Vicky was getting goosebumps all over her skin from her stare, even her body stiffening. She tried to look calm, forcing the corners of her lips to curl up, but the horror in her eyes gave her away. She looked like someone with epilepsy. Everyone in the elevator had noticed that, but one made a sound.
Summer slowly walked up before her, holding her arm with one hand and touching her expensive overcoat with the other, looking envious. “My dear sister, is this new? It is so beautiful. It looks expensive!”
Vicky would not hesitate to show it off on any other day. But she was looking at a person whom she thought was dead. She could not even hold herself together, let alone showing it off. And the overcoat she wore, she bought it with Summer’s Black Card.
“It-It’s not that expensive.”
She felt Summer’s hand curling around her arm like a poisonous snake. If she ever moved her arm a bit, it would bite her to her death.
“Maybe it’s not that expensive to you, my dear sister. I saw the same one at the mall yesterday; it was asking for nine hundred thousand-something, pre-order only. Not everyone could afford it…”
Vicky had pre-ordered the overcoat. That meant they had long been plotting to usurp the Black Card. In the eyes of the others, Summer was admiring her new cloth, but deep inside, she was so scared that she had her heart in her mouth. That was more like it, it was how a guilty person should have reacted.
There was a’ding’ as the elevator reached the floor. The doors slid open. But Vicky was too afraid to get out because Summer had not released her hand from her arm. Seeing that Vicky did not move, the other occupants dared not go before her.
Just then, with a surprised tone of voice, Summer said, “My sister, what’s in your mind? Why don’t you go out? Everyone has been waiting for you.” While speaking, she pulled Vicky out of the elevator. As she went, she had not forgotten to smile back at those still in the elevator. “See you all around.” It was only until they came into Vicky’s office and closed the door behind them Summer let go of her hand.
“You look scared of me? Then you are putting me in a difficult situation. People will think I’m bullying you,” Summer said.
Vicky stepped back involuntarily. With a sly smile, Summer grabbed Vicky by her collar, her voice full of hatred.
“Don’t be scared. I’ve been so acquiescent all along. Why would I bully you?”
For all the things that Summer had said, she had never mentioned what happened yesterday. So Vicky thought Summer did not know she was the one behind the kidnapping. With this thinking in mind, her confidence rose.
Shaking off Summer’s hand, she put up a puzzled face. “Summer, did you hit your head or something? You have been talking a lot of nonsense since just now!” While speaking, she went around to sit behind her desk, putting on an I-am-the-manager look. “It’s working hour now. Get back to your place. If anything, come to see me after work.”
It did not surprise Summer at all that Vicky would pretend to be unaware of anything.
“Fine. I will see after work,” said Summer, as she made a smile and left.
After she left, Vicky swept the files off the table onto the floor, feeling anxious. How could it be? Summer had escaped and come back perfectly unscathed. The kidnapping on Saturday was Lynn and her idea. The idea was to get Summer’s Black Card, and the two kidnappers leaving Hoover City. Summer would have no proof even if she found it out.
But Vicky had too much hatred toward Summer; she did not want to let her off just like that. So she secretly topped up some money to the kidnappers, instructing them to rape and kill Summer. The two kidnappers were criminals wanted by the police, ruthless and merciless. Vicky did not contact them to check if they had finished the job because she did not want to leave behind any evidence that could be traced back to her.
She had been so confident that Summer must have been dead. Never did she expect they had screwed up big time. She knew Summer was different now. If Summer knew she was the one behind the kidnapping, Summer would not let her off the hook.
…
Summer walked out of Vicky’s office and went to look for Lynn, who must have played a part in Saturday’s kidnapping. Vicky would not be able to pull it off alone. She gave it two knocks on the door and then came Lynn’s voice.
“Come in.”
As she pushed the door open, Lynn looked up. A hint of surprise flashed across his face, but he did not fret. That meant Lynn could be in the dark of what the two kidnappers were doing to her.
He stood up. “Summer, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. Is mom all right?” She walked in, calm and collected.
Since she said nothing about the kidnapping, Lynn thought she knew nothing about it. He had a gentle smile on his face. “She is all right. She will bring lunch over later. You want to join us?”
“Why not?” Summer nodded.
At noon, Karen sent lunch over to Jarrett Group. Seeing Summer here, her expression took a subtle change. “Summer, you are here…”
“I’ve not eaten Mom’s cooking for a long time. I heard Dad say you will come over, so here I am.” While speaking, she looked Karen in the eyes, half smiling. It was hard to know what she was thinking.
“My cooking skill isn’t that great…” As Karen took out the lunch boxes, looking everywhere but at Summer, trying to avoid eye contact.
Why was Karen so evasive? This only reinforced Summer’s belief that Karen knew the truth about Saturday’s kidnapping. If not, why was she so shifty?
Not that Summer was sad or something. She was just a little disheartened. She had to admit the fact that her mom had never loved her for the past twenty-two years. She was just an abbreviated piece of nothing in her eyes. Yet Karen would do anything for Lynn. So Vicky had been right on this one; she was a poor thing that even her mother would not love.
Summer smiled with her head lowered. “It has been a long while, and I have forgotten how it tastes.”
Karen was transfixed, then glancing back at Lynn. Shaking his head, he gave her a no-worries kind of look. Only then Karen calmed down. Since Saturday’s incident, she realized how much Summer cared about her.
Summer even gave up her Black Card for her sake without blinking an eye. If so, next time when Lynn needed Summer to do things for him, she might be of help to him. Only then, Lynn would be pleased and treat her even better.
Karen let out a smile, fetching food to Summer, buttering her up. “You need to eat more, Summer.”