Chapter 492
If it had been anyone else, the humiliation would have been suffocating. On the surface, she lived a glamorous life as a star attorney at a top-tier law firm, which sounded incredibly impressive. But behind closed doors, her family was a toxic, rotting swamp.
Elissa reached over and gently patted her head. “Even if it were someone else, it wouldn’t matter. Tanya, you didn’t choose this. You’ve done amazingly well for yourself p>
Just like her… She couldn’t choose who her biological parents turned out to be, either.
Tanya’s family lived in an old, unrenovated neighborhood in Vistapeak City. At this hour, the streetlights were just flickering on, and the air was thick with the scent of dinner cooking. Yet, the closer they got to the house, the quieter the streets became.
It was so unnervingly silent that Elissa instinctively grabbed Tanya’s hand. “It feels like something serious really happened p>
“If it’s really that serious Tanya started, not sounding overly concerned, but she cut herself off as she spotted two massive, hulking men blocking her front door.
Without thinking, she shoved Elissa behind her and shoved the car keys into her hand. “Go wait in the car p>
She had assumed this was just another one of Silas’s pathetic extortion stunts. She hadn’t expected real thugs camping on their doorstep.
“Lawyer Foster, right?” The two thugs were quick. With a subtle nod, two more men stepped out from the shadows behind them, cutting off their escape.
Tanya scoffed. “If you know I’m a lawyer, then you should know that what you’re doing right now is illegal p>
“Hold your horses,” one of the men sneered, spitting out his chewing tobacco. He slapped a loan agreement hard against Tanya’s chest. “Do me a favor, Counselor, and tell me if this contract is legally binding p>
Tanya glanced at the staggering amount and the signature at the bottom. Her face darkened instantly. Grabbing Elissa’s hand, she turned to leave.
“Take it up with whoever signed it. I have things to do, so I won’t be entertaining you.” Principal plus interest: a staggering two million dollars.
Silas was literally treating her like an ATM to bail out her worthless brother. Tanya didn’t want to stay a second longer.
A bald thug reached out to block her path, a nasty grin on his face. “Your parents and your brother were very clear. They said to find you. They said you’re loaded p>
Tanya didn’t lose her temper. Instead, she let out a dry laugh, pulled out her phone, and dialed 911.
“Lawyer Foster!” The bald man’s
gaze dropped to the way Elissa was instinctively shielding her stomach His eyes turned vicious. “If things.get ugly and someone gets hurt, a tough girl like you might brush it off But the pregnant lady behind you? That’s a different story p>
He reached a filthy hand out toward Elissa’s belly. Tanya viciously swatted it away.
“You lay one finger on her, and I will make sure you rot in a cell p>
Catching his underlying threat, Elissa’s eyes iced over. Mustering every ounce of
her courage, she spoke up. “You know you’re in Vistapeak City, right p>
“No shit,” the bald man snorted. “You think I’m drunk p>
Elissa held his g
gaze. “Then you
should also know who runs Vistapeak City, right?” She fought desperately to push down the rising terror her chest. A crew capable of loaning Tanya’s brother two million dollars was clearly tied to organized crime.
“What the hell are you babbling about?” the bald man snapped, losing his patience. He figured she was just stalling. “Of course I know who runs things around here. It’s the Murphy heir, Rowan Murphy p>
“What about him? Let me guess, you’re one of his side pieces? Or wait… are you going to tell me that kid in your belly is his p>
He burst into a crude fit of laughter at his own joke, and his goons chuckled along like they were watching a comedy act.
“Well now,” a slow, lazy male voice drawled from behind them. “You’ve got quite the mouth on you, running your mouth about the Murphy heir’s woman like that p>
Tanya and Elissa whipped around at the exact same time. It was Rex Wilkinson.
He was dressed casually, the usual aristocratic haughtiness on his face replaced by a relaxed, almost bored expression. He didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the thugs. But as his gaze flicked to the bald man’s arm-hovering uncomfortably close to Tanya-the gold rims of his glasses flashed with a cold, predatory light.
Yet, Elissa’s gaze drifted right past him, landing further down the street.
Rowan stood at the entrance of the alleyway, looking immaculate in a tailored suit.
The moment his dark eyes locked onto hers, he raised a hand and casually gestured for her. “Nine, come here p>