The Heiress Nobody Saw Coming (Natalie and Marcus)

The hatred in Lina's eyes was completely undisguised as she stared straight at Yvette.

Tears streamed down Yvette's face. The painkiller had taken effect, so her body no longer hurt-but her heart did.

Tears falling, Yvette spoke with a trembling voice. "I'm your mother."

"So what?" Lina reached out and clutched her throat. "You ruined me and Charlene both, so you deserve to die. I never wanted to be your daughter. I never wanted to come out of your womb. I never wanted to be raised by someone who filled me with hatred.

"I worked so hard to raise Charlene into a normal person, and now you're dragging her into this too. Have you ever seen me as your daughter? Have you ever seen her as your granddaughter?"

"Yvette, answer me! Did you ever see us as human beings?

"If you don't tell me where Megan is today, I'll kill you! And once you're dead, I'll find Megan myself. I won't let anything happen to Charlene-never!"

Yvette was coughing and gasping for breath, her throat tightening beneath Lina's grip.

"Yvette, speak up. Tell me!"

Lina's eyes were bloodshot, her face twisted with rage, and her voice rising by the second. "Tell me!"

Yvette's coughing grew worse. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, and she looked like she was on the verge of suffocating.

Lina released her throat and landed a harsh slap across Yvette's face.

"Why won't you say it? You're already dying from a terminal illness, so why won't you let me and Charlene live in peace?"

Lina buried her face in her hands and broke down crying. "You already sacrificed me. What's so wrong about me wanting to protect my own daughter? If you never loved me, fine—but why hurt Charlene?

"Why, Yvette? What gives you the right?"

Yvette lay on the ground, her face pale, and eyes vacant. Lina's words were like invisible knives stabbing into her heart over and over again.

"Mother, I'm begging you. Please just give Megan up, will you?"

After crying, Lina began to plead. "Tell me where Megan is. I'll return her to Grace,

to Kenton. Even if not for me, do it for Charlene. Before you die, do one good thing, please, Mother."

Yvette looked at Lina's tear-soaked face. Her lips trembled, and after a long pause, she finally spoke with a broken, hoarse voice.

"Whitesand Isle... in Dithoria... Megan's there."

Lina immediately rushed to Kenton. "Kenton, did you hear that? Megan's on Whitesand Isle in Dithoria! You can let Charlene go now, right?"

Kenton pushed her aside without expression. "Have Yvette's people send Megan to Amberton. Once she arrives, you two can leave."

Lina bit her bottom lip hard. After a long moment, she finally spoke again. "Fine. But in the meantime, I want to take care of Charlene. She's injured and needs medical attention."

"You think you lot are in any position to make demands right now?" Kenton scoffed. "Take a look at my face. Listen to my voice. Lina, don't tell me you've forgotten how I got these injuries. Yet you have the nerve to come to me with requests?"

Lina froze. Kenton's face had been burned because Yvette had ordered Lina to set a fire. His damaged vocal cords were from being forced to swallow shattered glass also on Yvette's command.

"It was Yvettte who forced me." Lina tried to explain herself, though even she knew how weak and powerless her words sounded. "I'm so sorry," she eventually blurted.

"When Megan returns, destroy your own face and vocal cords-then I'll let you go. Otherwise, it'll be Charlene who ends up destroyed."

Kenton stared at her, his tone cold and deliberate.

"Wait." Yvette, lying on the ground, suddenly spoke up. "Kenton, you said that Lina isn't my daughter, that she's the child of the man I chose and another woman. Then, why does Charlene look like me?"

"Oh, that." Kenton chuckled. "Yvette, thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot to explain.

"It's because of skipped-generation inheritance, Čassie is Vivian's

daughter your niece. People always said that nieces often resembled the mother's side of the family. Cassie looks like Vivian, and also a lot like you. Haven't you noticed?

"Charlene was made from Cassie's egg and Lina's beloved's sperm. She looks

like you and not like Lina. Isn't that perfectly normal?

"Let me break it down for you." Kenton laughed darkly. His raspy voice grated on the ears, but that didn't stop him from dropping one explosive revelation after another, stabbing deeper into the heart of the Jenkins mother and daughter pair.

"Your daughter, Lina, is a test-tube baby made from your man and another woman. The embryo was implanted into your womb, right here, in this very hospital.

"Then, Lina's daughter, Charlene, was made from Lina's boyfriend and Cassie's egg, also implanted into Lina's womb. And that, too, happened right here in this hospital.

"Lina isn't your biological daughter, but because she resembled your man, you never suspected a thing. As for Charlene, she looks like you and Lina's boyfriend. So of course neither of you ever questioned it.

"You once said, 'I only trust the people from this hospital.' How about it? I didn't let you down, did I?

"All those years I stayed at your side, acting like your obedient dog. But while you were scheming and plotting, was planning too. I waited for the right time, and now, I've flipped your entire world upside down.

"All those dirty jobs I did for you, all the loyalty I showed-it was just to win your trust. But Yvette, listen to me when I say that I was never loyal to you.noveldrama

"I know I'm already too far gone. I've been dirty for a long time, so what's a little more filth? Once I get Megan back and let Grace die in peace, I'll drag you all down with me."

"Lina, did you hear that? Charlene was never your daughter."

Yvette closed her eyes. Why was the truth even more cruel than she had imagined?

She had always believed she and the Jenkins family were the victims that the entire world owed them, especially the Holden and Walker families.

To get revenge on them, she had carefully planned for years, using all of the Jenkins family's money overseas to orchestrate everything from behind the scenes.

She thought she had everyone under control, especially the Langley siblings. During this long period of time, Kenton had hardly ever seen Grace, his own sister.

He had followed Yvette's every command, and abused Julie countless times just to prove his loyalty.

But the truth was, her most obedient dog was the one that hid the deepest-and bit the hardest.

"You're not afraid I'll have someone kill Megan on Whitesand Isle?" Yvette opened her eyes and stared hard at Kenton. "Even if you've got me under control, Megan is still in my hands."

"Then, go ahead and contact them." Kenton sneered. "You, Lina, and Charlene. You three Jenkins women are all right here. But your people? Quietly wiped out. Unreachable.

"You think I'd say all this if I didn't already have everything locked down? Yvette, don't take me for a fool. The fact that I dared to speak means you have no chance left to turn the tables.

"After all, behind me now are the Holden and Walker families.

"Oh, and let me tell you one more thing. Ms. Walker may be kind, but her parents and four older brothers? They can't swallow this hatred.

"And do you think Mr. Holden will just let this go? Natalie is his girlfriend. Do you really believe you'll ever get another chance, like you had before?"