Chapter 2 · The Heir's Revenge

I met his stunned gaze and gave him a slow, knowing smile.

"And that escape route you were counting on? It's your dad," I said.

The moment I finished speaking, the whole living room fell into a deathly silence.

Jeremiah's smug satisfaction vanished from his face, replaced by stunned disbelief.

"Jocelynn, are you out of your mind?" he gritted out.

His friends exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

"Did she just say Konnor? Is she so messed up from going bankrupt that she's lost her mind?" one of them snickered.

"She thinks she can climb up to the Langley family? Please, look at herself first. Jeremiah, is she just playing hard to get with you?" another chimed in.

I ignored their mocking laughter.

Not bothered at all, I calmly took out my phone from my bag and dialed a number right in front of everyone.

After just one ring, someone picked up.

A deep, commanding male voice came through the speaker. "Jocelynn?"

That single word made the laughter in the living room stop dead in its tracks.

Jeremiah's face went ghostly pale in an instant.

He knew that voice all too well.

It was his father, Konnor Langley, the one who really runs Urymond City, the man who called the shots in the Langley family.

"Konnor," I said, my voice laced with a perfect touch of grievance and a catch in my throat. "My dad's company just got into trouble, and now... Jeremiah showed up with his crew at our house and said I should be his mistress."

I glanced at Jeremiah, who was completely frozen in shock.

There was a heavy pause on the other end, then Konnor's voice came crashing down with thunderous fury. "He dares?"

"Give him the phone," he ordered.

I handed the phone to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah locked his gaze on me, eyes sharp with scrutiny and disbelief, like he was trying to read every secret I had.

He just stood there, hesitating, not reaching for the phone.

"What's wrong?" I laughed softly. "You can't even pick up your own father's call?"

My words landed like a dagger to Jeremiah's ego, wounding his pride.

He snatched the phone from my hand, stalked off to a corner, and muttered under his breath, "Dad, don't believe a word she says..."

I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I watched his back go from straight and proud to stiff, and then his shoulders drooped, like he'd just been defeated.

A few minutes later, he hung up and came back over.

The way he looked at me was completely different now.

Gone was that superior attitude; now all I saw was anger at being betrayed, and a wariness that hadn't been there before.

"What's going on between you and my father?" Jeremiah asked, his voice tight with suspicion.

"You should ask him," I replied, retrieving my phone. Then I walked over to my dad and murmured, "Dad, let's go."

"You think you can just walk out?" Jeremiah blocked my path, his eyes blazing. "Jocelynn, you owe me an explanation!"

Suddenly, the screech of tires cut through the silence outside the villa.

Several bodyguards in black suits stormed in, led by a cold-faced middle-aged man. I recognized him instantly, Zachary Dixon, Konnor's personal assistant.

Zachary didn't even glance at Jeremiah. He strode right over to me, bowed politely, and said, "Miss Roman, Mr. Langley asked me to bring you and Mr. Roman."

Jeremiah's friends were totally floored, staring in shock.

They glanced at Zachary, then at me, looking like they'd just swallowed shit, faces twisted with disbelief and embarrassment.

Jeremiah's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

"Zachary, stay out of this. This is between me and her," Jeremiah snapped, his voice tight with anger.

"Jeremiah," Zachary said, his voice still respectful but leaving no room for argument. "Mr. Langley has ordered that Miss Roman is the most distinguished guest of the Langley family. No one is to touch a single hair on her head."

"Before you figure out how to explain this to Mr. Langley, you'd better not do anything reckless," he warned.

With that, Zachary made a polite gesture, shielding my dad and me as we walked through the stunned crowd, heading straight for the black Rolls-Royce parked outside.

As the car door shut, I saw Jeremiah's face through the window, full of unwillingness and humiliation.

What a joke.

He spent five whole years plotting, just to see me crushed like this.

And now, look at him. He was the one eating his own humiliation.

The Rolls-Royce glided smoothly toward the Langley villa.

My dad slumped back in his seat, looking like all the life had been drained out of him. He didn't say a word.

I knew he was still reeling from the shock of the company's collapse and Jeremiah stabbing us in the back.

I squeezed his cold hand. "Dad, don't worry. I've got this."

He met my gaze with those weary, clouded eyes. His lips parted, but in the end, all he could manage was a long, heavy sigh.

Zachary glanced at us in the rearview mirror and said, "Mr. Roman, Mr. Langley has already made arrangements for you. Just focus on resting for now. He'll take care of everything else."

My dad nodded and closed his eyes.

Chapter 2

I met his stunned gaze and gave him a slow, knowing smile.

"And that escape route you were counting on? It's your dad," I said.

The moment I finished speaking, the whole living room fell into a deathly silence.

Jeremiah's smug satisfaction vanished from his face, replaced by stunned disbelief.

"Jocelynn, are you out of your mind?" he gritted out.

His friends exchanged glances, then burst out laughing.

"Did she just say Konnor? Is she so messed up from going bankrupt that she's lost her mind?" one of them snickered.

"She thinks she can climb up to the Langley family? Please, look at herself first. Jeremiah, is she just playing hard to get with you?" another chimed in.

I ignored their mocking laughter.

Not bothered at all, I calmly took out my phone from my bag and dialed a number right in front of everyone.

After just one ring, someone picked up.

A deep, commanding male voice came through the speaker. "Jocelynn?"

That single word made the laughter in the living room stop dead in its tracks.

Jeremiah's face went ghostly pale in an instant.

He knew that voice all too well.

It was his father, Konnor Langley, the one who really runs Urymond City, the man who called the shots in the Langley family.

I glanced at Jeremiah, who was completely frozen in shock.

There was a heavy pause on the other end, then Konnor's voice came crashing down with thunderous fury. "He dares?"

"Give him the phone," he ordered.

I handed the phone to Jeremiah.

Jeremiah locked his gaze on me, eyes sharp with scrutiny and disbelief, like he was trying to read every secret I had.

He just stood there, hesitating, not reaching for the phone.

"What's wrong?" I laughed softly. "You can't even pick up your own father's call?"

My words landed like a dagger to Jeremiah's ego, wounding his pride.

He snatched the phone from my hand, stalked off to a corner, and muttered under his breath, "Dad, don't believe a word she says..."

I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I watched his back go from straight and proud to stiff, and then his shoulders drooped, like he'd just been defeated.

A few minutes later, he hung up and came back over.

The way he looked at me was completely different now.

Gone was that superior attitude; now all I saw was anger at being betrayed, and a wariness that hadn't been there before.

"What's going on between you and my father?" Jeremiah asked, his voice tight with suspicion.

"You should ask him," I replied, retrieving my phone. Then I walked over to my dad and murmured, "Dad, let's go."

"You think you can just walk out?" Jeremiah blocked my path, his eyes blazing. "Jocelynn, you owe me an explanation!"

Suddenly, the screech of tires cut through the silence outside the villa.

Several bodyguards in black suits stormed in, led by a cold-faced middle-aged man. I recognized him instantly, Zachary Dixon, Konnor's personal assistant.

Zachary didn't even glance at Jeremiah. He strode right over to me, bowed politely, and said, "Miss Roman, Mr. Langley asked me to bring you and Mr. Roman."

Jeremiah's friends were totally floored, staring in shock.

They glanced at Zachary, then at me, looking like they'd just swallowed shit, faces twisted with disbelief and embarrassment.

Jeremiah's fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

"Zachary, stay out of this. This is between me and her," Jeremiah snapped, his voice tight with anger.

"Before you figure out how to explain this to Mr. Langley, you'd better not do anything reckless," he warned.

With that, Zachary made a polite gesture, shielding my dad and me as we walked through the stunned crowd, heading straight for the black Rolls-Royce parked outside.

As the car door shut, I saw Jeremiah's face through the window, full of unwillingness and humiliation.

What a joke.

He spent five whole years plotting, just to see me crushed like this.

And now, look at him. He was the one eating his own humiliation.

The Rolls-Royce glided smoothly toward the Langley villa.

My dad slumped back in his seat, looking like all the life had been drained out of him. He didn't say a word.

I knew he was still reeling from the shock of the company's collapse and Jeremiah stabbing us in the back.

I squeezed his cold hand. "Dad, don't worry. I've got this."

He met my gaze with those weary, clouded eyes. His lips parted, but in the end, all he could manage was a long, heavy sigh.

Zachary glanced at us in the rearview mirror and said, "Mr. Roman, Mr. Langley has already made arrangements for you. Just focus on resting for now. He'll take care of everything else."

My dad nodded and closed his eyes.