?Chapter 194:


    Ethel paused, noticing how tightly Kiera clung to Elena. She weighed confronting this intruder outright; after all, with four men by her side, handling one young woman seemed manageable.


    Just then, a Mercedes rolled into the parking garage. The car stopped abruptly at the blockade, its driver leaning out to question, “Why are you blocking the entrance? Looking for trouble?” The residents of this upscaleplex were typically wealthy or influential—people not to be trifled with.


    Ethel, however, couldn’t even dream of affording a bathroom in this ce.


    Marlon, on the other hand, had invested in two properties near thepany to facilitate visits to Kiera—one served as a retreat for him and his son, while the other was designated for Ethel’s use.


    Yet, both Marlon and his son Malcolm were consumed by work, rarely returning home.


    Behind the scenes, Ethel had orchestrated a secret n for Kiera to donate a kidney to her son without Marlon’s knowledge—a secret she guarded fiercely.


    Concerned that lingering in the parking garage might attract unwanted attention, Ethel put on a forced smile. “We shouldn’t stay here,” she said to Kiera. “Come with me—I’ll take you home. And miss, if you’re here to see Marlon, why note with me and wait for him? He could be back any moment.” Ethel’s n was clear: lure Kiera away and find a way to quietly get rid of Elena.


    Elena, perceptive but pretending ignorance, nodded in apparent agreement. Her urgent priority was to find a ce with good cell reception to update Malcolm on Kiera’s precarious situation.


    As they made their way from the garage to Ethel’s residence, Elena felt the sharp, watchful gaze of the four men tracking her every move.


    At the entrance, Ethel suddenly grabbed Kiera’s arm and yanked her urgently toward the staircase.


    “Stop this at once!” Elena eximed, stepping forward and firmly grasping Ethel’s wrist to block her.


    Ethel’s eyes flicked nervously toward the upper floor. “Kiera, it’s your cousin. He’s looking for you upstairs. You should go meet him now.”


    Kiera shook her head fiercely, her bright eyes filled with palpable dread.


    Desperate, Ethel tightened her grip on Kiera’s delicate wrist, leaving vivid red marks.


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    Elena scowled at the sight. “You’re hurting her. Let her go right now!”


    Elena had already sent a text to Malcolm, suspecting Ethel’s dark intentions. Now, all she could do was dy Ethel until Malcolm arrived.


    Obsessed with her son’s needs, Ethel ignored the visible pain she was inflicting on Kiera.


    With a protective step forward, Elena forced Ethel to recoil and finally loosen her grasp, still haunted by their earlier confrontation.


    Elena quickly examined Kiera’s arm, relieved to find bruises but no fractures.


    Trembling like a cornered doe, Kiera swiftly slipped behind Elena for safety.


    Ethel’s eyes chilled to ice as she fixed a piercing stare on Kiera. “You will go upstairs today.”


    Turning to her menacing bodyguards, shemanded, “Restrain her!”


    The four men closed in tighter, the tension in the air palpable.


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