Chapter 196

With Lillian gone, Lainey's fury lingered with nowhere to go.

Her glare shifted to the sales associate, ready to unleash her frustration, when her phone buzzed loudly in her bag.

Horace's name flashed across the screen.

The onlookers still hovered nearby, whispering about the earlier scene.

Lainey hurried toward a deserted emergency exit,slipping out of sight before answering.

"What took you so long? I've got bad news-the Benton bodyguard I paid off has vanished," Horace said.

Her stomach dropped at once.

Horace had promised everything was under control. The bodyguard had been planning to quit anyway,and once the job was done, they would spirit him off to Zerovia under the pretense of a vacation. Now he was gone?

If he returned and confessed to Jeff, everything would collapse.

Her composure shattered, her voice cracked with panic. "You swore this was handled! How could you screw up something so simple? Do you have any idea what's at stake for me?"

A pause lingered on the other end before Horace's low laugh cut through, sharp as a blade.

He had intended to tell her the bodyguard was already dealt with, silenced before he could cause trouble.

But her fear had spilled out so quickly it annoyed him.

"Lainey, since when did you think it wise to raise your voice at me?" The indifference in his words jolted her back to herself.

Her spine went rigid, and a cold sweat trickled down her neck.

No-she couldn't push him too far. He was the only ally she had left, and without him, she was nothing.

Lillian's words replayed in her head like a curse she couldn't shake.

As long as Eleanor existed, Nolan would never truly see her.

And now Jeff and Hilda were visiting Eleanor too.What if repeated meetings stirred suspicions?

Worse still, that treacherous bodyguard remained a loose end, a ticking fuse ready to blow everything apart.

She couldn't delay any longer.

Eleanor had to disappear.

Only her death could erase the looming threats. Forcing her panic deep down, Lainey softened her voice to a tremble. "Horace, forgive me. I shouldn't have raised my voice. I was just... terrified. I didn't mean it."

Her apology flowed quickly into another proposal."Eleanor must be eliminated. If you handle it for me,I'll raise your cut-another one percent on top of what I already promised."

By her calculation, five percent plus the extra two and now another one made eight.

Jeff had only guaranteed her ten.

Surely this offer showed her sincerity.

But Horace's laugh was sharp and merciless, cutting straight through her scheme. "One percent? Lainey,you haven't delivered a single share yet. And you think dangling scraps will fool me again?"

The amusement in his voice vanished, replaced with menace."I want nine percent in total. Try to trick me one more time, and you won't live to regret it." Lainey's fists curled so tightly her nails broke skin,pain searing her palms.

This opportunistic jerk!

The moment she had power in her hands, he would be the first she destroyed.

Not nine percent. Not even one. He would get nothing.

Bitterness churned inside Lainey, but she swallowed it down and forced herself to bend.

"Fine," she hissed, the word dragged out between clenched teeth. "Nine percent. You win."

The line went dead without another word.

Horace tossed his phone aside, lips curling into a grin that held more amusement than anger.

A subordinate edged closer, cautious. "Boss, do you really plan to follow her orders?"

So the woman thought herself untouchable now daring to bark commands just because she had a little backing.

Arrogance came easy when she believed she held leverage.

Horace lifted a crystal glass, watching the scarlet wine spin in slow circles.

"Kill her?" He laughed, the sound low and chilling.A dangerous spark lit his gaze. "No. Eleanor isn't to die."

Alive, she was worth far more than any corpse.

He tipped the glass back, savoring the taste as his voice turned sharp with cruel intent. "Track her down.Deliver Miss Warren to me."

The subordinate gave a quick nod, already knowing better than to question. "Understood, boss."