Chapter 191
The butler opened the front door. “Ms. Wolfe? I —”
She pushed past him. “Where is she?”
“Dining room, ma’am,” he stammered, backing away from whatever he saw in her eyes.
Outside, Vance gave a quiet nod. Two large men in dark suits materialized from the shadows and took up positions flanking the main entrance. No one was getting in or out.
Jocelyn moved down the hall, her heels striking the parquet like gunshots. Click-clack. Click-clack.
She reached the double doors.
She did not knock.
She kicked them open.
Bang.
The doors flew back and struck the walls. The family looked up. Aspen’s fork clattered to her plate.
𝗥e𝖺𝖽 𝘧𝗿o𝗆 у𝘰𝘶𝗋 𝗽𝘩оne о𝘯 𝘨𝗮𝗅nо𝘷e𝗅𝘴.сom
Jocelyn stood in the doorway, chest rising and falling, the crop raised in her right hand.
“Get up, Aspen,” she said.
Her voice was ice.
“Jocelyn!” Robert Schneider barked, rising from his chair. “What is the meaning of this? Bursting in here like a lunatic?”
Jocelyn ignored him. She walked straight toward Aspen, eyes locked on her target.
“You told her I was a traitor,” Jocelyn said. Her voice trembled — not with fear, but with the effort of holding back a scream. “You told a dying woman I was going to abandon her.”
Aspen went pale. She shrank back in her chair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s crazy, Kieran!”
“Liar!”
Jocelyn swung the crop.
Crack.
It struck the table inches from Aspen’s hand. A crystal wine glass shattered, spraying red wine and shards across the white tablecloth.
Aspen screamed and scrambled backward, toppling her chair.
“Jocelyn, stop!” Kieran shot to his feet and placed himself between them. “Calm down!”
Jocelyn turned the crop on him. She pressed the leather tip to his chest.
“Sit down, Kieran,” she hissed. “Unless you want to bleed for her.”
Kieran froze. He had never seen her like this. She was terrifying. She was magnificent. She was a vengeful goddess who had abandoned whispers and legal maneuvers and chosen an older, more honest language tonight — the language of pain.
She stepped around him toward Aspen.
She reached down and seized Aspen by the hair.
“Ow! Let go!” Aspen shrieked.
Jocelyn didn’t let go. She pulled her forward.
“This is for the lies,” Jocelyn said.
She struck.
Whack.
The crop landed across Aspen’s upper arm. A vivid red welt bloomed instantly on her pale skin.
“Mom! Help!” Aspen howled, collapsing to the floor.
Elouise moved to intervene. “Jocelyn, have you lost your mind?”
Jocelyn shoved her back with her free hand. “You let this happen. You left her alone with the wolf!”
She struck again. The crop caught Aspen’s thigh.
“This is for Grandma,” Jocelyn said, her voice breaking on the last word.
She raised her arm for the final blow.
Kieran tackled her — arms locking around her from behind, pinning her to him. He didn’t hurt her. He simply held her still.
“Enough!” he shouted close to her ear. “You’ll go to jail, Jocelyn! Stop!”
Jocelyn fought against his grip, breathing in ragged bursts. “I don’t care! Let me go!”
.