Chapter 494

A profound sense of relief washed over Elissa, anchoring her racing heart. She turned to Tanya just as Rex spoke up. "Little Elissa, go wait in the car with Rowan."

"Yes, do that." Tanya completely agreed. Had she known the situation was this volatile, she never would have let Elissa tag along. It was far too dangerous.

Even a simple shove or a trip could be disastrous for the baby.

Tanya squeezed her shoulder and gave her a gentle nudge toward Rowan. "Don't worry, I can handle this."

"Relax," Rex added, clearly not planning on going anywhere. He glanced at Elissa. "If she can't handle it, I'm right here."

Elissa had noticed ages ago that Rex was trying to win Tanya back. Seeing that Tanya wasn't pushing him away, she nodded. "Alright, I'll go then."

With Rex around, these thugs wouldn't dare try anything physical.

The bald man and his crew wanted to stop her, but they finally got a good look at the man waiting at the end of the street. Reality crashed down on them. They realized instantly what kind of horrifying mistake they had almost made.

With Elissa safely out of the picture, Tanya dropped the last of her tension.

She leveled a stare at the bald man and held out the loan contract. "Are you absolutely sure you want to force me to pay off Toby's debt?"

"I..." The bald man swallowed hard, glancing at Rex. He didn't know who the guy was, but it was obvious he was someone important. Anyone who casually hung around Rowan Murphy came from old money or serious power. Either way, they were way out of his league.

But the only reason they had loaned Toby so much cash in the first place was because they knew he had a successful older sister with a fat paycheck! Two million with interest meant the principal alone was over a million. If he went back empty- handed, his boss would skin him alive.

The bald man looked like he was about to cry. "Miss Foster... ma'am... how about a discount? Just pay the flat two million..."

Catching the icy, warning glare from Rex, he instantly changed his tune. "Just the principal! You can skip the interest, okay?"

Who would have thought that some run-down neighborhood housed someone with connections this deep? Someone tied to Rowan Murphy. And judging by that interaction, it wasn't just a casual connection.

A sharp smile touched the corners of Tanya's lips as she shook her head. "I don't have the money. Not a single cent."

Even if she did, she wasn't about to toss it into a bottomless pit. She had already calculated everything her family had ever spent on her

over the past few

upbringing, and ox

years of her career, she had paid it back tenfold.

Seeing that Rowan had disappeared from the end of the street, the bald man regained some of his nerve. His face twisted into an ugly scowl. "You really think just because your friend knows Rowan Murphy, Teant touch your family?"

"If you don't cough up the cash today, I've got plenty of ways to ruin your family's life!"

Hearing this, Tanya casually shot Rex a sideways glance. Her eyes practically screamed: Wow, Mr. Rex, your reputation is slipping. They don't even recognize you!

Rex merely raised a brow, completely unbothered. After all, this wasn't Cresthaven. The title of Mr. Rex didn't carry nearly as much weight here as the Murphy heir's.

Then again... even back in Cresthaven, his older brother and sister were vastly more terrifying than he was.

Before he could defend himself, Tanya used two elegant fingers to flick the loan contract right back onto the bald man's chest.

Just as the thug was turning red with rage, she smiled brightly. "I can't pay you, but I do know a way for you to get every single penny of that principal and interest back. Want to hear it?"

The bald man eyed her suspiciously. "What way?"

Tanya didn't speak. Instead, she tilted her head up toward the second-floor window. There, staring down at her with cold indifference, were her parents, watching as she was ambushed and threatened by mobsters.

Her smile deepened into something cruel. She slowly raised a hand and pointed straight at them.

Silas and Sheila recoiled in confusion. "What the hell is that wretched girl doing?" Silas ground out through clenched teeth.

"How should I know?" Sheila felt a pang of guilt, tears brimming in her eyes. "If Tanya really doesn't have the money, are you just going to let those men kill her?"

"Better her than Toby!" Silas barked. "Would you rather watch your precious son get his arms and legs broken? Is that what you want?"

Sheila snapped her mouth shut, lowering her head to silently dab at her tears.

The bald thug was just as confused as her parents. Following her gaze to the cowering couple in the window, he frowned. "What's that Supposed to mean? shake your

parents down? If they had the cash, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you."