“Other than that,” Janelle said, “not long after Johnson got injured, Mrs. Susan Pierce led most of the Pierce family’s top members to the Council Hall, trying to ambush Sharon for revenge.”
“And?” Ashley’s eyes lit up. She was sure that crossing the Pierce family never ended well. “Did Sharon get seriously hurt?”
Janelle replied, “Well, no. Mrs. Susan Pierce nearly died at Sharon’s hands. And get this–during the meeting, she even voted in Sharon’s favor
Ashley froze. Just hearing that Sharon had nearly taken Susan’s life left her speechless. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how Sharon had pulled that
off.
Ashley thought, ‘Sharon is insane. She really doesn’t care if she lives or dies, does she? She actually dared to go against Mrs. Susan Pierce.
‘But what’s even crazier is that after everything Sharon pulled, Mrs. Susan Pierce didn’t try to fight her to the bitter end. She actually supported her? What is going on? Am I still dreaming? Nothing makes sense anymore.
‘A bumpkin like Sharon not only went up against Mrs. Susan Pierce, she also ended up as the Vance family’s new head? That’s straight out of a main character script. That should’ve been me.‘
Janelle said, “As for the rest of what happened, you’ll find out soon enough. But let me warn you. Starting today, if you see Sharon, take the long way around. Unless the two of you want to end up like the Pierce family. Dead.”
Hearing that, Garrett and Ashley exchanged a look, feeling a chill creep down their spines. One of them thought, ‘Shoot. We’ve pissed off Sharon before. What if she comes after us now? God, this is actually terrifying.‘
Janelle continued, “That’s enough of that. Go get changed.”
Ashley asked, “Changed? For what? Why are you wearing black? You look like you’re heading to a funeral.”
Janelle replied, “Because I am. It’s your aunt’s funeral.”
As she spoke, her expression shifted into something complicated. She and her sister had never been particularly close. But that didn’t mean she wanted her gone.
Janelle hadn’t expected it either. It was just supposed to be a meeting, but somehow her sister ended up dead. She could barely contain her rage and
cursed Roxanne under her breath.
Garrett asked, “Aunt Madeline’s funeral? Mom, you’re joking, right?”
Ashley added, “Yeah, Aunt Madeline was in great shape. Last time we went hiking, she climbed faster than I did. There’s no way something could’ve happened to her.”
Janelle’s eyes reddened despite herself. “It was an accident.”
Ashley asked, “What kind of accident? Are you saying there’s more to this?”
Garrett’s expression darkened, “Who was behind it?“/
Janelle replied, “When the Pierce family ambushed Sharon yesterday, they unleashed a bunch of mutated lizards into the garden. But Sh. of it unharmed.
ame out
“It just so happened that Mrs. Vance was there with Madeline and the others, and they got attacked. None of them had any high–ranking martial artists with them at the time, so…”
No one could’ve imagined that a simple trip to the Council Hall would end with something so dangerous waiting in the back garden.
Janelle covered her face and choked back a sob. “Madeline got hurt saving your cousin. The injuries were too severe. She didn’t even make it to the
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hospital. Your cousin is still in intensive care now. We don’t know if he’s going to pull through”
Ashley covered her mouth in shock, unable to even picture such a gruesome scene. She couldn’t believe that the same adeline who used and lecture them ended up dying in such a horrible way.
Garrett’s face was stone–cold as he asked, “Isn’t the Pierce family going to be held accountable? This all started because of them.
Ashley nodded. “He’s right. Aunt Madeline can’t die for nothing. Our family is not going to let this slide, Grandpa has to demand justice.
Janelle looked at her children, a flicker of comfort softening her grief. “Hearing you two say that makes me feel a bit better. Madeline didn’t have an easy life, and I’m not letting that old witch walk away from this.”
The incident hadn’t been made public, but through her sources, she’d heard whispers, Someone claimed it was Roxanne who ordered Wayne to drive those creatures away, but they ended up turning on them instead.
When the danger struck, Madeline had rushed in to help, while Roxanne ran and hid. ‘If it hadn’t been for that old woman, things never would’ve turned out like this,‘ Janelle thought bitterly.
Ashley frowned, “Mom, are you saying Aunt Madeline’s death is connected to Mrs. Vance?”
Janelle said, “Don’t ask about any of this right now. I’ll take care of it. For now, let’s go see Madeline one last time.”
Ashley and Garrett didn’t press further. They hurried back to change clothes and left the house with their mother.
The Clark family held the funeral at a well–known funeral home. It wasn’t a lavish affair, but close friends and relatives had all sent representatives.
Before long, Janelle and her children arrived, and they stepped out of the car. The moment she saw Madeline’s photo, her tears welled up uncontrollably. No matter what had happened, they were still sisters.
Karen sat silently in her wheelchair, eyes red and swollen. Her body was still wrapped in plaster and bandages. Several people offered their condolences, but she barely reacted.
Janelle walked up to her and sighed, “You’re seriously hurt. Who told you it was okay to leave the hospital?”
Karen murmured, “I had to be here to send my mom off.”
Then, she looked up, her face drawn and fierce. She said, “It was the Pierce family who set those things loose, Aunt Janelle. That’s what killed my mom.
“But their representative just showed up, talked to Grandpa, and then Grandpa walked him out himself. They killed my mom. Why hasn’t anyone called the police?”
Janelle stood frozen for a moment, unsure what to say. Then, she quietly turned and walked out of the funeral hall, gazing up at the sky, her chest heavy
with sorrow.
Ashley asked, “Karen was right, Mom. Why would Grandpa do that?”
Garrett turned sharply. “I’m going to talk to him. We can’t just let the Pierce family walk away from this.”
Janelle quickly stopped him. “No, don’t.” After taking a deep breath, she faced them and sighed, “The Pierce family has already settled things by giving the Clark family a hundred thousand Hunter Coins.”
Garrett scoffed, “A hundred thousand Hunter Coins? That’s nothing more than hush money.”
Ashley, however, froze and turned to look at her brother. “Do you even know how much that is? The Vance family had to shell out sixty million dollars just to buy two Hunter Coins so they could get their hands on one invitation letter.”
To the Clark family, a hundred thousand Hunter Coins was a fortune–more than enough to make them think twice. That was the reality.
The realization that one life could be bought for a hundred thousand Hunter Coins left them silent. The weight of it was suffocating.
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Then, Garrett suddenly remembered something and said, “Hey, I was scrolling through my phone on the way here and saw that Sharon put up a 100 million Hunter Coin bounty on the black market for the Vance family’s top spot.
“Where’s she even getting a hundred million Hunter Coins from?”
If a hundred thousand Hunter Coins could buy a life, then a hundred million Hunter Coins was playing in a whole other league.
Ashley looked even more unsettled, wondering, ‘Why is it always Sharon? Where the hell did she get a hundred million Hunter Coins?‘
