Eunice gazed at the jet’s distinctive silhouette and emblem. There was no mistake. It was Bard’s private plane!
That very aircraft had whisked him away on business earlier that day.
Bard had promised her he’d return as soon as his work was done.
She was in shock for a long mont before lifting her gaze, incredulous.
"Did you do this?"
"It’s his own damn fault for having bad luck! Did he really think he was too good to attend Arlen’s birthday bash? Does he have any respect for us elders? Who did he think he was?"
"It was just a birthday party. Was it really worth all this? Rose and I showed up, didn’t we?"
"And who are you to talk? You’re nothing but an outsider to the Griffiths. We’ve never acknowledged you as one of us all these years!"
Eunice’s eyes blazed with fury and hatred as she faced the murderers.
"Your acknowledgnt isn’t worth a di! It was Bard who got down on one knee—not once, but three tis—to propose to . It was my in-laws who wanted to marry him. My place in the Griffith family was approved by the head of the family himself, my father-in-law!"
"And what of it? They’re bedridden now, too busy to care about your fate," Bess said with a smile that was as warm as a spring breeze.
Teresa chid in with a smirk,
"Why waste words on her? Now that Bard’s gone, everything he owned will naturally fall into this wench’s hands. Boys, bring the pre-drafted share transfer and the deed of gift. Let’s have her sign everything over to us."
Dozens of bodyguards closed in around Eunice and Rosemary, blocking any chance of escape.
Mr. Clarence handed over the contract and a pen with a sly grin.
"Mr. Calvin and Mrs. Bess are reasonable. Just sign, and we can talk. Who knows? They might even show you rcy and spare your life."
Eunice remained unmoved by the contract and pen in his hand.
"You can’t escape from here. There are sixty guards in this living room alone, not to ntion the hundreds outside. Even if you could fight, you’d eventually run out of steam."
Besides, they had cast a net so wide that escape was impossible.
"Do you know the consequences of not signing?" Teresa asked, arms crossed over her chest, looking down at Eunice with arrogance.
"You may not fear death and wish to follow your husband, but this young girl beside you is innocent. It would be a sha for her to miss out on a life of luxury before it even started."
"If you lay a finger on her, Kenneth and Louisa won’t let you off the hook!" Eunice shot back fiercely.
"The Collins family cherishes her like a treasure. Even setting aside the influence of Kenneth and Louisa, just my nephew Hunter alone is enough to make you think twice."
The ntion of Hunter indeed changed the expressions of the elders present.
Hunter was known for his ruthless efficiency, a cold machine of a man who didn’t entertain pleas of sentint.
Then there was Chasel. If they dared cross him, he could expose countless secrets they held in Solterra.
And Clark, renowned as a forensic expert with a wide network of powerful contacts and rumored to be a formidable hacker—if he decided to infiltrate their systems, they’d be in for a world of trouble.
As for Sean, he might appear to be a charming playboy, but his thods were even more brutal than the eldest’s. His unpredictable nature made him impossible to read.
And of course, there was David, whose charisma and influence were undeniable.
The Collins clan was not to be trifled with, and everyone from top to bottom knew it.
Even though Eunice was well aware of this fact and understood that bringing Rosemary to the Collins’ doorstep was akin to waving a golden ticket for protection, the temptation of the fortune laid out before them was too great to ignore. Especially since Bard was gone, and such a huge "pie" was up for grabs, no one could keep their hands to themselves.
"If she dies, it’s on you, not us! You’re the one who brought her here," Teresa snapped, snatching the contract and pen from Mr. Clarence’s grasp and hurling them at Eunice.
"Sign it now!"
Sign first, deal with the consequences later.
Rosemary couldn’t be left to walk free. If she lived to see another day, she would surely spill the beans to Louisa.
And if Louisa sought vengeance for her brother Bard, she would beco their most formidable roadblock.
As for Eunice, not only did she need to die, but her death had to be particularly brutal to quell both her and Bess’s resentnt.
"Don’t get too cocky," Rosemary finally spoke up, her eyes glinting with an icy displeasure.
"This pretty little thing... with sixty bodyguards here, it would be a real sha if sothing happened to her."
"You lay a finger on her, just try it!" Eunice threatened fiercely.
"Oh, what? Do you think you’re still Mrs. Griffith?" Teresa taunted.
"With Bard gone, you’re nothing but an ant beneath our feet. Besides, Alexander’s already had his way with you. In a bit, I’ll let these bodyguards give you a proper welco too! That’s what you get for flaunting yourself around all the ti, pretending to be sothing you’re not."
Eunice grabbed her by the collar, ready to give her a good thrashing.
"Hold on, Aunt Eunice," Rosemary urged calmly,
"There’s no point in fighting a losing battle."
Seeing Eunice let go in frustration, Rosemary coolly addressed Teresa,
"So, if Aunt Eunice signs this, can we leave Dawnstar safely?"
"Of course!" Teresa hadn’t expected the young one to be so gullible. She smiled.
"I always keep my word. Just hand over all the property and shares to us, and I’ll spare you both."
"If they wanted to let us go, they would’ve done so by now."
Before Eunice could finish, Teresa cut in,
"It’s because you haven’t signed yet. Sign it now—my patience has its limits!"
She was still in the mood to cajole them.
But that would soon end.
"I just don’t understand," Rosemary interjected, lifting her gaze with an innocent bewildernt.
"We’re family. Wouldn’t it be better to live happily together? Why harm Uncle Bard? If you wanted the money and shares, you could’ve just asked him. He would’ve certainly agreed. Why kill him and freeze all familial ties?"
Teresa couldn’t help but think this girl was naive to a fault, even foolish.
"In the world of high society, what is family really worth? You think too highly of your uncle," Teresa chuckled.
"You think he’d just hand over his position if I asked? You young people are so shortsighted. If it were that simple, would we be where we are today?"
"But Uncle Bard had the ability to take the Griffith empire to greater heights. He only took over the group from Grandpa. If you wanted it that badly, why didn’t you ask Grandpa back then?"
"I’ll tell you why," Teresa started,
"It’s because your great-grandfather left the position to your grandpa, giving only a small dividend to his siblings, and that’s what led to the situation."
Before Teresa could finish, Arlen interrupted sharply,
"Enough talk. Make her sign."
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