent flying by Briar with just a few punches and kicks. Halle and Beatrice werepletely stunned.
By the time Edgar finally made it to the living room, Camden looked like he had been turned into a punching bag, his face swollen and unrecognizable.
On the other hand, Briar’s clothes weren’t even ruffled, and she looked cool and collected. It was as if she hadn’t just ttened Camden and a squad of bodyguards.
“Briar, get the hell out of here!” Edgar finally lost it, pointing at the door and yelling at Briar.
“Who do you think you are? You think you can just tell me toe back and then tell me to leave whenever you feel like it?” Briarughed as she casually
here!” dug at her ear. “I was trying to leave earlier, and you wouldn’t let me. Now you want me to <b>go</b>? Well, too bad. I’m not going
With that, she kicked Camden, who was groaning on the floor, then confidently walked over and plopped down on the couch. <b>She </b>draped one arm casually over the back and crossed her legs in amanding way. A smirk that didn’t reach her eyes yed on her lips <b>as </b><b>she </b>dered, <b>“</b><b>I’m </b><b>the </b><b><i>heir </i></b><b>to </b>everything in the Jennings family, Edgar, you’d better control your people and stop bothering me, or I’ll make sure your whole family gets kicked <b>out </b><b>of </b>the Jennings house and left on the street.”
His face flushed, Edgar panted heavily, “You… you…”
Briar picked up awyer’s business card from under the coffee table, her fierce look suddenly turning yful. She teased<b>, </b><b>“</b><b>Oh</b><b><i>! </i></b><b>So </b>your <b>revenge </b><b>is </b><b>all </b>
<b>10:49 </b><b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>19 </b><b>Aug </b>
above board now? Are you already calling in thewyers to cover your asses?”
Beatrice panicked when she saw the business card in Briar’s hand. She grabbed Halle’s arm and whispered, “Mom, that’s thewyer’s <b>card </b><b>hid </b>under
the coffee table…”
Halle’s brow furrowed, and she lowered her voice, “Why didn’t you hide it in your room?”
However, Beatrice had never thought that far ahead.
Edgar observed the brief conversation between the mother and daughter, then said sharply, “What are you nning now? Don’t try to avoid <b>the </b><b>real </b>issue. You were the one who started the argument. We haven’t done anything wrong to you–we’ve provided you with great food and drinks and treated you kindly, and this is how you repay us?”
Briar narrowed her eyes and, without even thinking, stomped down hard on Camden’s hand. As he let out a piercing scream, she said in a low, <b>chilly </b>voice, “This is my own house. So why would I need your so–called hospitality?”
After Briar had knocked out the bodyguards in just a few moves, not a single one of them dared <i>to </i>step up again. The Jennings family might not <b>have </b>realized how skilled Briar really was, but the bodyguards knew all too well. She was nothing like the useless show–off Edgar imed she was.
This girl was a total badass, and she was out of their league. All of them shrank back to the sidelines, not daring to make a move.
“You rebellious girl!” Edgar finally exploded, all his anger and frustration boiling down to a furious curse.
Briar looked over at the bodyguards, who had backed off quickly, then turned her attention to the Jennings family. Her tone was casual, but her eyes were icy. “You all know how many shady things you’ve done when I wasn’t looking. I won’t even have to list them–you know what I’m talking about deep down. Just because I haven’te to settle the score yet, do you think I’m afraid of you?”
The Jennings family fell utterly silent. They did think Briar was too scared to fight back.
“I’ve seen idiots before, but never anyone as brainless as you guys,” Briarughed out loud in disbelief.
Briar began listing the wrongs done to them, one by one: “Beatrice, you went around the university spreading false rumors and causing trouble for me. Halle, you ruined my reputation among the influential people. And this time? Camden, you were the one encouraging Edgar toe after me, weren’t you?”
Edgar avoided her gaze, not daring to say a single word.
She went on, “And you, Edgar. You’ve joined forces with others to try to trick me more than once. Did you believe I would simply act like nothing happened?” Briar looked at him with a mix of emotions, almost feeling sorry for him. “What goes aroundes around, Edgar. Retribution is patient; it wille at the right moment.”
If she weren’t using Edgar as bait to fish out the mastermind behind him, she would’ve dealt with this scumbag ages ago.
Edgar looked up, surprised and hesitant, his expression filled with a mix of emotions. But when he saw Briar’s knowing and slightly mocking smile, he pushed his feelings aside and regained hisposure.
‘That’s impossible. There’s no way Briar knows about Ben Garza and the others…‘ he thought.
Briar gave Edgar a yful smile and chose not to say anything more. She looked at the others with a calm expression, stood <b>up </b><b>with </b>her hands in her pockets, and walked confidently towards the front door as if she were in charge.
For some reason, the Jennings family all let out a collective sigh of relief as they watched Briar leave.
Earlier, they’d done everything to keep her from leaving, but now, they were practically praying she’d get out as fast as possible.
As Briar stepped out of the Jennings house, she spotted a familiar figure leaning against a car under a tree not far away. She froze for <b>a </b>second and asked in surprise, “Ashton? What are you doing here?”
Ashton was dressed in a simple white shirt, casually leaning against the front of the car. The sses perched on his nose and the <b>half</b><b>–</b><b>smoked </b><b>cigarette </b>
<b>10:49 </b>Tue, Ty <b>Aug </b>
between
his fingers, all under the glow
of the
streetlights,
gave
him an
air of forbidden
allure.
There were a few
butts
scattered around cigarette
his
feet, which meant
he’d
been
there
for quite
a while
N/
WAN
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