Chapter 335
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Chapter 335:
She could see the act was failing entirely. The panic in her chest curdled into something uglier — a vicious, cornered spite. If she was going down, she wanted to drag Jocelyn down with her.
Elouise pointed a shaking finger at Grandma Wolfe.
“You think Jocelyn is some innocent angel?” she shrieked, her voice ricocheting off the high ceilings. “She is a manipulative little slut! She was sleeping with Kieran Douglas right up until her wedding day p>
She swung her manic eyes to Elbert.
“She is dirty!” Elouise spat. “Your precious Collins family married a woman who sells herself to the highest bidder! You will be the laughingstock of New York when her past comes out p>
The air in the living room dropped twenty degrees.
The security guards by the doors went rigid, hands dropping instinctively toward their weapons.
Grandma Wolfe began to shake with absolute rage. She reached out and grabbed the delicate blue-and-white porcelain teacup from the side table. With surprising force, she hurled it directly at Elouise.
The cup exploded into sharp pieces right beside Elouise’s knee. Hot tea splashed across her designer coat.
Elouise screamed and scrambled backward.
Elbert Collins rose slowly to his feet.
In𝘴𝘁𝘢n𝘵 𝘢𝗰𝗰𝖾𝘀s 𝗼ո.со𝗆
The rhythmic tapping of his cane ceased. The silence that followed was absolute.
He looked down at Elouise with an expression that contained no anger — only something far colder and far more final.
He had just pronounced her death sentence.
The sharp echo of shattering porcelain faded through the massive living room.
Elouise sat frozen on the floor, eyes wide with terror, staring up at the towering figure of Elbert Collins.
Elbert took one slow step forward. His shadow swallowed her completely.
He did not raise his voice. That made it infinitely more terrifying.
“The Collins family,” Elbert began, his voice a smooth, icy whisper, “ran a full background check on Jocelyn the moment my son looked at her p>
He took another step.
“We know every breath she has taken since she was born,” Elbert said. “She is the cleanest, strongest woman I have ever met p>
A cruel, mocking smile touched the corner of his mouth.
“The only disgrace in this room,” Elbert said softly, “is the woman who abandoned her child to climb into a rich man’s bed p>
Elouise’s face flushed a violent, ugly red. The truth struck her like a physical slap.
“You are blind!” Elouise screamed, completely unraveling. “She played you all p>
Elbert’s eyes flashed with sudden, explosive violence.
He raised his heavy, gold-tipped cane high into the air.
Elouise shrieked and threw her arms over her head, bracing for impact.
The cane came down with a terrifying whistle.
It did not touch her flesh. It slammed into the marble floor exactly one inch from Elouise’s left ear. The impact rang out like a gunshot. A white, star-shaped crater split the expensive marble, hairline fractures spiderwebbing outward from the point of impact. A brief spark flew from the gold tip.
Elouise made a sound like a dying animal and collapsed onto her side, shaking uncontrollably.
Elbert leaned on the cane and bent down until his face was level with hers.