Owen’s gaze lingered on the woman momentarily before shifting to the crying, fussing boy.
Eileen Graham clutched her son tightly, turning sideways defensively as she asked warily, “What do you want<b>?</b><b>” </b>
With a faint smile ying on his lips, Owen said calmly, “So, he’s Tom’s son? And you’re his wife?”
Eileen realized this was someone formidable. ‘He dared to address Tom by name, after all,’ she thought. A sudden pang of regret struck her. ‘I shouldn’t have recklessly provoked them.’
Eileen nodded with forced bravado. “Yes. My son wants your gold pendant now. I’ll give <i>you </i>30 thousand dors. Tell that masked girl to hand it over immediately.”
Owen took a step forward, and Eileen instinctively recoiled.
Owen asked coldly, “Tom’s wife is Mabel, a distinguished physicist. Are you iming to be her?”
‘He knows the Shaw family well,‘ Eileen thought.
Eileen’s face instantly betrayed her panic, but she forced herself <b>to </b>appearposed. “So what if I am? So what if I’m not?” she retorted defiantly. <b>“</b><b>If </b><b>you </b>don’t want to sell it, then don’t. Like I care.”
With that, Eileen scooped up her son and rushed away.
The little boy kept wailing until a quick smack on his bottom finally quieted him down.
“Mom, put me down. I can walk by myself,” said the boy.
Eileen’s arms were aching from carrying her son, so she promptly set him down.
Immediately after the boy’s feet touched the ground, he suddenly spun around and charged straight at Pearl, shouting at the top of his lungs<b>, </b>“Give me the gold pendant. I want it now.”
Owen reacted instantly, stepping sideways to shield Pearl. The boy couldn’t stop himself and crashed straight into Owen’s leg, losing his bnce and tumbling to the ground before bursting into loud sobs.
Seething with anger yet intimidated by Owen and the others<b>, </b>Eileen dared not raise her voice. Teetering on her high heels, she hurried toward them in small, anxious steps.
Aria stepped forward, crouched to the boy’s eye level with a yful smile, and asked, “So, you want that gold pendant, huh?”
The boy stopped crying and nodded. “Yes, I want it,” he said.
“What a pity,” Aria said with a mocking smile. <b>“</b>That gold pendant was handcrafted by the man here. It’s truly one of a kind. No matter <b>how </b>rich your parents are, you’ll never get it.”
<b>“</b><b>No</b>…” the boy wailed loudly. “You’re a bad woman. You’re a witch. An idiot.”
Without hesitation, Aria pped him <b>right </b>across the mouth. “Try saying that one more time,” she said coldly.
Eileen shrieked and rushed forward desperately/Aria grabbed the boy by his shirt cor, stood up, and swung him aside. Eileen lunged but <b>missed</b><b>, </b><b>her </b>foot twisting beneath her as she nearly fell.
“Let go of my son!” Eileen screamed.
Aria shot her an icy re. “Scream again<b>, </b>and I’ll toss him out.”
<b>11</b><b>, </b><b>27 </b><b>Jun </b>
The chubby boy dangled <b>in </b>her grip like <b>a </b>ragdoll,pletely at her mercy.
The boy shrieked in panic, “Mommy, help!”
Aria red at him and said coldly, “Say that again.”
The little boy was terrified into silence. He apologized, his voice trembling with sobs. “I’m sorry, Miss. I was wrong. I don’t want the gold pendant anymore. Please, please let me go.”
“Keep cursing like that, and I’ll sew your mouth shut,” Aria said.
The little boy stammered fearfully, “I–I won’t do it again.”
Aria flung the boy straight toward Eileen.
Caughtpletely off guard, the mother and son toppled backward onto the ground.
Clutching her waist, Eileen spat venomously, “You’ll pay for this. Mark my words.”
With his mother shielding him, the little boy red at Aria and mimicked his father’s menacing tone. “You evil woman<b>! </b>I’ll have <b>my </b>dad <b>torture </b><b>you </b><b>to </b>death, break every bone in your body, drain all your blood, and have you preserved <b>as </b>a disy specimen.”
‘At such a young age, for him to say something so vicious, it’s obvious he learned it from his parents,‘ Aria thought.
Aria crossed her arms defiantly. “Go ahead, try me. I’ll make sure your wishes true.”
Eileen yanked her son away and stormed off.
The little boy turned back, ring daggers at Aria, his eyes full of malice.
<b>AD </b>