Chapter 827
Chapter 827:
“You’re a smart man.” Janice’s voice carried a hint of amusement as she studied him, her gaze almost playful. “Last time, our wager stated you’d become my slave. I chose to overlook that debt because you handed over the Eternity Building…”
“I’ll be at your service!” Conley interrupted, agreeing without hesitation.
“No, you misunderstand.” Janice’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a cunning smile dancing across her lips. “I want every Mendoza at my beck and call.”
The blood drained from Conley’s face as his pupils dilated in shock. “This…”
“I’ll give you one day to convince Bain. If the answer is no, then the… ”
“The Mendoza family will vanish from Efrery.”
Her tone was deceptively casual, as if she were discussing dinner plans rather than their fate.
But Conley knew better than anyone that her words weren’t empty threats. Her power to make good on such promises was precisely why his family had fled Cloverhill in the first place.
“But if you agree, I won’t just spare your family. I’ll help you reclaim your place in Cloverhill,” she added. “I’ll give you an answer tomorrow.”
“Janice, I’m so glad you came. If you hadn’t…” Sierra trailed off, the weight of recent events pressing down on her. Even now, the thought of what could have happened if Janice hadn’t arrived in time sent a shiver down her spine.
“We noticed something was off with you lately, so we decided to check in,” Janice said, studying her carefully. She sighed, ruffling Sierra’s hair with a gentle touch. “But we never imagined the Ramirez family would fall into such chaos.”
“My phone was confiscated. I couldn’t reply to messages, couldn’t reach out. Otherwise, I would have told Nina everything sooner.” Sierra’s expression darkened with frustration.
“It’s all over now, Sierra.” Nina cupped Sierra’s face with a featherlight touch, her fingers ghosting over the faint marks. Her heart ached at the sight. “But tell me honestly—were we too harsh in handling your family?”
gⲁ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝖼0𝗺, 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽 𝒽𝒾𝒹𝑒𝓃 𝗈𝗇
Sierra didn’t hesitate to shake her head. “That house may have been where I was born, but it was never a home. It was a prison.”
Her gaze drifted to Nellie, who was slumped against her, pale and exhausted. “We once thought the Ramirez family was our safe haven, but our parents’ actions shattered that illusion. They did this to themselves.”
Nellie lifted her eyes. Her smile was faint, but it was real. “Sierra, you’re free now. No one can force you into an arranged marriage ever again.”
“And so are you, Nellie.” Sierra clasped her sister’s hands, squeezing them firmly. “No matter what you’ve endured, as long as you don’t give up, there’s always a way forward.”
“Can I really?”
A storm of emotions churned inside Nellie—remorse, self-loathing, exhaustion. She had made so many mistakes, wandered so far down the wrong path. Perhaps this was karma—her punishment for everything she’d done. Maybe someone like her, someone so stained, deserved nothing more than death.
“Nellie.” Janice spoke her name with an unfamiliar softness, like a breeze sweeping over an open wound, soothing yet unexpected. Nellie blinked in surprise. It was the first time she had heard Janice address her with such warmth.
“If you’ve lost the will to live, then live for Sierra.”
“For Sierra?” Nellie echoed, stunned. She turned to her sister, her unfocused eyes searching until something flickered to life within them.
.
.
.