Chapter 3 Robbery

Lina scoffed, stalked toward me, and jabbed a finger at me. "You've got no money, and you came on a blind date here? Do you really think just anyone can marry into my family? You'll have to pay up if you want to marry my son!"

I covered my mouth and tried my best to swallow my hiccups. "I'm not marrying him," I argued, but my voice came out as soft as a whimper.

Even worse, my retort earned Lina's ire. Her eyes went wide with rage, and she reached out to twist my ear. "How dare you talk back to me! Clearly, your family has failed to teach you any manners!"

I jerked my head away, but her long nails scratched up my cheek, leaving a red trail behind. It burned. "Don't touch me!"

I panicked and tried to run, but the burly guards stood in my way like human walls.

Lina hated the fact that I dared to turn my back on her and flee, so she cursed, "How dare you run, you bitch! I'll make you submit, or my name isn't Lina!"

She yanked my wrist, and her eyes were immediately glued to my left hand as an exquisite emerald bracelet sat there. It was a beautiful piece. My father got the gemstone during a bid and had a top artisan make it into an heirloom for my full-month celebration.

Lina's eyes shone with greed as she salivated over the bracelet. "You don't have money to pay for your meal, but you have enough for a fake luxury item?"

She swallowed, her eyes never leaving my bracelet. "This thing hurts you if you wear it for too long. It's filled with radiation. I'll take it off your hands."

She gripped my wrist as if she wanted to yank it off. Then again, she probably did since everyone with eyes could tell that she had her eyes on my bracelet.

"Ow, let go!" I screamed in pain.

The bracelet was small. My nephew had lathered three layers of lube on me and still barely managed to slide it on my wrist. And that happened back when I was still a child. So, it was impossible to take it off without a pair of pliers.

Lina couldn't care less for my discomfort as she pulled with all her might. She yanked at it so hard that my wrist started to turn purple. Soon, I could feel my arm turning cold and numb.

"You're a stubborn mule, aren't you, you brat?" Lina was breathing heavily after all the exertion. Unfortunately for her, the bracelet was stuck on the back of my hand, refusing to come apart under her violent ministration.

Lina lost it as she roared at the manager, "Get me some dish soap, Clark! I will take this fake off her hand even if it kills me!"

The manager nodded and left for the dish soap. I stared at my swollen wrist with wide eyes as my tears splattered against the rug. "My father gave this to me. You can't take it away…"

"Your father did?" Lina chuckled in disdain. "You can't even afford a meal here. So, there's no way your father could've bought this. I bet you stole it, you thief!"

She yanked at it again, and this time… something cracked. However, it wasn't the bracelet. Instead, she'd dislocated my wrist, causing a wave of pain to shoot up my body.

I nearly blacked out right then and there. My legs buckled, and I crumpled to the ground. "Ow…" I clutched my limp left hand. Now, I didn't even have the strength to cry.

That didn't stop Lina at all. If anything, she thought I was being dramatic and faking it. "Don't even try that with me! I know what a scam looks like! Listen here! I couldn't care less if you drop dead right now! That bracelet will be ours!"

She raised her leg, and the back of her heel came straight at my calf. I closed my eyes in resignation, wondering if I would actually lose my life under this raving lunatic's hands.

Just then, the private room's door swung open, and in came Zach with his jingling car keys.