Kelly couldn’t say no.
Just like Patricia warned–anything Patricia held could destroy her in an instant.
“Patricia, if I get on my knees, will you give me what you want?” Kelly’s voice shook.
Patricia spun her teacup between her fingers, the hint of a gentle smile on her lips. She almost. sounded kind. “You can only bargain if you have something to offer, Mrs. Newton. What do you have?”
Kelly’s mind went nk. She stared at Patricia, stunned. Only now did she truly understand what Theo meant whenever he told her: Don’t mess with Patricia.
“What do you want?” Kelly asked, barely above a whisper.
Patricia sat up straighter on the sofa, her smile sweet but sharp. “I want you to take care of Tina. Can you do that? Aren’t you two best friends? Backstabbing each other shouldn’t be that hard, right?”
Kelly’s eyes went wide. <!--
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Everyone in Riverdale’s upper crust knew the Martins‘ family drama was legendary–way too tangled to sum up in a few words. In the end, Tina walked away with everything, and Patricia was left with nothing. Of course Patricia wanted revenge. But asking Kelly to do the dirty work wasn’t just about payback. It was using her as a weapon.
“Murder is a crime,” Kelly finally managed, her voice shaking.
Patricia let out a softugh. “So is cheating. What, the criminal code counts but marriagews don’t? Who gets to decide whichws matter more?”
She s
sighed, pressing her fingers to her temples like she suddenly had a headache. “Jackson, please show our guest out.”
Panic shot through Kelly.
“Patricia!” she screamed, desperate. “You can’t do something this–this insane!”
Jackson actuallyughed at the word “insane.” Without warning, he kicked Kelly hard in the back. <fnc766> This content belongs to Find~Novel</fnc766>
She fell, knees mming to the floor–straight onto the broken shards of Patricia’s teacup.
A sharp, guttural scream ripped from her throat.
But after a second, it faded into choked sobs.
Jackson mped his hand over her mouth. “Quiet. Miss doesn’t like noise.”
Kelly whimpered behind his hand<b>, </b>ss digging into her knees, her whole body shuddering from the pain. Tears streamed down her face.
Even in her fifties, Kelly was still strikingly beautiful–anyone could see she’d once been a knockout. Years of wealth and privilege had shaped her into the ultimate high–society wife: elegant, distant, untouchable. If you didn’t know her, just seeing her cry might tug at your heart.
13:30
But after thest couple years, no one here felt sorry for her. If she died right there on the <b>floor</b><b>, </b>no one would even blink.
Patricia finished her pot of tea. By then, Kelly was barely conscious from the pain.
Finally, Patricia looked at Jackson. “Throw her out.”
Jackson didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Kelly by the back of her cor and dragged her out the door.
Outside, Kelly twisted and writhed on the ground like a wounded animal. It took her ages to climb to her feet, and when she finally reached her car, she was shaking so hard she could barely drive away. Jackson stood at the window, watching through the thin curtain as Kelly’s car disappeared down the driveway.
“That’s it? You’re just letting her go?” he asked.
“If you only punish someone halfway, all you do is make them feel bolder.”
Marian, refilling Patricia’s teapot, looked up. “You don’t get it. Miss wants to push her, let her <b>get </b>desperate enough to actually make a move.”
Patricia’s eyes, still smiling,nded on Marian.
Marian grinned sheepishly, taking a wild guess. “We’re leaving soon, right? But knowing you, Miss, there’s no way you’re just letting this go. If you’re not striking back now, you must have something bigger nned. You want both the Newtons and the Martins to suffer while you’re gone–make sure they never forget Patricia was here. Isn’t that right?”