Chapter 9 Surprise

"You freaking what?" Erica's eyes widened, and then she burst out laughing, "Prison has indeed driven you nuts!"

The entire Sinclair household and the Cooper entourage joined in the laughter, mocking Tyler.

Erica pointed at him with condescension. 

"Look at you! You are worse off than ever! Your family is bankrupt if you don't know already! Do you want me to live in your moldy haunted house?"

Tyler gritted his teeth and took a step forward. 

"Trent put me in prison for defending you! He stole my father's business! Doesn't that bother you? Didn't you think twice before betraying your lover?"

Erica's face twisted in disdain. “Lover? Don’t make me sick.”

 As she spoke, Erica leaned in close to Tyler, a wicked smile curling at her lips.

Then, in a whisper only he could hear, she continued,

“And besides… Do you want to know why Trent was able to steal your father’s business? Because I gave him every secret your family ever had.“

“He usurped your father's business. All it took was a phone call. He sent the Hux gang to harass your parents every week. They tortured your bitch mother so much, she became crippled!"

"What are you going to do about it, huh? Stray dogs like you can only bark loudly and will ultimately bow down to true power! For your insolence, he'll send the Hux gang to poke out your parents' eyes tomorrow!"

Tyler snapped his head sharply, and his aura transformed. His piercing eyes were ablaze with a fury. 

On encountering the young man's blistering gaze, Erica paused mid-sentence as a chill ran down her spine. 

What madness did he bring back with him from prison?

"What did you just say?" Tyler growled through clenched teeth, glaring at the woman he once loved.

During the three years in prison, Tyler regretted leaving her behind at Trent's mercy. Now that he realized it was a delusion, he felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Trent didn’t notice the way Erica flinched. He strolled forward and wrapped a possessive arm around her wrap.

“Did you hear Erica?! Look at this ten-thousand-dollar diamond necklace on her! Do you know where we are getting married? The luxurious Marian Hotel!”

"Why would she throw away someone powerful and wealthy like me for a useless piece of trash like you? A loser like you couldn’t even get a decent woman, let alone Erica!"

Tyler’s eyes darkened, rage boiling in his skull. He took a step forward—but before he could do anything, the roar of an engine cut through the tension.

A sleek Lamborghini pulled up by the curb. The door swung open, and out stepped a breathtaking woman, making both Trent and Erica widen their eyes in disbelief.

Tyler, however, simply frowned. The woman getting out of the car was none other than Natalie Anderson.

"Tyler Grant. I’m here for you," she said coldly, her tone dripping with reluctant respect.

She spoke each word through gritted teeth, clearly forced into it by her father’s orders. But neither Trent or Erica could see that.

All they could see was—Right in front of them, this magnificent woman gave Tyler a shallow but respectful bow.

“What a joke!” Trent barked out a loud laugh, loud enough to draw attention. “What’s next—did you rent a Lambo and bring a hooker to my wedding just to show off? Who the hell are you trying to impress?”

Before he could finish his sentence, a crisp smack echoed across the street.

A slap. Hard and fast, right across his smug face.

“Open your damn eyes and take a good look at who you’re talking to,” Natalie said coldly, her voice sharp as a blade. “Who gave you the guts to speak to me like that?”

Trent was stunned into silence. A second ago, his eyes had been glued to her flawless figure, admiring her like just another party girl. 

But now, as he turned his attention to her flawless face, he recognized her.

It made him practically tremble, his legs weak beneath him as the realization hit him like a freight train.

It was Natalie Anderson! The only daughter of the Anderson family. The wealthiest, most powerful family in all of Sapphire City!

Which made Natalie the most powerful woman in the city.

And... She just bowed to Tyler?