Chapter 8 Danger Is Approaching

Sylvia Fernan was engaged in a conversation with a man in front of her, who had a mischievous smile and casually placed his hand on her shoulder, making it seem like they were quite familiar with each other.

Elinor Fernan frowned as she observed them. She knew Sylvia was cunning and had a knack for scheming. With her plan to impersonate someone having failed, Elinor could only imagine how furious Sylvia was, likely grinding her teeth in frustration. It was just like her to plot something underhanded when things didn't go her way.

Elinor was waiting for Sylvia to make a move. After all, constantly being on guard was exhausting, and she wanted to leave this place. It would be better to deal with these despicable people before she went.

Sylvia returned home late that night, only to be met with a furious tirade from Bridget Foster as soon as she stepped through the door.

Bridget had been waiting for Joshua Scott to come home from work late, and with him not returning, she had hoped to have a heart-to-heart with Sylvia. But as the hours dragged on into the night, her patience wore thin.

"Where have you been?" Bridget snapped.

Sylvia didn't respond and simply turned to head upstairs. Ignored, Bridget's anger flared. "You stop right there! Didn't you hear me talking to you?

"

"Say what you want to say; I need to sleep,"

Sylvia replied coldly, halting her steps and turning to face Bridget. Her impatience and disdain were evident in her expression.

Bridget Foster was completely taken aback by the expression on her usually close daughter's face. She felt a wave of shock wash over her, quickly followed by anger. "How dare you speak to me like that? I'm your mother!"

"Oh, you remember you're my mom now? What about when you were cheating on Dad?" Sylvia Fernan shot back, her face twisted in disgust, as if she were looking at something revolting.

In recent days, Joshua Scott had been verbally abusing Bridget, throwing around the most vicious insults. Even Sylvia, no matter how naive, could see what was happening.

She blamed all her frustrations about not being able to take Elinor Fernan's place at university on Bridget. If her mother hadn't been careless and had an affair with Gethin, they wouldn't have been discovered. If they hadn't been caught, Gethin would still be the secretary at the education bureau and could have helped her take Elinor's university spot. How did it all end up like this?

And Elinor Fernan-every time Sylvia saw that smug girl flaunting her success, she felt an overwhelming urge to tear her face apart.

Bridget was suddenly hit where it hurt most.

She never expected that her beloved daughter would turn against her like this. Her mind went blank, and in a fit of rage, she raised her hand and slapped Sylvia, screaming, "What did you say? How dare you speak to me like that!"

Sylvia smirked, her cheek stinging,but she didn't seem to care. She looked coldly at Bridget and said, "Go ahead, kill me. If you do, you won't have to deal with me anymore."

After saying that, she turned and dashed up the stairs, slamming the door behind her with a loud bang.

Bridget Foster wore a dark expression, her anger boiling over with no outlet. Grabbing a feather duster from the nearby table, she kicked open the storage room door and charged at Elinor Fernan without a second thought.

Elinor was reading inside when the door was suddenly kicked open. Bridget stormed in, furious, and immediately started swinging.

Instinctively, Elinor raised her hand to block, but the feather duster struck her arm, sending a sharp sting through her. She winced in pain, her brows furrowing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Bridget shouted, ready to swing again, but Elinor dodged, leaving Bridget swinging at air.

"You're the jinx here! It's your fault! If it weren't for you, Sylvia wouldn't have failed to get into college. Today,I'm going to beat you to a pulp, you shameless money-grubber!" Bridget yelled, her eyes filled with rage as if she wanted to tear Elinor apart.

"What does her failing to get into college have to do with me? With a mother like you, it's no wonder she turned out the way she did," Elinor shot back, enduring the pain in her arm while looking at Bridget with a mocking smile.

"You little brat, say that again!" Bridget screamed.

"I'll say it again: you two are cut from the same cloth. You never reflect on your own mistakes and only know how to shift the blame onto others," Elinor Fernan said coldly.

Bridget Foster, in a fit of rage, charged at her again, swinging a feather duster as if it were a weapon. After being hit once, Elinor wasn't about to just sit there and take another blow. As the duster came down, she swiftly kicked Bridget's leg.

With a loud yelp, Bridget lost her balance and fell, hitting her head against the corner of the bed, blood immediately oozing out.

The blood trickled down her face, winding like a worm, transforming her features into a terrifying mask. Her eyes locked onto Elinor with a look that could kill.

Bridget touched her face, feeling the warm blood, and screamed again in panic. Forgetting about Elinor, she turned and bolted out of the room.

Elinor couldn't help but smirk. If it weren't for the law against murder, she would have relished the thought of ending that woman's life.

By this time, the hospital was already closed, and Bridget had no choice but to wrap a bandage around her head herself. She slumped onto the couch, looking deflated and motionless, as if all the fight had been drained out of her.

Early the next morning, Elinor Fernan set up her stall at the electronics market as usual.The chaos at the Su family home seemed completely unrelated to her. As she was tending to her stall, a customer approached-a boy around seventeen or eighteen, with small eyes, a flat nose, and a face dotted with acne. He pulled out five dollars and said, "My family's fan is broken. Can you come help me fix it?"

Typically, the repair fee was two dollars, but if it required a home visit, it could be a bit more, usually around three dollars depending on the distance.

"Where do you live?"

Elinor asked."Just over on North Street, not far from here," the boy replied quickly, as if afraid she might refuse.

Coincidentally, the Su family also lived on North Street, making it convenient for her. Since it was getting late, she figured she could finish the repair and still get home before dark. She accepted the money and added another two dollars, saying, "I'm heading home anyway, so three dollars will do."

As she spoke, she efficiently packed up her toolbox, slinging it over her shoulder and following the boy as they walked together.

The further they walked, the more puzzled Elinor became. This route was indeed convenient, but it seemed like there weren't many houses around here.

"Where exactly on North Street do you live? I live there too. Maybe I know your family," Elinor prompted him to share more, but he only stammered, avoiding specifics and insisting they were almost there.

Elinor Fernan felt a sense of unease creeping in. It seemed like something was about to happen. The sky was darkening, and there were very few people around, with the abandoned repair shop not far ahead.

Thinking of the repair shop reminded her of the day she saw Sylvia Fernan inside, and her heart sank.

"Sorry, I just remembered I have something urgent to attend to. I can't go with you today. Bring the fan to my stall tomorrow, and I'll fix it then," Elinor said quickly, not waiting for a response before she turned and sprinted away.

The man didn't have time to stop her and could only watch as she ran off.

Soon, a group of thugs lurking in the shadows emerged. Seeing the guy fail to handle the situation, they slapped him twice.

"Useless! You can't do anything right!"

The guy was left dazed and didn't dare to retort.

Elinor ran as if her life depended on it, terrified that someone was chasing her. She pushed herself until she finally collapsed on the empty street of West Avenue, breathless.

Panting heavily, Elinor's face was pale, and it took her a while to catch her breath.

The street was nearly deserted, with only a few thugs swaggering along the sidewalk. As they passed by her, Elinor caught sight of the tiger head tattoos on their exposed arms.

Suddenly, someone stepped in front of them, blocking their path. "Is your boss Camden?"