Everyone hurried into the courtyard. Just a few meters above them, a dozen fighter jets emblazoned with the Shaw family crest flew in a neat formation toward them.
The place was already surrounded by hundreds of black sedans. A luxury limousine was parked prominently at the entrance.
The roar was deafening.
Miranda's mocking expression vanished instantly. "How is this possible? What on earth is happening?"
The fighter jets circled overhead and created an immense sense of pressure.
At that moment, the car door opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit emerged, followed by dozens of bodyguards dressed in black.
The leading man strode forward and passed by the chaos. When his gaze landed on Yana and me, his pupils contracted sharply, and his face darkened instantly.
Ethan Norris, the butler of the Feng family, approached Yana with respect and cautiously checked her injuries. "Yana, are you alright?"
The butler of my family, James Powell, rushed to me. On seeing the bloodstains on my clothes and the humiliation mark on my face, he shouted angrily, "Rita, I'm sorry for what happened to you. I'll arrange for medical personnel to treat you immediately."
Miranda, Martin, and their underlings were all in shock. They were frozen in place and forgot to react.
Just a moment ago, they were riding on their power. But now, they resembled deflated balloons, unable to straighten up.
Yana accepted the handkerchief one bodyguard respectfully handed over to her and elegantly dusted off the dirt from her clothes. "Ethan, did you bring the cash? Didn't Mr. Harris demand ten million? Let him count it."
"Understood!" undefined responded respectfully and gestured to the bodyguards behind him.
Several bodyguards instantly walked over with a large suitcase. With a soft click, the suitcases were opened.
There was neatly stacked cash in it, enough to make anyone's pupils constrict.
Miranda's mind buzzed. If it weren't for Nikolas supporting her, she would have collapsed on the floor right away.
Martin and Danny exchanged glances. Their faces paled, and they shook like a leaf. Their teeth chattered uncontrollably.
James waved his hand slightly toward the back. Another team of bodyguards immediately came in with an identical suitcase.
"Mr. Harris, please take a look." He turned to Nikolas and continued, "You asked for the ten million. The Shaw and Fowler families have prepared ten million each. However..."
He paused for a few seconds as his gaze fell on Yana and me, who were badly injured. "Rita's necklace, which had been broken, was a gift from the queen of another country, worth 450 million. Miss Fowler's dress was hand-stitched by the royal seamstress of another country, with the gems alone worth 80 million. And there is the emotional damage and medical expenses. Let's round it up to nine hundred million. Would you prefer cash or a bank transfer for this sum, Mr. Harris? By dawn tomorrow, I expect to see nine hundred million paid. Otherwise, you will face the consequences. You can't bear to offend the Shaw and Fowler families! More importantly, Miss Saunders must be disciplined after she humiliated Rita."
Nikolas's followers had already shrunk back in fear. They gasped at James's words.
Those who had been jeering earlier wished they could disappear instantly to escape this terrifying scene.
Yana took the handkerchief from Ethan and casually wiped away the bloodstains. Then she cast a cold glance at Martin and Danny, who were trembling with fear. "You two police officers deliberately hurt us, framed the innocent, and abused your power... I'm going to take this straight to your superiors and settle this score in full."
Her gaze was fixed on Martin's face. "With all these charges, you'll serve a life sentence."
Nikolas's pupils contracted sharply as soon as he heard Yana's words. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, and his teeth chattered. "No! This can't be! Rita, how do you have so much money? What on earth is going on?"
I gazed at him flatly and watched his hysterical demeanor. Then I remembered that vibrant summer during my doctoral studies.