Betrayed, Then Back For Blood

Chapter 174

Emily glared at Hamish’s thumbs–up, her eyes burning with resentment as she thought bitterly, ‘How is that supposed to be a compliment?

‘He’s mocking me.

‘He’s rubbing it in that even though I’m the precious daughter of the Wade family. Even I still can’t compare to Briar, who comes from some third–rate family, in Ashton’s heart.’

But Emily didn’t dare talk back to Hamish. He was the eldest son of the Parkinson family in Shoneport, the future head of the family, and she simply didn’t have the nerve to offend someone like him.

Hamish didn’t even bother to take notice of her. To him, she was just the daughter of the extended Wade family, and she was not worth his attention.

Then again, it made sense. In Ashton’s eyes, the second branch of the Wade family had long since lost its former standing

Otherwise, she and her sister wouldn’t have to work so hard in secret to expand their network.

“Emily,” Ashton called out. His patience was clearly running out as he watched her glare resentfully at Briar in silence. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and carried a clear warning.

Emily looked up and met Ashton’s deep, dark eyes. There was something dangerous and heavy in his gaze that made her shrink back. Swallowing her fear, she muttered, “Briar, I’m sorry.”

She sounded like she’d rather be anywhere else than apologizing.

Emily had been slapped and kicked by Briar in front of everyone, and now Ashton showed up; he did not defend his own family, but forced her to apologize to Briar. The humiliation was almost too much to bear.

‘Fine,‘ Emily seethed inwardly. ‘The more you all try to shield Briar, the more determined I am to drag her down and grind her into the dirt.‘

Briar met Emily’s glare head–on, catching every bit of her anger and hatred. With a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes, she said, “No worries. It’s not like I’m the one who got hurt anyway.”

Emily’s face twisted with rage, and in her mind, she was cursing up a storm.

But Ashton was watching her, and all she could do was grit her teeth and keep her mouth shut.

Emily and walked straight up to Briar. “Are your people looking for Sawyer?” he asked, making no effort

bother to keep it private, and

and Jewell shot each other a quick, secret

Shoneport University, and Ashton already knows about

Ashton already have people

the ones watching him at school weren’t working for Ashton?‘ Emily thought, her

infirmary earlier, but he didn’t

mocking tone, she said, “Why are people like him vanishing all of a sudden? That never sits right

act as he replied, “Yeah, it’s concerning. My men are already tailing

Wed 20

Chapter 174

Ashton spoke, his mood seemed to brighten. He reached out and placed his hand on Briar’s shoulder, guiding her forward. The slight upward carry the corner of his eyes canied a hint of coldness and something almost soul–piercing. Emily couldn’t tell if it was just her imagination, but as he spoke felt

Jewell and I had secretly met with

this whole time?” Briar asked as she blinked in surprise. Before she even realized it, her body was already moving, and her feet

tagging along behind, clearly just there for the drama. He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly,

behind everyone’s back, then it won’t matter who tries

and found Frank and his crew all staring at him. Their stares gave him the creeps, so he shot Frank a sharp look and asked, “What are you all still doing here? Why aren’t you back in the lab? Are your experiments done? Got too much free

and

principal’s kicking us out! There’s no way we’re sticking around to be eyesores,’

almost like a ghost, and Jewell, who seemed so uncomfortable that he nearly

brings you to the lab building today? The professors in charge of the labs are

He was basically telling them that with no professors around, they weren’t allowed in, and that was his not–so- subtle way

to keep his title as a professor, he no longer had any

Ashton and the others showed up, Jewell had been wishing he could just dig a hole and

had just to keep his title as

agreed to help Sawyer when he was in

and she could tell Marvin was trying to get