Benjamin ignored Joanna’s greeting, a pri example of male chauvinism.
Joanna was told to sit at a neighboring table with a group of strangers. She did not even get to speak to Benjamin.
On the other hand, Liam was treated very well, and was asked to sit at Benjamin’s left.
While eating, Benjamin and Liam had a very happy chat.
It was clear that he liked Liam very much, and wished he had a son like him. Liam behaved obediently the whole ti, making Benjamin very happy.
When it was almost ti for the feast to end, he glanced at Joanna, and pretended to ask Benjamin casually, "By the way, Master, where is Taylor? Why didn’t I see her?"
Both Taylor and Liam escaped from the red-light district together. They had beco Benjamin’s disciples at the sa ti, but Taylor chose to stay while Liam wanted to leave.
Back then, Benjamin valued Taylor just as much as he valued Liam. She should have been promoted to a very high position, but Liam hadn’t seen her around, which was strange.
To Liam’s surprise, Benjamin smacked his fork down onto the table and went silent. Benjamin’s eldest foster son, Danny Evans, imdiately smiled and said reassuringly,
"Liam, let’s not bring up unpleasant things at a ti like this. Why did you ask about that jinx?"
"Danny, what do you an? Taylor is our junior. What did she do to anger all of you like this?"
Noah Goz, Benjamin’s third foster son, snorted and stated disdainfully," She was the lead role in the red-light district previously, so of course, she isn’t a nice woman. I knew that she had so ulterior motives as soon as I t her. As expected, she was soon exposed, and actually dared to betray Master. As a result, the police confiscated a batch of Master’s goods, and we suffered a terrible loss. Don’t you think she’s a jinx?"
"Umm..." Liam knitted his brows slightly. Suddenly, he did not know how to handle the situation. If Taylor betrayed the fort, she might be long dead by now given Benjamin’s cruelty and ruthlessness.
Joanna was sitting far from the main table, so she could vaguely hear them ntion
Taylor’s na. However, she could not hear the details, so she beca quite anxious.
After a brief pause, she poured a glass of wine for herself and walked to Benjamin’s table.
"Mr. Jenkins, I’m new here, but I didn’t bring you any gift. Let offer you a toast as an apology." After that, she leaned her head backward and gulped down the wine in her glass.
However, Benjamin did not even look at Joanna as he said aloofly to the others at his table,
"You know that none of the won in this world are nice except my dear Gem. They don’t even have the right to eat at the sa table as , let alone toast . She thinks too highly of herself."
Joanna was speechless. She was so angry that she had to stop herself from breaking the glass in her hand. Although she t patronising n before, this was the first ti she had t a man like Benjamin who believed that n dominated everything.
Hence, she could not hold herself back.
"Mr. Jenkins, I disagree. If all won are bad, then I must tell you that no n are nice either. The global cri rate proves this—n make up ninety percent of it while won make up rely ten
percent of it. What’s more, the won committed those cris to protect themselves. Your opinion is too biased."
As soon as she made that statent, the silent hall beca quieter, and the atmosphere beca tense.
"How dare you doubt !" Benjamin’s eyes bulged in disbelief and rage. It was the first ti Benjamin had t a person as reckless as Joanna. The fact that she was a woman made him even more determined to teach her a lesson. "Mateo, tell her the consequences of those who doubted in this fort!"
"Okay, Master."Mateo nodded and glanced at Joanna before he explained, "The people who dare to doubt Master will have their tongues cut off and lips sewn shut. After that, they will be locked up in dungeons until they die.’
Joanna unconsciously swallowed, in disbelief at how cruel this old man was. Such a ruthless punishnt was almost as bad as the punishnts Quinton used.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and execute her!" Benjamin barked, unable to stand the sight of Joanna.
"Wait!" Liam imdiately stood up and begged for rcy for Joanna." Master, it’s my girlfriend’s first ti being here, so she doesn’t know the rules. Please let her off the hook this ti, I promise that she won’t do it again. I spent quite a long ti trying to win her heart. Besides, I respect you very much, so I brought her to you. Please do the favour, okay?"
"Fine, just this once." Benjamin sneered before he ordered, "Lock her up in the dungeon first. I’ll release her after negotiating with Liam."
Although Liam could not bear to see Joanna suffer, he did not dare to disobey Benjamin under such a circumstance. There was no way they could go against so many ard opponents after all. "Okay, Master, I’ll listen to you. Don’t worry, we’ll talk this out.’
He decided to pacify Benjamin temporarily before he tried to get Joanna out. Inwardly, he was regretting bringing Joanna here. If he knew this would happen, he would have been firr and refused to bring Joanna here no matter what. However, he heard so good news during the al. Taylor, who betrayed Benjamin, was still alive, and just happened to be locked up in the sa dungeon as Joanna.
At the end of the al, Benjamin’s mood beca much better. He held Amber’s hand and put it on Liam’s, then smiled happily and said, "My little gem, Liam’s na is always on your lips. He’s back now, so why are you so shy? I’m worried about you, you know? Why don’t you show Liam around and deepen your relationship with him?"
"Dad, don’t do this. Liam has a girlfriend now, so stop trying to set up with him," Amber protested, and gently pulled her hand away.
After a brief pause, Liam said casually, "It’s fine. She’s my girlfriend, not my wife, and I’m not that conservative either. It’s been a long ti since I last t you, Gem. Let’s take a walk."
"Silly girl, he’s already invited you! Why are you still shy?’
"Well, okay then." Amber stood up but kept her head low in embarrassnt. She then said to Liam, "Liam, I... I bought a few pets which are very adorable... Umm, you can go and see them with ."
"Sure, I like small animals a lot." Liam agreed to it bluntly.
Benjamin roared with laughter. "There’s a good kid!"
Mateo watched them leave enviously. He gritted his teeth and said," Master, can’t you tell? Liam’s just trying to stall for ti. All he cares about is his girlfriend. He’s insincere toward Miss Jenkins!"
"Hmph! I don’t care if he’s sincere or not, as long as he can pretend like this his whole life and make my dear daughter happy," Benjamin sneered deviously.
Joanna was held by ard guards and pushed into a remote place in the fort that was surrounded by a lot of guards.
"How dare you offend Mr. Jenkins’ If not for Mr. Blackwell, your tongue would have been cut off by now! Stay in there and reflect on yourself." The guard fiercely pushed her into a small, dark room, which was the so-called dungeon. The door was closed again, and Joanna felt her throat tighten in the tiny room, like she was being strangled.
"Who’s there?" There was movent in the furthest corner, and Joanna imdiately realised there was soone else in the dungeon with her.
"You’re new here?" The person leaned back against the wall and stared at Joanna. Joanna couldn’t make her features out in the dark, but her voice was eerily toneless.
Joanna frowned and asked tentatively, "Could you be... Taylor?" She vaguely heard that
Taylor was locked up in the dungeon too. Besides, there were practically no won
around, so it was very likely that this person was Taylor.
"You’re new here, but you know . You don’t seem like the average person." There was a hint of teasing in Taylor’s flat voice. She figured Joanna had to be special for her to be locked up in here too.
"You’re Taylor?" Joanna rushed to the woman and said happily, "That’s great! I didn’t expect to see you so soon!"
"Hey, back off! I don’t know you, so stop acting so pally," Taylor snapped, imdiately on guard. She had been hurt so many tis before that she never let down her guard in front of anyone.
"It doesn’t matter if you don’t know . You should... You should know the boss of Carmine Pawnshop, right? Quinton, who’s called Night Demon?"
"Brother..." Taylor’s aloof voice softened slightly, and she sounded like a lost little girl.
"Yes, he was once the brother you loved the most, but you betrayed him. I’m glad you still know who he is!" Joanna clenched her fists to calm herself, and refrained from cursing this woman who repaid Quinton’s kindness with betrayal.
"Brother... I did do him wrong, but what would you know about that?" Taylor gritted her teeth and said, "I would do it again if I had the chance! In fact, I would have killed him!’
"W-What did you say?" Joanna was shocked, not expecting such a reaction from Taylor.
She thought that Taylor must have been in a situation where she was forced to stab
Quinton, but unexpectedly...
"Can you tell what Night Demon did to make you hate him so much? You guys were on good terms in the past, and you were always the angel who protected him and kept him company. Why did you-" "Hmph, angel?"
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