Chapter 3
Lizzy rushed forward, putting on her best fake smile. “Janice, your dad just lost his temper. Take the money for now, and I’ll try to calm him down later, okay?”
Janice watched her coldly, fully aware of the act.
This family always had a routine—good cop, bad cop. All they wanted was to shove her out the door before she caused any trouble for Reina’s engagement.
Well, if that was what they wanted, Janice had no intention of making it easy for them.
Without warning, she grabbed Lizzy by the wrist, spun her around, and slapped her hard across the face. The sharp crack echoed through the room, leaving a vivid red mark on Lizzy’s cheek.
“Janice, are you out of your mind?” Reina screamed, rushing forward to grab her.
But before Reina could touch her, Janice raised her foot and delivered a swift kick to her stomach, sending her sprawling to the floor.
“Reina,” Janice said, her smile sweet but her eyes icy. “Didn’t I say I had a wedding gift for you?”
Reina froze, her face pale with terror. Janice crouched beside her, patting her cheek in mock affection.
“I don’t have much to give, so how about a couple of slaps to even out the score from back then, huh?”
She raised her hand again, but before it could land, a strong grip caught her wrist.
Janice turned her head and met Malcolm’s steely gaze.
Reina scrambled to her feet, clinging to Malcolm’s arm as though he were her lifeline. “Malcolm, help me! She’s lost her mind!”
Janice raised an eyebrow, her tone playful. “Oh, I’m perfectly sane.”
She curled her finger and lightly traced Malcolm’s palm where no one could see, her touch suggestive. “Tell me, Malcolm, do I seem crazy to you?”
Malcolm’s expression darkened as he suddenly flung her backward.
Janice staggered, catching herself against the wall.
Malcolm’s face was a mask of cold fury, his voice icy. “Leave now, or I’ll have someone throw you out.”
Janice exhaled slowly, her smile unshaken. She shrugged, spreading her hands in mock surrender. “What a shame. I guess I’ll save my wedding gift for the big day.”
With that, she turned and walked out of the Ludwig residence without looking back.
Her palm still stung from the force of the slap she’d delivered to Lizzy. But compared to everything Serena had endured, this was nothing.
It was just the opening move in a much bigger game.
Outside, Janice pulled out her phone and opened a chat with an unnamed contact. The thread was nearly empty, containing only a few curt exchanges of time and location.
Lucky for her, she hadn’t yet deleted Malcolm’s number.
With a few taps, she sent him several photos from her gallery, adding an address and room number at the end. Then, she powered off her phone.
…
Back at her hotel, Janice took a long shower. When she came out, she found Malcolm standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, his silhouette sharp against the city lights.
“You’re punctual, Mr. Gomez.”
Her lips curled into a teasing smile as she approached him, trailing her fingers lightly across his palm just as she had earlier. “Did you miss me already?”
Before she could say more, Malcolm grabbed her wrist and slammed it against the cold glass.
Janice barely flinched, even as her back pressed against the chilled surface. Her loosely tied robe slipped slightly, exposing more skin to the cool air.
“When did you take the photos?” Malcolm’s voice was dangerously low, his hand tightening around her throat.
Janice’s breath hitched, and her face reddened as his grip on her throat pressed slightly. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, but she managed a breathless laugh.
“When you were asleep… obviously,” she rasped between shallow gasps. “A man as… perfect as you deserves to be… remembered, don’t you think?”
Malcolm’s glare could’ve frozen fire. He recognized that smile—flirtation mixed with calculated manipulation.
“Delete them,” he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Janice tilted her head, still smiling. “I’d love to, but there’s a small problem.”
She gave him a coy look. “I got a little too excited about seeing you tonight and accidentally set those pictures to auto-send to a few places. If I don’t stop it in time, the press will get them first thing in the morning. Imagine how many people will admire your… talents.”
Malcolm’s expression hardened, his fury barely contained. No one had ever dared threaten him like this.
Janice’s voice softened, though her words carried their usual bite. “Don’t worry. I’m reasonable. Here’s a deal—for every night you spend with me, I’ll delete one picture. How about that?”
Malcolm laughed coldly. “How many pictures are we talking?”
“Not many. 300, maybe 500 tops.” Janice tilted her head playfully. “Of course, if you perform well, I might offer you a discount.”
Her teasing was cut short as Malcolm grabbed her chin and kissed her fiercely, silencing her with a bruising intensity.
When they finally broke apart, Janice was trembling, her legs too weak to support her. She leaned against him, barely managing to stay upright.
Even then, her tongue remained sharp. “Tell me, Malcolm,” she whispered hoarsely. “If Reina knew all your skills came from practicing with me, what would her face look like?”
Malcolm’s expression turned icy. He had planned to end things with her last night, to sever all ties cleanly. Instead, here they were.
Janice wanted to push him further, but her voice was nearly gone. Exhausted, she stumbled toward the minibar for water.
Before she could take a sip, a check slid into her line of sight.
“One million dollars,” Malcolm said coldly. “In exchange for every single one of those photos.”
