Chapter 25 Third Trade
Chapter 25 Third Trade
+10 Free Coins
Maybe they hadn’t taken Alisa seriously as the junior in the room, because the moment Vania stepped out, Laurel and Martin exchanged a knowing glance–like conspirators slipping messages under the table.
Once the butler who’d been pouring tea left, Alisa broke the silence.
“Seems like the two of you are waiting for someone.”
They froze mid–look, turning toward her with faint surprise.
Somehow, the young woman who sat before them no longer looked like the sweet granddaughter who’d been sitting demurely by Vania’s side. An edge had appeared around her, a sharpness in the air as if she’d drawn an invisible blade.
Laurel’s stomach tightened with a foreboding she couldn’t explain. “What did you just say?”
Alisa smiled faintly, meeting her gaze.
“Sorry to disappoint–but I’m the one you’ve been waiting for.”
None of them could manage a word.
Boom!
The words landed like a crack of thunder. Laurel’s mind spun, as if lightning had shattered the ground beneath her.
“Y–you’re the one pulling the strings!”
Alisa held a finger to her lips. “Shh. You’ve both weathered enough storms in your lifetime to know better than to startle this easily. Or is this something you’re proud of? If you don’t mind people finding out, then by all means–go on.”
Laurel’s hand shot up to cover her mouth.
Martin, more composed, leaned back slightly. “So it’s you. Bold move, kid.”
“My boldness?” Alisa tilted her head. “You’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg. Since I’m already here, let’s cut to the chase–I don’t have time for small talk.”
Laurel’s expression turned grim. She no longer saw her as some harmless youngster.
“Spell it. What do you want?”
Alisa extended a hand. “Two conditions. First–one secret in exchange for another. If you agree, I’ll keep yours buried.”
“Second-” she shifted her gaze to Martin, “-go home and tell your golden boy to keep his distance from Sabrina. If he doesn’t, I’ll take it personally.”
ལ་འ་ཆ
At first, they’d assumed the person behind the photos just wanted money.
But Alisa’s demand was different–far more dangerous.
A secret for a secret.
They weren’t fools. They knew exactly what Alisa was after: more people entangled, more leverage.
Martin’s eyes narrowed, his voice edged with menace. “I’ll give you the second one. But the first? Forget it. I know exactly what game you’re playing.”
Laurel’s tone was just as firm. “Same here. We’re not agreeing to that first condition. I don’t have any other secrets.”
So–they were tough stones to crack.
1/2
3:20 PM P
Chapter 25 Third Trade
Alisa had known from the start that threatening these two old foxes wouldn’t be che s
+10 Free Coins
easy. She had braced herself for resistance.
And she had to get what she came for.
This game was built on her family’s future–she couldn’t stop here,
nd she
Couldn’t back off.
Leaning into the sofa, arms crossed, she kept that same unruffled air, her gaze cool and edged with a hint of scorn.
“I don’t need your answer this second. You’ve got three days to think it over. But given your attitude, my terms have changed It was one secret from the two of you; now it’s one from each.”
She smiled, calm but cutting. “Three days. If I’m not happy, neither of you will be. And spreading those photos all over Qodon? I don’t need my family for that. I can do it myself. Don’t believe me? Be my guest–try me.”
Martin had been the family head for decades, and never once had a youngster dared push him this far. Rage snapped through him.
“You-!”
But before he could finish, Vania appeared around the corner.
The moment Alisa saw her, her demeanor softened in an instant.
54
Whatever she’d needed to say, she’d already said. Rising from the sofa, she greeted her with a bright, obedient smile.
“Grandma, shall we go?”
“Of course.”
Laurel and Martin exchanged a loaded glance as Vania offered polite farewells and led Alisa away.
Once the two women were gone, Laurel turned, panic edging her voice. “Martin, what do we do?”
“Never imagined it’d be that girl,” he muttered darkly.
“How did she even get us in her sights?”
“If I knew, we wouldn’t have been caught on camera.”
“For now, we keep our cool,” Martin said, jaw tight. “I don’t believe she’d actually blow everything up. And letting a kid threaten us–and caving to it? If word got out, we’d be thoroughly embarrassed.”
They had always been the ones in command–the heads of their family, the ones others bowed to. Never had they pictured a day when someone from the younger generation would dare to challenge their authority.
The gap between where they’d always stood and the place she’d forced them into was staggering–enough to stir a deep, choking humiliation neither of them could swallow.
2/2
