Chapter 3 You're Beneath Me

Lena hurried home after leaving the hot spring resort.

When she arrived, the scene was chaotic. The tools for their food stall were destroyed, her brother, Leroy Evans, was nowhere in sight, and her mother, Kamila Jonson, sat on the floor, weeping.

"Mom, what happened!? Where's Leroy?"

Lena knelt to help her mother, whose cheek was swollen from a blow. Through her sobs, Kamila said, "The Evans family didn't let Leroy go. They threw me out and warned me not to speak to the Harveys. They said if I caused trouble... they would..."

Her voice broke. "They would harm Leroy."

"This is outrageous!"

Lena clenched her fists tightly. Fury burned in her chest as she realized they were entirely at the Evans family's mercy.

Kamila struggled to clean the wreckage, tears streaming down her face. "Leroy has always been weak since he was a baby. If they hurt him, he might not survive it."

"Don't worry, Mom. I'll get him back," Lena said, her voice resolute, her eyes cold.

Though she didn't yet understand why Alana couldn't be intimate with Dylan, she knew the Evans family was hiding something.

She was resolute in her mission to free Leroy from their clutches unharmed.

Years of tyranny from Juliet Evans, Alana's mom, had forced Lena's family to survive by selling snacks by the street. After completing her degree, Lena struggled to find stable employment, always rejected after her internships.

The Evans family had no intention of allowing her family any peace.

If she didn't act now to push back, Lena knew the Evanses would destroy her once she was of no further use.

After caring for her injured mother, Lena set out for the Evanses'.

In the living room, Alana was browsing through a collection of bags and clothes. Upon noticing Lena, she feigned indifference and continued admiring her new items.

Lena pressed her lips together, swallowing her anguish. "Alana, I'm begging you-please stop tormenting my mom."

Despite already agreeing to their demand, her mother and brother were still being cruelly mistreated.

"Tormenting?" Alana let out a sharp laugh, as though hearing a ridiculous joke. She approached Lena, grabbing her neck tightly. "Lena, don't forget-your family means nothing to us. Insignificant lives like yours aren't worth the effort to torment."

Only when Lena's face turned crimson did Alana release her, wiping her fingers with a damp tissue. "If you want us to stop, there's a simple solution."

She smirked. "Bring a computer keyboard."

A servant promptly brought in a computer keyboard.

"Set it down," Alana ordered with a smirk.

Lena's face lost all color. Alana said dismissively, "All you need to do is kneel on it, slap yourself, and shout, 'I'm trash, and so is my mother.' Do that, and I might consider having my family back off."

Lena's hands curled into fists, her nails biting into her skin. She knew Alana always thrived on asserting her power.

Alana tilted her head, folding her arms. "What's wrong? Don't know how to kneel? Should I help you?"

Lowering her head to mask her fury, Lena said softly, "If I kneel, my knees might bruise. Mr. Harvey wouldn't like that if he needs my accompany tonight..."

Mentioning Dylan instantly darkened Alana's expression. She slapped Lena hard. "Like mother, like daughter-both of you only know how to seduce men!"

With venom in her tone, she added, "Didn't last night satisfy you? Hoping for more tonight? Too bad! Tonight, he's mine! Now get on your knees!"

Lena lowered her gaze and began to kneel, suppressing the humiliation.

Her skin, softened by a week of milk bath, was more delicate than before, and the hard keys dug into her knees, causing sharp, jarring pain.

Alana chuckled cruelly. "I've told you before-you're beneath me, nothing more than a plaything at my feet. What makes people like you think you can be connected with my family? Start slapping, now!"

Lena remained still.

Seeing her hesitation, Alana sneered, "What's wrong? Can't bring yourself to do it? Maybe I should call the care facility and have them pay extra 'attention' to your brother."

Hot tears streamed down Lena's face as she raised her trembling hand to strike her own cheek.

Before she could, the housekeeper's voice echoed from outside. "People from the Harvey family are here."

Alana's smug expression faltered.