Chapter 9: So It Felt That Good to Smash Someone With Money?

"Oh my God! That woman looks so familiar. Haven't we seen her on TV?" "It's her! Bernice Warth! The CEO of Delpine Group! The top goddess in the Cosplay Industry! A one-of-a-kind legend in entertainment! Whoever marries her must've built up blessings for ten lifetimes!" "And their lingerie is insane. My boyfriend tried tearing it with his teeth and still couldn't rip it!" … The onlookers craned their necks, eyes burning with excitement. Elliot Casson's pupils tightened. When he finally saw who it was, the meat on his face went stiff. That elegant, captivating woman was the one even his godfather, Wilder Zuniga, couldn't get… Bernice Warth. What was she doing here? And what was that about a… cousin? No. That didn't make sense. Since when did Margot Good have a cousin? He'd followed his godfather for years and had never heard a word about this! He forced a smile. "Aunt Bernice, is there some mistake? My godmother, she… I don't think she has a cousin." He wasn't much younger than Bernice Warth. But Margot Good was Wilder Zuniga's woman. By seniority, Elliot had to behave and call Bernice "Aunt." Besides… Deep down, he was terrified of that godmother of his. Unpredictable. Cold-blooded. The kind of woman who made you flinch before she even spoke. Bernice Warth clicked toward him in high heels, step by step. "Oh?" Her lips curved. "She doesn't?" "Then call her," she said lightly. "Ask Margot yourself." She took out her phone, tapped the screen with a pale, slender finger, pulled up Margot's number, and held it out in front of Elliot. Not long ago, after Christian Yale had treated her with acupuncture, her body had felt much lighter. Even so, her girlfriends had refused to let it go, dragging her to the hospital for a checkup. That was when they'd run into the commotion downstairs, the ugly scene of harassment. After the examination, they'd come up. The moment Bernice saw Elliot, she'd basically guessed what had happened. Elliot's legs went weak. He almost dropped to his knees on the spot. Call his godmother personally? Even if someone lent him ten times the guts, he still wouldn't dare. Everyone knew Margot Good was the person Wilder Zuniga cherished most. Her methods were even more vicious than his, by a wide margin. If she found out he'd brought people to surround her cousin… Elliot didn't dare finish the thought. He plastered on a fawning grin. "N-no, Aunt Bernice! No need!" "I was blind. I offended… uh… Great-Uncle-in-law!" He choked on the title, then spun around and roared at his lackeys. "What are you standing there for?" "Get out! All of you, get out!" The men shuddered and scrambled for the elevator, tripping over themselves as the buttons clacked wildly. Elliot kept bowing and scraping. "Aunt Bernice, another day I'll set a banquet and apologize properly. I've got something to handle over at Celestial, so I'll head out first!" "Mm." Bernice answered with a single syllable. The elevator doors opened. Elliot lunged inside, even kicking a lackey out of his way so he could squeeze in first. The doors slid shut. Yasmin Yonwin immediately crouched, frantic as she helped her father up. Tears swam in her eyes. "Dad, are you okay? Where are you hurt?" Alfred Yonwin clutched his abdomen, his face bloodless. He shook his head, signaling her not to worry. Several fashionable, sexy girls beside Bernice Warth gathered around. A chestnut-haired girl nudged Christian Yale with her elbow, smiling brightly. "Cousin, who's this pretty older sister? Don't tell me she's your wife?" Christian's ears went hot, his cheeks warming. He hadn't even had time to explain when- Xander Zorn's face darkened. He couldn't help stepping forward. "She's my wife!" "Huh?" The chestnut-haired girl flicked her gaze down at him and let out a snort. "With that look, you scream gay. You think you can have a wife?" Xander Zorn: "…" If he hadn't sensed these girls were anything but ordinary, he would've slapped her already. Yasmin lifted her head, teeth clenched. "Xander Zorn, shut up. We're divorced. I'm not your wife anymore!" "Divorced?" Xander sneered, dumping all his anger onto her. "Divorced or not, you still have to own it!" "Your dad's treatment cost me three hundred thousand, start to finish!" "You haven't paid it back!" "Unless you slap three hundred thousand into my face right here, don't even dream about cutting ties with me for the rest of your life!" Yasmin's eyes reddened further, her voice breaking. "Xander Zorn, that money… I'll find a way to pay you back. Just give me a little more time." "Pay me back?" His expression dripped with contempt. "With what?" "Elliot Casson took a liking to you. Spend a few days with him and the debt's cleared, isn't it?" "And look at you, you went and offended everyone!" "What, you planning to sell yourself at some club to repay me?" The moment those words left his mouth, the girls around Bernice frowned. The chestnut-haired girl spat, disgusted. "Are you even a man? You're divorced and you're still clinging like a parasite, and your mouth's filthy too!" "This is my family business. Even if the cops came, they couldn't touch it!" Xander was wary of Bernice, but the moment he remembered he was the creditor, his spine stiffened again. "Who are you to butt in?" Alfred Yonwin clutched his chest in anger, about to speak when- "I'll pay you the three hundred thousand," Christian said, stepping forward and placing himself in front of Yasmin. "And you'll be even with Yasmin, right?" Xander nodded with a cold laugh. "That's right. What, you're paying for her?" Oliver Warth immediately chimed in, dripping with mockery. "Him? A broke loser who owes two million and doesn't even have a real job. He can pull out three hundred thousand? Quit pretending, you clown." Christian ignored him and turned to Bernice. "Miss Bernice, could you please watch over Yasmin and her father for a moment? I'll go withdraw some money. I'll be right back." "Go," Bernice said with a slight nod. "Leave it to me." She was curious, too. How exactly was Christian Yale planning to handle this? "Withdraw money? You're really putting on a show," Oliver scoffed with his arms crossed. "Three hundred thousand. You think it's thirty bucks? What, you're going to call everyone you know and beg for loans?" Christian didn't bother arguing. He turned and walked into the elevator. About twenty minutes later… He reappeared in the hallway with a black plastic bag in hand. Under everyone's baffled stares, Christian walked up to Xander Zorn, yanked open the bag, and revealed thick stacks of crisp hundred-yuan bills. "T-this…" Xander's eyes went wide. Before he could react, Christian grabbed a stack and smashed it into Xander's face. "Ten thousand a stack. Enough?" Bills burst apart and fluttered to the floor. Xander staggered, stunned, his cheek throbbing. Christian didn't stop. He snatched another stack and slammed it into him again. "Enough?" Bang! Another stack. "Enough?!" Christian's voice sharpened. Each time he asked, another stack cracked into Xander's face. Xander stumbled backward, humiliated, his face burning. Shock and rage churned in his chest, but Christian's presence crushed the words in his throat. Everyone around them stood frozen. Yasmin covered her mouth, eyes wet. A flicker of surprise passed through Bernice and the girls. Oliver Warth's jaw hung open like he'd seen a ghost. A kid drowning in two million of debt… how could he casually produce three hundred thousand in cash?! When the last stack hit the floor, Christian crumpled the empty plastic bag and tossed it at Xander's feet. "Three hundred thousand. Not a cent short," he said. "Pick it up. Get lost." Only then did it hit him… So smashing someone with money really did feel this good. Xander's face turned iron-blue. "Fine. You're ruthless. We'll see about this!" With that, he squatted, stuffed the bills into the bag in a frantic mess, and fled into the elevator with his head down. Once he was gone, Bernice took out a business card and handed it to Christian. "Mr. Yale. If you're free tomorrow, come by my company." "We moved into a new building," she continued. "I'd like to trouble you to take a look at the feng shui layout." She rarely stepped in for others, but Christian had saved her. And after what had happened with the Fox Spirit Statue, she'd become wary of people in the entertainment world. The feng shui master she'd been introduced to came recommended by someone in the industry, and she didn't fully trust it. Christian wasn't only skilled in medicine. He'd also seen through the Fox Spirit Statue's secret. That kind of eye made him feel far more reliable. Christian's heart stirred. He knew an opportunity to make money when it landed in his palm. He accepted the card and nodded. "I'll be there." Bernice smiled, said nothing more, and left with her sisters, graceful and unhurried. A faint perfume lingered, and the hallway remained full of stares and restless imagination. Christian's gaze shifted to Oliver Warth, whose face had gone pale and green by turns. He remembered Abby Heyland's earlier frenzy, and the things Oliver had done before… Christian raised a hand and made a gesture that Korean men hated most. "Quit glaring, runt. You're too small. You can't satisfy her. Save your energy." "You… you're fucking talking nonsense!" Oliver flushed red, still trying to spit back a retort. But Christian had already turned away, taking Alfred Yonwin by one arm while Yasmin supported him on the other side. "Yasmin," Christian said, "let's go downstairs and handle the discharge paperwork." "Thank you, Christian." Yasmin nodded hard. Tears still clung to her lashes, but gratitude softened into a trembling smile. Christian shook his head. The three of them headed for the elevator, leaving Oliver behind, raging helplessly in place. Just then- Ding! The doors of another elevator opened. Abby Heyland stepped out, cheeks flushed. The moment she spotted Oliver, her eyes turned syrupy and she pressed herself against him. "Oliver… I'm burning up again. My whole body feels awful…" "Hurry," she breathed. "Give me another shot…" Oliver's entire body went rigid. Before he could say a word, Abby half-pushed, half-dragged him, and he stumbled toward the injection room…