Chapter 16 Ethan waited outside the restroom for more than ten minutes, but Jenny still hadn't come out. It was dead silent inside. He called out a few times, "Ms. Shea, you done yet? Ms. Shea?" Receiving no response, Ethan waited another two minutes, but there was nothing. That was when he realized something was off. Not caring about anything else, he rushed straight into the women's restroom. Luckily, it was empty, so no one would call him a creep. He checked every stall, one by one. When he got to the last one, he spotted Jenny's smartwatch. As soon as he turned it on, a big, flashy message exploded on the screen: [You idiot, I'm outta here.] Ethan looked up and saw the bathroom window wide open, snowflakes drifting in, making the place feel even lonelier. Just like my future, Ethan thought. Jenny, who had just escaped from the women's restroom, relied on her memory and headed back the way she came. If she was remembering right, Olivia should be waiting at the next bus stop. As she walked, her pretty shoes and socks got soaked and covered in mud. 'Olivia won't dislike me just because of this, right?' Jenny worried to herself. But then, out of nowhere, an unwelcome figure showed up ahead-it was Natalie, the one Olivia had taken down with a pressure point lock yesterday. The effect had just worn off, and now she was wandering the streets, looking completely lost and disheveled. Yesterday was utterly humiliating. Natalie had been immobilized on the street by that pressure-point hold-even her uncle couldn't break it. Forced to stay there for over twenty hours, she endured stares and whispers, her dignity stripped away. She blamed Olivia for it all. Natalie hadn't gone far when she spotted Jenny, who was beaming with happiness and skipping her way over. 'Why does she get to look so cheerful and put-together?' Natalie fumed. "You!" Natalie's eyes were red with rage as she lunged at Jenny, hands reaching for her throat. "You were definitely in on it with her. You both set me up." Jenny jumped, startled, and darted aside to dodge Natalie. Still weak from the punishment all day, Natalie lost her balance and collapsed to the ground. "Who do you think you are, coming at me?" Jenny shot Natalie a cold glare, clear disgust in her eyes. "You brought this on yourself. Don't blame Olivia for setting things right." Natalie froze, her body trembling. She'd just been put in her place by a little kid. Her face twisted with even more rage. 'It was all this brat's fault. With my medical skills, I would've shone at the Evans family's consultation. With the Evans family's reputation, I would've been famous in no time. But now, it was all ruined. I've lost everything-including my pride,' Natalie seethed, "You damn kid..." Natalie spat, her teeth clenched in fury. Jenny didn't bother wasting her breath on Natalie. She just kept walking. "Hold it right there! When an adult's talking, you better listen." Natalie yanked Jenny back, easily overpowering her. "If I can't 1/3 8:51 pm DE Chapter 16 handle that brat, I can still take care of you." EX 55 vouchers Jenny had grown up around tough crowds. There was no way Natalie could scare her. She shot Natalie a cold smirk. "Take your filthy hands off me, unless you've got a death wish." Jenny's words made Natalie flinch. She glanced around warily. "You're just a kid, but you sure know how to lie. I knew it. You picked up those tricks from that brat yesterday. You two are definitely in this together." "How dare you call her like that?" Jenny's face darkened, her eyes turning frosty. "Yesterday, we only punished you slightly. Looks like we went too easy on you. It's one thing to be useless, but you're a terrible person too." Natalie, furious, clamped her hands around Jenny's neck and squeezed even harder. "Go to hell!" "Help! She's trying to kill me!" Jenny never thought Natalie would actually attack her. She struggled and shouted for help, but as a kid, she was no match for an adult like Natalie. Natalie never intended to kill Jenny. She just wanted to scare her and teach a lesson. It wasn't guilt over roughing up a kid that bothered her; Jenny's polished, privileged appearance had simply provoked her. But in Hillarica, the Evans family ruled supreme. Even if Jenny's people sought revenge, Natalie wouldn't lose a wink of sleep. Jenny's vision started to blur. Her tiny hands waved weakly, and her breathing grew fast and shallow. Her face turned bright red. Seeing this, Natalie instantly let go, her heart racing with guilt. She hadn't meant to go that far-just wanted to scare Jenny a bit. She was sure she hadn't used enough force to actually hurt Jenny. Natalie started shaking Jenny and tapping her on the head. "Hey, quit playing dead!" Jenny felt terrible; her chest felt tight and painful. But she really didn't want Natalie anywhere near her. 'Olivia, where are you? I can't hold on... And with that thought, everything started to fade away. ***** Meanwhile, Olivia stood zoning out at the bus stop, watching the snow fall steadily. Deciding to brave the weather and walk home, she answered a call. Lucas reported, "Boss, we've got a new lead. The Evans family is offering 70 million for intel on Phantom Healer: location, photo, contact details." '70 million? The Evans family must be desperate to see me, Olivia thought, a sly smirk curling on her lips, her eyes flashing with calculation. "Spread the word. We're not touching this job." She bet that there had gotta be a catch. No way they were dropping that kind of cash just to find her. "Got it," Lucas replied. "And keep tabs on Shadow's crew," Olivia said, pulling off her earpiece. "I think someone's about to jump ship. Drag them out for me." After hanging up, Olivia strolled ahead for a while. In the distance, she caught sight of a grown woman and a little kid locked in a scuffle and the kid looked just like Jenny, the girl she'd rescued yesterday. "Hey, quit faking it!" Natalie snapped, tugging hard on Jenny's ear. "Don't think you can fool me. I'm a doctor, remember?" 2/3 8:51 pm Chapter 16 Jenny was gasping harder and harder, her pupils starting to lose focus. 55 vouchers Natalie, panicked by the sight in front of her, instantly let go and tried to run. But before she could get away, a force yanked her off her feet and she hit the ground hard. "You just let someone die and still dare to call yourself a doctor?" Olivia snapped, scooping Jenny into her arms and shooting Natalie a cold glare. Her free hand landed a sharp slap across Natalie's face. Natalie was left dazed, her cheek burning. When she saw who it was, rage burned even hotter inside her. "You again? How dare you lay a hand on me!" "And why shouldn't I?" Olivia's eyes were full of disgust, her tone icy. "A true doctor doesn't care about fame, only about having a clear conscience. You let someone die. Why shouldn't I slap you?" "This lunatic attacks a kid, then tries to run instead of helping. Even that slap was letting her off easy, Olivia thought. If she wasn't worried about Jenny, she would've rearranged Natalie's face. She turned away, pulling out her phone to call a ride. Seeing Olivia and Jenny about to leave, Natalie snapped and lunged after them. "Stop! Explain yourself. Don't you dare walk away from me." 3/3 Freelance photographer Violet Beck is forced into an engagement with CEO Roy Payne. He is everything her wild heart rebels against: proper, predictable, and painfully kind. But love has a way of devel...