Chapter 12

Seeing that Chloe still hadn't moved, Irene leaned in and said with a smirk, "What's wrong? Are these pictures not worth that precious pair of knees of yours?" Chloe shut her eyes, slowly lowered herself until her knees hit the floor. "What, too proud to open your mouth and beg?" Irene continued to taunt, voice full of mock amusement. "Please, give the photos back." Her pride and self-esteem had been thoroughly crushed thanks to Hank. What Irene was doing now was just ripping the remnants of her feelings to shreds. Irene circled around her, holding the photos, looking as if she was deciding whether to be merciful or not. Finally, she dropped herself onto the sofa across from Chloe and said cheerfully, "Not too cooperative just now. How about this—bark twice, call me your master and say something sweet. If I like it, I'll give them back." "Irene, don't go too far!" "You can always say no." She casually pulled a lighter out of her bag. The small flame danced in front of Chloe's eyes. Chloe took a deep breath, shut her eyes again. "Woof! Woof! Please, Master, please give me back the photos!" Chloe, never forget this moment. This is what you get for falling in love with Hank... "You know something, Chloe? You've always been clever—and just as foolish." The flame started to catch on one corner of the photo. Irene waved it gleefully in front of her like a taunt. Chloe's pupils shrank, and she threw her body forward, trying to snatch the photos from her hand. The heat scorched across her palm, pain shooting through her as Irene finally flicked the half-burning photo into her hand like some kind of favor. Chloe's eyes went completely red. "Do you get it now? Everything you have is just what I, Irene, tossed at you. Face it — Hank and the Hudson family were never yours. A piece of paper in exchange for a beating heart? That's quite the bargain." Chloe's mind blanked—so this was all part of Irene's plan, just to take her heart! Blazing anger and hatred rushed in and drowned her reason. Fine, if Irene wanted her world so bad, then she could take Hank's hatred too. As Chloe turned and stormed off with a deadpan expression, Irene started to panic and grabbed her arm. "What are you going to do?!" Chloe let out a cold laugh. "You're right. He loves Irene. But if he finds out who you really are, you think he'd still feel the same?" Murder flashed in Irene's eyes as they landed on Chloe's round belly. She suddenly had an idea. Chloe, slowed down by pregnancy, couldn't shake her off in time. Hearing footsteps coming upstairs, Irene leaned close and whispered, "You're just as stupid as your dead mom. Wanna know how she really died? My mom told her that if she wanted you to live well, she'd have to die for it. Guess what? She jumped right off the eighth floor. Pathetic, right?" Chloe stared wide-eyed, frozen in place, her whole body trembling. Her gaze toward Irene now looked like it could burn her to ashes. "Irene, I'm going to kill you!" Clenching her jaw, Chloe slammed her pregnant body into Irene and forced her to the ground, shaking hands closing around her neck. Even as her grip faltered and tears streaked down her face, the fury didn't leave her. She'd always thought her mom had jumped because she couldn't handle seeing her dad with another woman. Who knew the truth was so ugly? And she, the idiot, had believed that woman genuinely cared for her. Letting Irene bully her all these years—how blind could she have been? Treating the enemy like a mother, what a joke! Irene, teary-eyed, started screaming, "Hank! Help! She's trying to kill me!"