"Janelle! What are you doing?! There are cameras here!" Nelson tried to intervene. Lillie was his fiancée, after all; he couldn't stand by while she was attacked.
However, a large hand blocked his path.
Nelson tried to shove the man's arm aside.
Erik seized Nelson's shoulder. Instantly, Nelson felt his shoulder blade might shatter under the crushing pressure.
"What am I doing? Let the women handle their own business. I'm your opponent."
"Janelle, go wild. I've got your back," Erik drawled casually.
"Apologize!" Madalyn was Janelle's inviolable line. She wouldn't tolerate anyone speaking ill of her mother.
"..."
Lillie tried to resist, but the suffocating sensation was unbearable.
Janelle was truly insane.
If she didn't apologize, this lunatic might actually kill her.
"Sorry... I was wrong," Lillie finally choked out.
But Janelle didn't release her.
"If apologies solved everything, what use would the police be?" Janelle increased the pressure.
"Janelle! If you go to jail, what happens to your mother?" Nelson warned desperately.
"Don't worry. Even if you killed someone today, you wouldn't go to jail," Erik backed her up, his voice cold and certain.
"Janelle! That man doesn't love you! Someone who truly loved you would never encourage you to kill!" Lillie gasped, terrified by the people Janelle associated with. They played by no rules.
Erik had heard enough of his drivel. He clamped a hand over Nelson's mouth, silencing him.
Nelson, raised as the golden child, had never been so humiliated. He tried to kick Erik, but Erik's reach was too long; held like this, he couldn't land a blow.
Just as Lillie thought she might actually die by Janelle's hand, Janelle released her.
Starved of oxygen for too long, Lillie collapsed to the floor, coughing violently.
Janelle crouched down, grabbing Lillie's chin and forcing her to look up.
"Lillie, did you forget? I'm insane too! As a top graduate of Capital University, you should know that killing someone isn't a crime for the mentally ill, right?"
Lillie stared at her in pure terror.
Madwoman. She's a complete and utter madwoman.
Janelle released her and stood up. Erik silently handed her a tissue.
Janelle meticulously wiped her fingers.
"Let's go. Breakfast." Erik took the used tissue from her.
Janelle and Erik walked away, his assistant following closely.
Lillie remained on the floor, coughing and gasping. Nelson finally approached and helped her up.
"Lillie! Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Lillie threw herself into Nelson's arms, weeping pitifully. "Nelson! How could she do this?! I only meant well! You saw it yourself! That man is vicious! He can't be a good person!"
"I know, I know. Shh, don't cry. Let me get you checked out."
"No! I need the security footage! I'm suing them!" Lillie trembled with rage.
However, when Lillie demanded the footage from the manager, she discovered it had already been erased.
"How is this possible?!" Barely ten minutes had passed between the incident and her request!
"Enough. Let's just go home." Nelson sounded weary.
Defeated, Lillie could only go back with Nelson.
He dropped her off at the Rovella villa.
"Aren't you coming in?" Lillie asked, noticing he hadn't gotten out of the car.
"Lillie, I'm tired. I'll head back." Nelson suddenly seemed disinterested.
"Tired?" After all the times he took me last night?
"Yeah. I'll go." Nelson drove off without another glance.
He dismissed Janelle's declaration of war from yesterday. The Hills' position in Graham City was unassailable.
Watching Nelson leave, the gentle facade vanished from Lillie's face.
Inside, she found Westin and Amber waiting in the living room.
Amber rushed over as soon as she saw Lillie, spotting the vivid red finger marks on her neck and cheeks.
"What happened?!" Amber frowned, the bruises stark against Lillie's pale skin.
"Janelle did it. I saw her coming out of a room with that unknown man from yesterday. I tried to talk some sense into her, and she choked me like this!"
"What?! She dared lay hands on you?! She's gone too far!" Westin stormed over to inspect the injuries.
"Father," Lillie whimpered, "Janelle won't let me or Mother go easily now that she's back. She's terrifying, just like Madalyn became."
"Westin," Amber said tearfully, "maybe we should divorce. Janelle is full of hate; I fear her revenge. I'll give you back to her and Madalyn."
Westin pulled both Amber and Lillie into a comforting embrace. "Wife, what nonsense! We are family. Once she hands over her shares, she goes straight back to the border."
"Lillie, from now on, take two bodyguards wherever you go. Until I get Janelle's shares, don't provoke her."
"You're an M Research Institute candidate. Once you're officially in, Janelle won't dare touch you." The current Janelle was a dangerous lunatic, even attacking him. He had to be cautious.
She could have Blue Whale over his dead body.
"Dad, I understand. Don't worry." Lillie nodded. As a mere candidate, the Hills already treat me well. Imagine when I'm officially in! They'll grovel. As for that bitch Janelle... let Westin handle her. He's her father; she can't kill him.
Meanwhile, Janelle and Erik had finished breakfast.
Leaving the restaurant, Janelle stopped.
"Breakfast is done, Mr. Lorenz. Go find some other little sister to play with."
"No other little sisters. Only you," Erik replied with absolute seriousness.
"Where to? I'll drive you."
"Home."
"My pleasure." Erik opened the passenger door of the Cullinan.
Janelle didn't argue. If he'd tracked her from the border, he already knew everything.
Erik drove with aggressive confidence. Soon, the Cullinan pulled up outside the Rovella villa.
"Want me to come in?" He offered. A single nod, and he'd clear her path.
"No. I'll handle it."
"Dinner tonight?" Erik extended the invitation. Pursuing her was the whole point of being here.
"Maybe. Call me later." Janelle didn't commit. She had no interest in a man's fleeting fancy. Or men in general, really.
Watching her walk away without a backward glance, Erik tapped a cigarette from his case and clamped it between his lips. Lighting it, he took several deep, harsh drags, forcing down the impulse to storm inside and simply take her.
Janelle paid Erik's thoughts no mind.
Entering the house, she found Westin flanked by over a dozen black-suited bodyguards. Their presence clearly bolstered his courage.
"Hah."
Janelle couldn't help but sneer.