Chapter 1940

Randy stuck close to Erica, always trailing her.

They ate and sparred together. He'd hide behind her, acting weak, so she'd step in to protect him.

Each time Erica shielded him, she would frown. "Why are you so weak? Don't call yourself a man."

Randy would grin. "I'm just too lazy to deal with them. They wouldn't stand a chance otherwise."

In high school, Erica opened up. She loved standing up for the underdog and taking down bullies.

Her bold, confident vibe made her a hero among the girls. Guys, though, were intimidated and kept their distance.

Randy was the only guy stuck by her, like a loyal sidekick.

It was a bit embarrassing, but chasing the girl he liked was worth it.

Erica treated him like a little brother, always protecting him. But he didn't want to be her brother.

Whenever he saw her chummy with other guys, he wanted to punch them.

They didn't get Erica. They didn't know what she liked. They just wanted the connections of her family and the Houston family.

Randy remembered her first boyfriend. It was a kid from a rich family.

To Erica, dating was just a way to kill time. That guy was just a fling.

She needed his family's influence to take down her dad. But the guy was a jerk, messing around behind her back.

When Erica found out, she didn't cry or make a scene. She didn't care about him anyway, just letting him do whatever he wanted.

Randy, though, couldn't stand it. That night, he beat the guy to a pulp.

Erica learned about it and rushed to the place—a themed room of a fancy hotel.

She froze in the doorway.

A naked woman scrambled off the bed, fleeing.

The rich kid, bruised and furious, pointed at Erica. "What's this? You sent someone to jump me? We agreed to keep things open. You're done! My dad's pulling his money."

Randy's blood boiled. He wanted to deck the guy again, but Erica stopped him. The guy sneered, "Should've known better than to mess with me. You need us to take down your deadbeat dad. Without us, you're..."

Before he could finish, Erica snapped his pointing finger like a twig.

He froze, and so did his bodyguards. Before anyone could react, she kicked him hard in the groin.

Randy swallowed, remembering her brutal precision. It'd been a while since he'd seen her fight.

Then she gave the guy the finger. "Who are you to point at me?"

"Are you crazy?" the guy grunted.

"You think I need your pathetic support? It's not even worth my time." She turned her thumb down and continued, "Tell your dad if he crosses me, his company is toast." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ find✦novel.net