Chapter 140
Pearl caught the flicker of hesitation on Gaia's face. A glint of satisfaction crossed her swollen, slit-like eyes.
She straightened up and adjusted her disheveled collar. Her voice still trembled, but her tone had recovered its usual condescension. "Scared now? Let me tell you—it's not too late to beg for mercy. Whoever hit me, step forward and let me hit you back. Then we'll call it even. Otherwise—"
Her gaze swept over everyone present. "None of you are getting away. And that good boss of yours, Lucinda—she's hit me multiple times now. This time I want it all back with interest. I'll make sure she can never show her face in Starlight City again!"
Gaia's expression changed.
She was the one who'd thrown the punches. She couldn't drag Ms. Wipere into this.
She immediately stepped forward, planting herself in front of Pearl. "Pearl, come at me. I'm the one who hit you today. This has nothing to do with the others, and nothing to do with Ms. Wipere. You say you have a powerful backer—I'll go talk to him myself. I did it, I own it. Whatever punishment comes, I'll take it alone."
Pearl stared at her, momentarily caught off guard. Then she burst out laughing. "You'll take it alone? Who do you think you are? You're just a nobody. Let me tell you—none of you are getting away. Not you, Gaia. Not your little gang. And especially not Lucinda. You crossed me, which means you crossed the Douglas family! He'll make every single one of you pay—"
Before she could finish, footsteps sounded at the mouth of the alley.
Pearl's voice cut off.
She looked up. Her eyes went wide.
A man stood at the alley entrance, wearing a dark gray suit jacket, shirt collar slightly open, revealing a lean stretch of neck.
His features were sharp and defined. He carried the quiet, suffocating pressure of someone long accustomed to power.
Manuel.
Pearl's pupils contracted sharply, then flooded with elation.
Mr. Douglas! Mr. Douglas was here!
She scrambled up from the ground and lurched forward several steps, her voice shrill. "Mr. Douglas! Mr. Douglas, you're finally here! It was them—they did this to me! You have to stand up for me!"
She reached out with her blood-stained hands and lunged toward him.
But before she could get within three steps, two security guards in black uniforms materialized from nowhere, seizing her arms on either side and hauling her back several feet.
"Let go of me! Let go! I'm Mr. Douglas's business partner! Do you know who I am—" Pearl thrashed, arms and legs flailing, but the guards held her in an iron grip.
Manuel didn't look at her once.
He walked past Pearl without breaking stride. His gaze swept through the disheveled crowd in the alley and landed directly on the white-shirted figure at the back.
Lucinda stood there, hands in her pockets, expression calm, watching him.
Manuel walked up to her and stopped.
The two siblings looked at each other for a moment.
The alley light was dim, but Lucinda could see the thin layer of concern in his eyes—and something else he couldn't quite hide. Pride.
"You must be Cindy." Manuel's voice was softer than usual. His mouth curved into a gentle smile. "I'm your older brother. Manuel."
A brief silence fell over the alley.
Gaia's mouth dropped open. It stayed that way.
She looked at Manuel. She looked at Lucinda. Something detonated in her mind.
Ms. Wipere was the big boss's little sister? A Douglas family heiress?
How had she not known?
Gaia's eyes instantly reddened. She stared at the scene before her in disbelief.
Ms. Wipere had never once mentioned her identity. Never once used the Douglas family name to pressure anyone.
She'd carried Ridgeway Tech on her own. Faced every obstacle on her own. Never retreated a single step.
Gaia's throat tightened.
Pearl, held in place by the security guards, stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
Her eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. Her expression shifted from elation to stunned disbelief.
Mr. Douglas had just called her… what?
Cindy? Brother?
Lucinda was a Douglas family heiress?
She had just said she'd make Lucinda unable to show her face in Starlight City. She had said Mr. Douglas would stand up for her…
Pearl's legs gave out completely. Only the guards' grip kept her upright.
"I've been back for a few days." Manuel's voice pulled Lucinda's attention back. "I've been wanting to see you. But you leave before dawn every day and don't come back until midnight. I heard you were here today, so I came. Figured I'd finally catch you."
He paused. His gaze dropped to the gauze wrapped around Lucinda's wrist. His brow furrowed slightly, then smoothed out.
"Didn't expect to find someone giving my little sister a hard time." His voice cooled several degrees. "Truly tired of living."
Lucinda's mouth curved slightly. The light in her eyes softened. "Don't worry. Just a few small-time thugs. Nothing I couldn't handle."
Manuel looked at her easy, unbothered expression. He suddenly smiled.
He reached into his inner jacket pocket and produced a small velvet box, holding it out to Lucinda. "A welcome gift. I was going to wait until you came home, but I couldn't wait any longer."
Lucinda took the box and opened it.
Inside lay a bracelet—a platinum band set with a ring of pale pink gemstones, the color of the first climbing rose of early summer at dawn.
She looked at it for a moment, closed the lid, and slipped it into her pocket. "Thank you."
Manuel's smile deepened. He reached out and gave her shoulder a light pat.
Lucinda turned her head, glanced at Pearl still held by the guards, then at Gaia standing nearby with a pale face. She spoke calmly. "Manuel, this Ms. Fisher—"
She tilted her chin toward Pearl. "She's been throwing around the Douglas Group's name to con people. She bullied her colleagues and hired people to rough someone up. That ambush at the east district warehouse—she was behind that too."
Manuel's brow snapped together.
He turned. His gaze landed on Pearl's face. The warmth in his eyes dropped to absolute zero.
Pearl's lips trembled violently. She wanted to explain, but when she met those eyes, every word froze in her throat.
"Business partner?" Manuel's voice was glacial. "Since when does the Douglas Group have a partner like this?"
He pulled out his phone and dialed.
The call connected after one ring.
"Check whether Fluxo Tech has any partnership with the Douglas Group." He paused, his gaze passing over Pearl's face. "Regardless of the answer, terminate all dealings with them. Effective today."
The person on the other end was clearly rattled by his tone. They agreed immediately.
Manuel hung up and dialed again.
His voice was even colder this time. "Beau? It's Manuel. I think you know exactly what your daughter has been up to. I'm giving you one day. Return every single asset you took from Gaia and her mother—every cent, with interest. If you don't, every partnership between the Fisher Group and the Douglas Group is over."