The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 153

Pearce Jagger held a half-smoked cigarette between his fingers, the ash falling silently onto his dark trousers, completely unnoticed. His dark, sinister gaze was locked onto Kara, who stood before him with her head bowed, nervously picking at her shirt. His tone carried an undeniable dominance, laced with a deliberate, manipulative edge. "Kara, you've been running with me for a while now. I've treated you well, haven't I?"

Pearce took a drag of his cigarette. "Where's Natalie?"

He exhaled the smoke slowly into Kara's face, making her wince, though she didn't dare pull away.

She had intended to follow his instructions—to work with that TV director, spike Natalie's tea, and bring her to this room.

Pearce claimed he just wanted to snap some compromising photos to keep Natalie under his thumb.

But Kara hadn't forgotten his betrayal the last time.

She wasn't stupid enough to blindly trust him again.

"Pay me first, and I'll give her to you."

Pearce sneered. "We had a deal. I cleared your family's debt and covered half a year of your mother's hospital bills."

Kara's fingers instinctively curled inward. "It's not enough. I want triple what you promised."

"You're a greedy one, sweetheart." A dark, malicious smirk twisted Pearce's lips. He hadn't expected her to shake him down at the eleventh hour. "Fine. You have a deal. Bring her in."

As Kara supported the drugged Natalie into the room, she felt ice-cold all over.

She could feel the steady rhythm of Natalie's breathing, each breath feeling like an interrogation of her own conscience.

They laid Natalie down on the leather sofa. Pearce looked down at her lifeless form, issuing a few more threats to Kara—warning her to keep her mouth shut and never back out, reminding her of the money she owed and her sick mother in the hospital bed.

Stepping out of the VIP room and into the night air, Kara felt her legs give way. She slumped against the wall, gasping for air, her sweaty palm tightly clutching a small, deformed pill bottle.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify