Chapter 42

At the Flynn family's residence.

Janessa scraped together everything she could.After pawning her jewelry and pulling from her own savings, she finally managed to piece together a little over twenty million. As she wired the funds to the South Bay Auction House, she felt reluctant.

Meanwhile, Dayna, seated close by, finally let out a deep breath after seeing that, her relief unmistakable.

A moment later, she slipped her arms around Janessa's. Her lower lip stuck out as she said affectionately, "Mom, no one looks out for me like you do."

"This is the last time I'll come to your rescue. I meant what | said. Next time, you'll be on your own,"Janessa said. Her thoughts drifted to the jewelry she had sold.Fixing her eyes on Dayna, she dropped her voice."This matter is solved now, but you must keep this a secret from your father. Don't let him hear a word about it, or-"

Janessa stopped short as Dayna gripped her arm,whispering, "Dad's here."

Janessa's heart skipped a beat.

She cast a quick look at the clock. Ricky was home a full thirty minutes earlier than usual.

Her thoughts ran wild as she recalled her conversation with Dayna just now. Discreetly, she studied Ricky's expression.

Yet, Ricky's expression seemed calm, so she managed a gentle smile and crossed the room toward him. "Why are you home so early today?"

"There's a company charity auction coming up. I need you to give me two necklaces. The ones I gave you last year will do just fine," Ricky said. Janessa's heart sank when she heard Ricky's words.

She had sold those very necklaces. Was this just chance, or had Ricky found out that she had sold them?

Unable to hide her nerves, Janessa glanced at Ricky,who sat down on the sofa. Their eyes met. For a heartbeat, Janessa froze, panic prickling her skin.But then, she drew a steadying breath and willed herself to stay calm.

"Give me a minute; I'll get them for you."

Janessa moved upstairs without showing her nerves,and Ricky's eyes revealed a hint of confusion.

Janessa soon returned, clutching two sparkling diamond necklaces in her hand.

As soon as Ricky caught sight of the obvious fakes,his temper flared.

He snatched the necklaces from her grasp.

Janessa said, "Why insist on these two necklaces? These are the ones you gave me for my birthday last year.l-"

She tried to keep up the act, pretending she hated to let them go, but she didn't manage to finish her sentence. Ricky's hand cracked across her cheek with a force that made the room fall silent.

Five finger marks immediately. appeared on Janessa's face, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, indicating the great force Ricky had used.

Dayna couldn't stand by another moment. She hurried to Janessa's side and glared at Ricky, her voice tight with frustration. "Why are you doing this,Dad?"

Ricky brushed past Dayna's protest, his gaze burning straight into Janessa. "Do you take me for a fool? Or do you think I can't tell these necklaces are fakes?"

Janessa slowly lifted her head, shock clouding her features after she heard Ricky's words. Anxiety raced through her as she thought about the fake jewelry she had stashed away; she had been hoping Ricky would never notice the originals were missing.

Every detail of those replicas had been painstakingly copied, yet Janessa had never imagined Ricky-who had never cared about jewelry-would recognize that they were fake so easily.

A sharp clap from Ricky interrupted her thoughts.Just then, the driver walked over, holding a box."Want to know how I figure out these necklaces are fake?" Ricky asked, his tone icy.

Panic flickered across Janessa's face as her eyes landed on the box.

Without thinking, she fell to her knees. "Please, let me explain,honey."

Dayna also kneeled, tears spilling down her cheeks."Dad, you don't understand! Amelia and her rich backer tricked Jaxton and me from the second floor.They kept pushing up the bid.I-" But as soon as she realized that she said Jaxton's name,Dayna froze.

To her surprise, Ricky's mood shifted, a strange excitement glimmering in his eyes. "Did Amelia go to the second floor at the Pearl Bay Auction House?"

Burning with jealousy, Dayna blurted out, "Amelia didn't go there on her own! Her sugar daddy led her there. Even though she's engaged to Jaxton, she's out there messing around with another man. Does she want the whole family to become a laughingstock because of her? And besides-"

"Enough! I told you to stay away from Jaxton. Why didn't you listen?"

A sharp chill had settled into Ricky's voice, stripped of the warmth he usually reserved for Dayna.

Confusion clouded Dayna's eyes, her father's sudden harshness toward her baffling. But Janessa,who had been with Ricky for years, instantly understood him. She said to Ricky in a soft voice, "Don't take it out on her. Dayna never meant to upset you. She only went with Jaxton to meet some of the city's most respected people and support our family.If not for her, we would never have found out that Amelia had connections with such a powerful figure. It's strange she hasn't introduced that figure to us yet, don't you think?"