"Okay." Janelle didn't refuse this time. She longed for her mother to return to normalcy, to be able to be a daughter who could act spoiled in her mother's arms again.
Erik pressed a kiss to her forehead, heart aching for everything she'd endured.
Sara came upstairs and saw the scene. Sensing the intimate atmosphere between them, she quietly retreated.
The villa Janelle bought was newly renovated with a pleasant environment. She'd had Simon oversee everything once she decided to bring her mother back.
When dinner was ready, they gathered around the dining table. The dishes placed before Janelle were all her favorites, arranged by Erik with the chef.
"Erik," Bryan piped up, "the Hills bought a ton of trolls to smear Janelle online. She's getting ripped apart right now." He'd even registered an account to fight back, but was hopelessly outnumbered, leaving him frustrated. These people had no idea who Janelle really was or how much the Hills were paying.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle it myself," Janelle stated calmly.
Just then, her phone rang. Seeing it was Nelson, Janelle didn't hesitate for a second before hanging up.
Undeterred, Nelson kept calling. Janelle promptly blocked his number.
Erik had felt a flicker of annoyance seeing Nelson's call, but witnessing the instant block brought a smile to his lips.
"..."
Bryan shook his head beside him. Erik, don't fall too hard! She doesn't seem that into you!
"Nelson? What else could he possibly want? After what his mother did? How dare he call you!" Sara was practically vibrating with the urge to tear into the Hills mother and son.
"Ignore him," Janelle dismissed, not giving Nelson a second thought. Whatever he did couldn't touch her.
Janelle might be indifferent, but Erik wasn't. He immediately dispatched people to deal with the online smear campaign and simultaneously released a barrage of the Hills' own dirty secrets – backed by solid proof.
When Mrs. Hill saw the leaks, panic set in. She vehemently denied everything, claiming it was slander and threatening lawsuits against the leakers. But before her PR team could even formulate a response, irrefutable evidence was dumped online. The backlash was swift and brutal.
The Hills were instantly plunged back into the eye of the public storm.
[The Hills are disgusting! They don't care about us ordinary people in Graham City at all! They only care about profit!]
[That old hag Mrs. Hill is revolting! Only a total psycho would do the things she's accused of!]
[She is a psycho! Don't you know? Her husband couldn't stand her and became a monk!]
[No man to "water her garden," so she turned twisted. Makes sense. Her husband gave up the Hills fortune to become a monk? Must be because she's utterly insufferable.]
[Seriously, I wouldn't touch Hills products now. My friend used their cosmetics and her face got ruined! When she went to the Hills, they threw her out! Threatened her, saying she had no proof and better shut up! Big corporation bullying the little guy!]
The Hills' subsidiaries were immediately impacted. Consumers demanding justice flooded their stores, scenes quickly spiraling out of control.
Mrs. Hill paced frantically. If this continued, the Hills' reputation would be beyond repair. Then she remembered the "evidence" Larry Lorenz had given her. A cold calm settled over her. Sooner or later, Janelle would be kneeling before her, begging.
Seeing his mother's stubborn delusion, Nelson tried again. "Mom, stop fighting Janelle. This will only end with both sides destroyed! There's no benefit!"
Hadn't she learned anything? The current Janelle was not someone they could provoke.
"Nelson! Are you still hung up on her? What kind of spell has that witch cast on you?" Mrs. Hill raged, unreasonable as ever.
Nelson shook his head. "If you won't listen, I won't say it again. You're on your own." Janelle had blocked him. He knew any possibility between them was long dead.
Meanwhile, Erik deployed his own army of paid commentators – far larger than the Hills'. With them steering the narrative, the Hills were eviscerated online. Netizens who had previously attacked Janelle began flooding apologies.
[Miss, I'm sorry! I was shallow and wrong.]
[Miss Rovella is so tragic! Having a father like that... he climbed up using Madalyn, then treated her like trash!]
[Madalyn was a truly wonderful person. She funded so many university students. Without her, I couldn't have gone to college.]
[Proof! Here's a picture from six years ago. Madalyn and Miss Rovella funding us!]
The photo showed Madalyn, elegant and kind, beside a young girl who looked like an ethereal spirit – breathtakingly beautiful.
[Miss Rovella was that stunning six years ago? Honestly, she's more beautiful than any celebrity I've ever seen.]
[Yes! Miss Rovella is exquisite! Thinking about everything she's endured these years is heartbreaking.]
Sara scrolled through the comments, her mood lifting considerably. "Janelle, look!" She showed Janelle her phone, but Janelle seemed largely uninterested. Online chatter had never concerned her. Though she suspected this was Erik's doing.
Janelle needed to return to the Rovella mansion. Erik accompanied her. When they arrived at the entrance, Erik moved to get out of the car. She stopped him.
"I'll go in alone."
Erik didn't insist. "I'll wait here. Call me if you need anything. Do whatever you need to do. Don't be afraid."
Janelle just glanced at him before walking inside.
Knowing Janelle was back, Westin and Amber felt the palpable threat. But they had no choice; they had to face her.
Janelle sat on the sofa. Westin and Amber stood nearby, neither willing to speak first.
"Westin," Janelle broke the silence, her voice cold, "did you order my mother's kidnapping?"
Westin began to sweat. How had she returned so quickly? He hadn't even had time to hire bodyguards!
"Janelle, I... that wasn't my intention... I just..." he stammered.
Suddenly, Janelle produced a handgun from somewhere. The dark muzzle pointed directly at Westin.
Westin's legs turned to jelly.
"Janelle! No matter what, I am your father! What are you doing?!" he choked out, staring in horror at the weapon. "Put that away! Be careful, it might go off!"
Amber stood frozen, not daring to utter a word. Her eyes flickered towards the security camera. Let her be this crazy, she thought viciously. The camera will capture her holding a gun, threatening to kill. That footage will be her eternal damnation.