Chapter 125 The Fall of the Johnsons
The uninvited guest was a nondescript middle-aged man, exuding an innate and sharp presence that seemed unapproachable.
"What should I call you? Is there some kind of misunderstanding here? When have the Johnsons ever wronged the Millers?"
Even Elijah Johnson was unnerved by the man's formidable aura; the gravity of the situation was not lost on him — this was no ordinary man.
"There's no need for you to know who I am. Just understand that by sunset today, every single member of the Johnson family must vanish from Novaria. After sunset, if any of you are still here, it's a death sentence on sight!"
The man's tone was indisputable, exuding dominance and arrogance in every measured word.
"Now wait just a minute! With all due respect, I've never even heard of the Millers here in Novaria. Even if your family does hold significant sway, surely, we're owed an explanation for such an ultimatum?"
Elijah Johnson's expression turned ashen.
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No way was he going to let some stranger's words send him scurrying away. How could he allow them to make the Johnsons pack up and leave Novaria? He would become the laughingstock of the city!
"I've made myself crystal clear. Mess with the Miller family's little princess, and the Johnsons might as well not exist. And yes, there are no Millers in Novaria—I'm from Houston!"
The middle-aged man snorted indifferently.
"Houston? The Miller family's little princess?"
Elijah Johnson was utterly baffled, shock was written all over his face .
"Sir, you might be mistaken. My family, the Johnsons, haven't set foot in Houston, much less offended anyone named Miller. There must be some misunderstanding here."
As Elijah tried to clear things up, Andrew Johnson's body suddenly began to shake.
He hadn't reacted to the mention of the Miller family, but at 'Houston,' he instantly thought of Chloe. That woman's last name was Miller! And she was heading to Houston just yesterday!
Elijah Johnson didn't notice the change in Andrew, but the middle-aged man sneered. "You might want to ask your son what he did last night. And take my words to heart, or it won't just be the Johnson family's assets going under—you all might as well disappear!"
Elijah's face drained of color, and he whipped his head around to stare at Andrew, who promptly went weak in the knees and sunk to the floor.
The man's words all but confirmed his worst fears.
Chloe was the Miller family heiress from Houston!
Thinking of the formidable elder he had encountered the day before, Andrew felt a chill as if he had fallen into a frozen ocean.
"You little rat, what on earth did you get up to? How could you bring such ruin upon the Johnsons?"
Elijah's fury erupted as he questioned Andrew.
"I... I didn't know... I had no idea she was the Miller family's little princess!"
Andrew Johnson was positively petrified. His family's empire had taken a massive hit within hours over yesterday's debacle, and he feared that even his life was on the line.
"Harumph!" With that, the middle-aged man pivoted on his heel and strutted out the door, completely unchallenged. His presence was so dominant and intense, that one felt almost suffocated merely by being near him.
"You good-for-nothing! You're the cause of this mess... I'll beat the living daylights out of you!" Elijah Johnson hadn't realized that the calamity befalling the Johnsons traced back to his own son. Bathed in rage, he lunged at Andrew, unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks.
Andrew's cries of agony echoed through the hall, sending chills down the spine of those who heard. But it was a short-lived assault. In a dizzy spell caused by overwhelming emotion, Elijah collapsed, unconscious.
Elsewhere, Ethan and Sarah were still piecing together the chaos. Only after the stranger had dealt with the Johnsons did they receive an update on the situation. Stunned, they exchanged looks—the Millers were behind the takedown!
"Why would the Millers go out of their way to hit the Johnsons hard like this?" Sarah asked, baffled as the image of Chloe flashed in her mind.
"Maybe there was some bad blood between them. The Miller's tactics sure are heavy-handed!" Ethan quickly regained composure, his face betraying nothing but nonchalance.
"Could it be Chloe trying to do you one last favor before leaving Novaria?" Sarah ventured her guess.
"People move on, what’s the point? The Johnsons are minor league; either I can handle them, or I can't handle anything," Ethan chuckled dismissively, signaling that even if Chloe was involved, he was not one for gratitude.
Sarah's expression twisted into a knot of confusion.
Even though she harbored feelings for Ethan, and now, nominally, she could be with him, under these circumstances, she still didn’t want any unnecessary misunderstandings to arise between Ethan and Chloe.
"Things might not be as you think, Chloe could have her reasons!" Sarah hesitated for a long time before she finally spoke up to remind him.
She deeply wished she could tell Ethan that Chloe was also under duress and that she had no choice. The Miller family had even threatened Chloe with his life—this was the last straw that forced her into a corner!
But she dared not speak, nor could she; it wasn’t for fear of Ethan leaving her, but because if he learned the truth, he would surely rush headlong to Houston. By then, the situation would only become more complicated, and far more dangerous for him!
In the preschool classroom, a group of five and six-year-old kids were roughhousing and playing games.
"Camila, your mom is so pretty! Your mom always picks you up. Where's your dad?" A little girl, piecing together a block tower with Camila, asked curiously.
"I know! I heard the teacher talking with her mom; she doesn't have a dad at all!" Before Camila could respond, a chubby little boy waddled over and said with undisguised scorn.
"You're the one without a dad! I have a dad; he's just busy at work and hasn't come home, that's all!" Camila pouted, instantly defending herself.
"I heard your mom talking to the teacher, and you’re still lying! You're just a fatherless wild child, a big fibber!" The boy rebutted, scoffing even more dismissively.
Then, a bunch of children circled around Camila, chanting "fatherless wild child" and calling her a "lying bad kid.”
Suddenly, Camila felt utterly defenseless; a sadness over the injustice she was facing surged within her, and she burst into tears.
“You’re crying? My mom said your mom is a femme fatale, and you're a little vixen too. When you grow up, you'll only seduce men!" The boy laughed triumphantly upon seeing Camila cry, obviously parroting something he’d heard from his mother.
At his words, Camila stopped crying and instead, with a burst of anger, pushed the boy, "Go away! Don't you talk about my mom!"
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