Chapter 681

Yalena snapped over the phone, “You worthless piece of shit. Not only did you fail to kill Teresa and her son, but you almost blew our cover. Forget about that 6 million–you’re not getting a single cent.”

The man said, “We are not in Mianara, so we couldn’t act directly. They switched the targets in the car, so there was nothing we could do. Here’s the deal: 2 million as a cleanup fee. We need to wipe all traces of the accident clean.”

Yalena refused. She said, “No way. You botched the job and still have the nerve to ask me for money?”

The man erupted in fury, threatening, “No payment? Then it’s scorched earth. Your fake heiress identity will be exposed to the world–nobody’s getting out of this unharmed.”

In the end, Yalena agreed to pay 2 million. After hanging up, she thought, ‘Damn it. Not only did Teresa survive, but now I have to shell out 2 million. Just my luck.’

Moments later, her phone rang again–the same caller. Still annoyed, Yalena picked up.

The man said, “Our guys followed the ambulance to the hospital. Turns out tonight’s crash victim was a pregnant woman – Teresa’s sister. She lost the baby.”

Yalena snarled, “I don’t care if she’s Teresa’s sister or not. I want Teresa and her son dead. This plan failed and almost blew our cover. Clean up the scene first. Next time, make sure we run over that mother and son.”

With that, she hung up the phone. She thought, ‘Since I’m marrying Jonathan, Teresa must be eliminated–otherwise, she’ll always be a ticking time bomb. And that little brat? He has to go, too.’

Suddenly, a sharp rap at the door startled Yalena from her dark thoughts. She yanked the door open impatiently but immediately pasted on a sweet smile at the sight of Katrina holding a tray of food.

Yalena asked, “Mom, has Mrs. Lynn left already?”

Katrina replied, “She’s gone. Who were you on the phone with? You look a bit pale. What’s wrong?”

Yalena touched her cheek and said, “It’s nothing. Just a bit worn out from work today. I’ll be fine after a little rest.”

Katrina said, “If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat something. I had the kitchen prepare your favorites just for you.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Yalena said. Just as she was about to lean in for a kiss on Katrina’s cheek, Katrina recoiled.

To cover her embarrassment, Katrina forced a faint smile and said, “I’m wearing heavy makeup, dear. I don’t want to stain your lips. I’ll let you rest now.” With that, she stepped out of the room.

Yalena’s eyes darkened. She pondered, ‘That wretched old woman. Has she finally figured out I’m a fake? Even if she has, the real Yalena is long gone.’

Just as Eason stepped out of the study, he saw Katrina in their bedroom, holding an old photo of herself and Yalena, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she gazed at it. He placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

In the photo, a radiant young Yalena had her arms wrapped around Katrina’s neck, flashing a peace sign, her smile pure and innocent.

Katrina gently caressed Yalena’s face in the photo, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

She looked up at Eason, who was resting a hand on her shoulder, and said, “Maybe I’m just too tired, but whenever I’m with Yalena these days, it just doesn’t feel real.”

Eason said, “Let go of the branch business for now and let Yalena take over. I was already planning to gradually hand the company over to her after she marries Jonathan.”

Katrina was silent for a long moment before she finally nodded. She thought, ‘Yalena is our only daughter. There is nothing wrong with handing the company over to her.’

Jonathan was just about to head out of the office when Irene suddenly showed up.

Irene walked in with some freshly made snacks. She said, “I just dropped by the Kellys’ for coffee, and Yalena’s mom insisted I bring these snacks back for you to try.”

Jonathan frowned and said, “I’m in a hurry. I need to go.”