The Daughter in the Shadows Chapter 144: Change, Please
Owen and Lily watched coldly, as if seeing Yunice get hit by cash was a well-deserved punishment for her earlier arrogance.
Quinton frowned. “Cash may look light, but enough of it can crush someone. What will you say if she gets hurt, Mr. Paul?”
Paul replied, “Isn’t she the one who’s all about the law? Always threatening to call the cops—good thing I brought extra cash. If she gets hurt, I’ll pay for it.”
Gill’s eyes went red with fury. She gritted her teeth. “So what—you think money makes you special?”
Paul ignored her; he was only talking to Yunice. He sneered, “Yunice, look at you—like you’ve never seen money before. It’s just 4 million in cash, and you went and forced Elsie to almost cut her own hand. You must think I’m nothing.”
He stared at Yunice, his face dark and full of resentment.
Elsie, clinging to his chest with tears in her eyes, sobbed softly, “Paul… how did you know something happened to me?”
Paul said, “I’ve always kept you in my heart. How could I not know when something’s wrong?”
But even as he said that, his eyes were fixed on Yunice. He knew she was listening.
He’d spent his whole life living wild and free, always the one getting attention, always having someone clean up his mess. When had he ever cared about someone else? Even back when Yunice had been bullied by some thugs, he only found out after the fact—from someone else. Then, Yunice had already handled it herself. And even now, his self-centered ways hadn’t changed because of Elsie. He hadn’t gone out of his way to check in on her.
The only reason he’d shown up at the Saunders mansion was because Giana had sent him a voice message. It happened to be a recording of Yunice arguing with Elsie—calling him trash, a filthy cucumber, not even good enough for a dog.
Paul had never been humiliated like that. He immediately scraped together 4 million in cash from every major bank, all just to come teach Yunice a lesson. In a way, he hadn’t come to defend Elsie at all. He just wanted Yunice to know—even this “filthy cucumber” was someone she could never have.
The whole courtyard was piled with money. There was barely anywhere to step. Yunice and Gill both tripped and landed hard on the thick stacks of cash. It was a strange sensation—dignity hardly mattered when someone was falling into a mountain of money.
But Yunice didn’t flinch. She knew this money had absolutely nothing to do with her. She stared straight at Paul, then pushed herself up from the cash pile, stumbling as she made her way toward him.
They stood barely six feet apart. Paul’s smirk froze on his face as he met her gaze—a complicated look flickered in his eyes. Somehow, even after all this, it didn’t make him feel better. He felt unsettled, frustrated; the emotions twisted in his chest with nowhere to go. He’d dumped 4 million dollars on her—and Yunice didn’t react at all.
Why is she looking at me with those cold eyes? Why didn’t she cry? Why wasn’t she like Elsie—red-eyed and pitiful? After everything I’d…
Chapter 144: Change, Please
And you couldn’t hate someone unless you’d once loved them. There had to still be something there. He’d wait and see how long she could keep up the act.
Paul taunted, “Wow, so pissed off and still not calling Wyatt to back you up? Afraid he won’t show and you’ll be on your own?”
Yunice stared at him, unmoved. She raised her voice, “Mr. Quinton, do me a favor—and I’ll owe you one, no questions asked.”
Quinton blinked. He hadn’t expected fortune to fall right in his lap. He said, “Name it.”
Yunice shouted, “Help me exchange some money. I’m working with a tight budget—only 14,000 dollars.”
Paul looked at her, confused; he had no idea what she was up to.
Quinton assumed she needed money. He immediately pulled out his checkbook—only to hear Yunice add, “Turn all dollars into coins. I want to crush him with it.”
Owen and Lily’s faces froze. Owen did some quick math—14,000 dollars in coins weighed over twelve hundred pounds! He snapped, “Yunice, are you trying to kill him?”
Yunice didn’t even glance at him. She spoke directly to Paul. “Paul, would you dare take my money?”
Paul’s eyelid twitched. He tried to cover his unease. “I’ve got more money than I can spend.”
“That’s not the same,” Yunice said coldly. “It’s only 14,000 dollars, but it’s an advance on your medical bills. You’re taking it whether you like it or not.”
Quinton already had his phone out. “It’s not easy to withdraw that many coins, but it’s not impossible. Give me ten minutes, Ms. Saunders—delivery will come in batches.”
Cash flow at banks was limited; large withdrawals had to be booked in advance.