Chapter 289 Retribution
Night had settled in.
Jenny had just been through a kidnapping, though she seemed blissfully unaware and carefree. Juniper, on the other hand, was still on edge and decided to sleep with her daughter.
As they were getting ready for bed, Jenny blinked her big eyes and asked, "Mom, do we really have to go to Solara? Why isn't Dad coming with us? Is he gonna marry someone else?"
Juniper chuckled, giving her nose a playful pinch. "What kind of ideas are you getting? Do you really want him to marry someone else?"
Jenny frowned. "No way! I don't want a stepmom! But I'm scared Dad's gonna be a big jerk! Mom, a lot of my friends' parents are divorced!"
Juniper nodded thoughtfully. Relationships these days were pretty shaky, and divorces were common. Breakups and makeups were just part of life.
Finding someone to share life's ups and downs with was rare and precious.
But she chose to believe in Magnus. "Your dad's not a jerk, Jenny. We have to trust him."
Jenny nodded. "Yeah! I think so too. Dad might be strict, but he's super nice to me!"
With that, she pulled out a delicate Barbie doll from her backpack.
Juniper hugged her and smiled. "You brought a lot of stuff for this trip."
Jenny grinned. "Dad gave this to me. Even though he says changing the doll's clothes is silly, he still bought it for me and got a bunch of pretty clothes for it! Mom, if we're going so far away, can we bring the cat? It'll be so bored at home alone!"
Juniper replied, "Bringing the cat would be a hassle. Anyway, we're not leaving for good, and your Dad will be home. If we take the cat, Dad will be lonely."
Jenny pouted. "That's true! Let's leave the cat to keep Dad company then! Mom, when are we flying to Solara?"
"Your Dad said he's working on our visas, so it shouldn't be long."
Jenny was worried about school. "Okay, but do I have to go to school in Solara? What if I don't understand anything and look like a big dummy?"
Her big eyes were wide open, her expression exaggerated.
Juniper laughed. "He said he hired a private tutor for you over there, so you don't have to go to school, but you still have to study. Jenny, are you trying to slack off again?"
Jenny whimpered, pulling the blanket over her head. "Even at home I have to study. Will Dad still make me memorize words even if he's not coming with us?"
Juniper teased, "Who knows, maybe he'll video call you to test your vocabulary. You can't slack off, or you'll get a scolding when we get back."
Jenny wrinkled her nose and shrugged. "Why do kids have to go to school no matter where they go?"
"Isn't school good? When I was in school, I was happy. Both your dad and I loved studying. Why don't you like it?" Juniper asked, feeling helpless.
Jenny's eyes rolled as she thought. "Mom, you can be my teacher. Tell Dad not to hire a tutor. It's a waste of money. The money saved can buy me candy."
She knew the tutor Magnus hired would be strict.
Juniper saw right through her and immediately refused, "No way. If I were your teacher, you'd just mess around and I wouldn't be able to handle you. Alright, it's late. Go to sleep."
Jenny snuggled into Juniper's arms and drifted off to sleep without a worry in the world.
Juniper gently patted her back, watching her sleep soundly, but she couldn't get herself to sleep.
The kidnapping earlier that day had been so sudden. Now that Juniper had time to think, something felt off.
With the Shadow Syndicate's notorious reputation, would Jenny have come back unharmed?
Juniper was relieved Jenny wasn't hurt, but the whole thing seemed fishy in hindsight.
She couldn't figure out who was really behind the kidnapping. All she could think was that Jenny was lucky.
The messy adult world had dragged an innocent kid into its drama, and Juniper felt guilty.
If she had agreed to go to Solara with Magnus sooner, maybe Jenny wouldn't have been kidnapped.
Meanwhile, at a high-end business club in Ocean City, it was 2 AM. Patricia's face was stiff from a night of forced smiles and endless entertaining..
She finally escaped the grabby men, slipped out of the private room, and hid in a corner to count her tips.
After counting, she had just over ten thousand dollars!
Fuming, she kicked the ground hard. "Damn it! I got groped all night and only made this much!"
Ever since Michael found out the truth about the car accident, she feared he might turn her in, so she packed up and planned to leave for Elysium overnight.
But she used to live off Michael, using his credit cards.
When the truck driver's wife, Deborah, threatened her, she sold all her luxury goods at a loss, and that money went into Deborah's pocket, never to return.
Now that Michael had cut off her cards, she had no income. Forget going to Elysium; she didn't even have enough for a plane ticket!
She called her usual drinking buddies to borrow money, but they were all hypocrites, and none of them were willing to lend her any!
Some even refused to take her calls!
The club manager walked by and saw her slacking off, cursing, "Did you sell the drinks? Do you think business will come to you if you just stand there? Do you think you're some top beauty? Look at your sour face, is that how you please customers? Do you want the customers to serve you?"
Despite her current situation, Patricia, who was used to being arrogant, still held her head high.
She snapped back, "Don't talk to me like that! Do you know who I am? My brother is a major shareholder in SY Group! When he's not mad at me anymore and I return to Imperial Capital, I could buy this place! You better treat me nicely, I might be your boss soon!"
The manager laughed like he had heard the funniest joke ever.
"This is Ocean City, not Imperial Capital! Are you daydreaming? But it's night, not day! Wake up! Do you think I'm an idiot? Would a rich heiress come to a club to do this kind of work? Are you crazy? I'm a major shareholder of SY too, I bought ten thousand dollars' worth of SY stock! Does that make me your boss?"
Patricia's eyes reddened with anger, clenching her fists. "When I get back to Imperial Capital, I won't let you off!"
The manager didn't care, thinking she was out of her mind. "I just want you to sell the drinks! Smile! Can you smile? If you can't, get out! Don't stand here and ruin business! You look like a zombie!"
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