She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 35

Elsewhere, sitting in his luxury car, Gabriel heard his assistant report that Melanie had accepted the hair accessory.

“Sir, who is this Ms. Royce…?”

“It’s nothing. I’m just buttering up my future sister-in-law.”

The sky was growing dark as the city lights began to twinkle.

Originally, Evelyn had planned for Dominic to take her on a shopping spree, followed by a trip to the rooftop for a boat ride, a view of the light show, and a romantic candlelight dinner in the scenic garden.

But now, after the incident with the hair accessory, she was in no mood for any of it.

As they took the elevator down, Melanie couldn’t resist pulling out her phone to send a message to Preston.

[Melanie: You sent that to me?]

A moment later, she received Preston’s reply. He was clearly confused.

Melanie was just as baffled.

And so, the three of them—Melanie, Dominic, and Evelyn—left the Haverford Crown Hotel, one after another.

Suddenly, Melanie’s phone rang.

The caller ID showed ‘Camilla’—

Her mother-in-law.

Melanie frowned, a sense of foreboding washing over her.

“Uh… hello? Mom…”

As soon as Dominic heard Melanie on the phone, he stopped in his tracks.

He knew Melanie’s biological mother had passed away long ago, and Melanie never called Nathaniel Royce’s new wife “Mom.”

Therefore, the call had to be from his own mother.

Beside him, Evelyn couldn’t help but let a smirk grace her lips.

“…Okay, okay… I understand. I’ll be right there.”

Hanging up, Melanie looked at Dominic.

“Mom wants us to go over now.”

She didn’t say for dinner, nor did she specify why.

“Alright…” Dominic said, then looked at Evelyn. “Evelyn, you should come with us.”

“Okay!” Evelyn agreed instantly.

Of course she was going.

As Camilla threw the phone, she shot a look at Lila.

“Lila, go get the discipline rod.”

“Yes!” Lila answered crisply and happily went to fetch it.

The so-called discipline rod was actually a two-foot-long bamboo cane.

Melanie watched as Lila cheerfully handed the cane to Camilla, and couldn’t help but “praise” her in her mind:

What a dear niece I have.

Seeing the bamboo cane, Evelyn instinctively flinched.

The Hale family might have this so-called “family discipline.”

But in reality, it had only ever been used on her.

Camilla had once caught her and Dominic kissing and had beaten her severely with this very cane.

The sight of it triggered a traumatic memory.

But at least…

Today, she would finally get to watch Melanie take a beating.