Chapter 349
Bruce said nothing. Shermaine’s question was pure courtesy. Even if he objected, she wouldn’t budge.
The moment the glass door shut, Karina Carlton, Molly’s eldest sister, arrived. Spotting Bruce, she hurried forward, eager to win him over. His support would guarantee her succession as the next head of the Carlton family. But the door was locked.
Karina thought, ‘The woman blocking my way isn’t from my circle. Some random girl trying to flirt with Bruce?‘ Her patience evaporated. “Open the door. Now.”
Shermaine heard her but didn’t react.
Karina wasn’t one to wait. She signaled her bodyguard to shoulder–charge the door.
The glass shuddered under the impact. Shermaine turned, meeting Karina’s glare.
“Move!” Karina’s voice sharpened, anger leaking through.
Shermaine had no intention of letting this conversation happen. Molly’s request came first. She said, “There’s an order to things, Ms. Carlton. First come, first served.”
Karina’s eyes narrowed. “Who do you work for?” She rattled off names, but none earned a response.
“I don’t care whose pawn you are. Block me again, and you won’t leave this place alive,” Karina warned, her voice
rising. “Open the door now, and I might forget this.”
Shermaine wasn’t impressed, smiling, “Sorry to disappoint.”
Karina’s silence was deadly. A flick of her wrist, and the guards lunged.
Bruce watched as if this were entertainment.
A guard grabbed Shermaine, only for her to twist his wrist with a sickening crack before kicking him back.
“All of you!” Karina barked.
Shermaine dispatched them one by one, barely shifting her stance. She would hold this line until Molly arrived.
A breeze stirred as Bruce stubbed out his cigarette. He hadn’t expected her to be so skilled. Her movements were
precise and effortless. Then, as he stepped closer, a familiar scent hit him.
His gaze snapped to Shermaine’s back, a shadow flickering in his eyes.
The commotion here had drawn a crowd. Soon, Molly emerged from the guests, her voice icy. “Karina, is this how you treat our honored guest?”
Karina’s face twisted with disdain. “Honored guest?” she scoffed. “She’s just your lackey. And your lackey has
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Chapter 349
pissed me off.” Her tone dripped with lethal intent as if she would shoot Shermaine on the spot.
She might have tried, too, but the moment she drew her pistol, a cold voice cut through. “Karina, stand down!“.
Karina froze. The speaker was her father, Fred Carlton, the current head of the Carlton family.
Then, Joshua’s voice rang out, calm but commanding. “Sheary, come here.”
Shermaine smiled and glided to his side, her hand resting lightly on his arm–a silent reminder to Karina that she wasn’t some disposable pawn but a guest even the Carlton family couldn’t afford to offend.
All thanks to Joshua. Not that she needed his name to command respect, her own would’ve sufficed. But she did enjoy being shielded by him.
Fred’s glare hardened. “Holster your gun. Now, apologize to Mrs. York.”
Karina’s jaw clenched. “Dad, I—”
Fred ordered, “Now!”
Grudgingly, Karina muttered an apology, her humiliation palpable. She hadn’t expected Fred to fear the man
beside Shermaine.
Shermaine accepted the apology gracefully. There was no need to escalate things for Molly’s sake. Yet through it all, Bruce’s gaze never left her.
AD
