Chapter 390



Ethan nodded. “I know. I will be good to her and hope she comes to trust me.”

Joanna pressed her lips together and then let out a scoff, her eyes clouding with complexity.

As Kallie entered the restaurant, the room fell silent after a few steps. She turned around to see Joanna looking panicked. Ethan was whispering to Joanna. “What’s going on?” Kallie hurried over to them.

Trying to regain her composure, Joanna shook her head. “I’m okay. The doctor just called and said my mother passed out. I need to go to her.”

“You better get going then,” Kallie said with concern. “Such things shouldn’t be delayed.”

“It’s nothing serious. She gets dizzy spells often. I’ll just check on her.” Joanna halted Kallie from leaving, “You were invited for dinner, so I can’t just leave you hanging. Wait here for me. I’ll be back in an hour, tops. It’s not time for dinner anyway.”

Ethan opened his mouth to speak on Kallie’s behalf, but Kallie beat him to it. “Okay, I’ll wait here. Just make it quick.”

Joanna nodded, took a few steps away, and then glanced back at Ethan.

Catching Joanna’s threat from her eyes, Ethan said, his voice tinged with regret, “I’m sorry, Kallie. I need to leave too.”

Kallie nodded in understanding.

Approaching the car with Ethan, Joanna abruptly decided not to go to the hospital. She seemed off and took a step backward. “Ethan, could you visit my mom at the hospital for me? I’m not comfortable leaving Kallie here by herself.”

Ethan considered her words, found them reasonable, and departed without further discussion.

Watching Ethan’s car fade into the distance, Joanna’s expression turned cold.

The restaurant boasted elegant decorations.

Kallie had intended to wait for them in the yard, but before long, a waiter approached her, “I’m sorry, but the yard is reserved for a private event. You’ll need to move. Luckily, you had booked a private room.”

Kallie followed the waiter upstairs. As the door to the room swung open, two men lunged forward, seizing Kallie with swift precision.

Before Kallie understood what was happening, a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. The harder Kallie struggled, the tighter the grip became. She felt a wave of suffocation surge through her, leaving her no choice but to cease her efforts.

As Kallie anticipated, the grip relaxed significantly once she stopped struggling.

The man behind her sneered, “You should’ve behaved from the start. Relax, I won’t harm you. Ms. Martel is kind-hearted. She’s found a suitable match for you. Marrying him soon will keep you from tempting other men.”

Tempting other men? Kallie realized Joanna must have orchestrated everything. Fury welled up inside her. Despite her concessions, Joanna was relentless. She and Ethan, once close friends, had not been in touch for years. They now acted like strangers just to prevent Joanna from entertaining any wrong ideas.

Kallie had been mindful of Joanna’s feelings, yet Joanna remained merciless. Why did Joanna do this? Anguish and rage consumed Kallie as tears streamed down her face.

The man sighed, let go of her mouth, and pinched her chin. Before she could call for help, the man’s cold voice cut through the air.

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