Chapter 21: The Property Deed
Dinner was tense. Mrs. Jennings, a vision of disdain in a silk pantsuit, arrived, her lips curled in a sneer. She clearly thought Sonya, the “hard nut,” had finally cracked. “Some people,” she hissed, the barb aimed at Sonya but ostensibly directed at Yang, the housekeeper, “are just born to be servants.”
Yang, unfazed, simply ignored her and went into the kitchen to help.
“Ms. Ella,” Yang mutterea, her voice low but laced with sympathy, ‘you’re a doctor at a major hospital, smart, beautiful, with a great personality. It’s just… your judgment was… off.” Sonya, stirring a simmering pot of soup, chuckled.“My eyesight was a little blurry, back then.” “It’s one thing to break up,” Yang continued, “but the way “they behaved… it was blatant bullying.” Sonya stirred the soup, a thoughtful expression on her face.“Bullying never ends well.* Later, Mrs. Jennings descended the stairs, her arm linked possessively with her daughter–in–law, Seraphina West. Julian Jennings followed, his face tight. Mrs. Jennings pulled Seraphina onto her lap as they sat down.
“Seraphina, darling, how’s your appetite tonight?”
Seraphina hesitated, then confessed, “I threw up twice.”
Threw up? Did something disagree with you?” Seraphina remained silent, but Mrs. Jennings
immediately immediately found her target. “Sonya,” she snapped, “I warn you, don’t pull any tricks. Take good care of my daughter–in–law. If you don’t, you won’t get a dime of your pay.”
Sonya placed a platter of braised beef on the table.“I don’t want your pay. “See? I told you she has an ulterior motive!” Mrs. Jennings exclaimed, turning to Seraphina. “You still let her work here as a housekeeper? You’re too naive! She’ll seduce Julian!” Seraphina whispered, “I trust Julian.”
Trust that “cat“? He’s a player!”
“Mom!” Julian Jennings frowned.“Can we just eat dinner?”
Mrs. Jennings coughed. “Anyway, I don’t trust her being here.”
Sonya set down the soup.“Then convince your son to fire me?”
“She’s the one clinging to him!”
Julian Jennings,” Sonya turned to him, her voice calm but sharp, “am I clinging to you?” He was clearly irritated.“Just eat,” he growled.
Mrs. Jennings huffed, then served Seraphina a generous portion of beef. Remembering the previous meals, Seraphina first served her mother–in–law a piece of lamb stew. Mrs. Jennings, off guard, praised her for her thoughtfulness and ate it. Only then did Seraphina begin to eat. Julian barely looked up from his plate.
Back in the kitchen, Sonya and Yang cleaned up. Yang picked up a small, opened bag of white powder near the stew pot.
21310
Chapter 21: The Property Deed
“Ms. Ella, what’s this?”
“Rat poison,” Sonya replied casually.
“Rat… poison?” Yang stammered.
“Yeah.”
Menu
Yang’s eyes darted to the stew pot. A horrifying realization dawned on her. Her face paled.“You didn’t… put it in the soup, did you?”
Just then, Mrs. Jennings’s voice floated from the dining room:“This soup tastes… strange. But ginseng and chicken soup is good for you. Drink up, you two.”
“Don’t drink it!”
Yang rushed into the dining room. Seeing the three of them sipping the soup is poisoned!”
soup, she screamed, “The
“Yang,
what
nonsense
are you talking about?” Mrs. “It’s true! Ms. Ella put rat poison in it!”
Jennings demanded.
“Rat poison?!”
The bowl slipped from Mrs. Jennings’s hand, shattering on the floor. Terror seized her.“I… I already drank a bowl.” She frantically tried to induce vomiting. Seraphina, having also had a few sips, followed suit.
Julian looked at Sonya, who was leaning against the kitchen door, a wide, wicked grin on her face. Meeting his gaze, she bared her teeth.
He took a deep breath.“She didn’t poison it.“.
But Mrs. Jennings and Seraphina were unconvinced, continuing to retch. “My stomach hurts!” Mrs. Jennings cried, clutching her belly, panic etched on her face.“Yang, call 911… no, an ambulance first!”
Despite Julian’s insistence, Mrs. Jennings refused to believe Sonya. Even after Sonya denied poisoning the soup, she remained unconvinced.
An ambulance arrived. Mrs. Jennings clung to Seraphina and tried to pull Julian along, but he refused, leaving her to take Seraphina to the hospital. When Julian returned, he found Sonya
Sonya calmly eating at the dining table. “My braised beef is delicious. Want some more?” she asked
Julian, who
“If
hadn’t eaten
properly all day, felt a twinge you keep this up, I’ll really tear down your parents‘ house.”
cheerfully.
in his stomach.
Sonya looked up, her expression unreadable.“Julian Jennings, there’s a limit to how much you can bully someone. Believe me, next time I might really poison you all.”
He stared at her, a wave of sadness washing over him. How had things come to this? Later, Ashley called Sonya, saying Seraphina was back in the hospital; she’d been hounded by paparazzi and had allegedly suffered a miscarriage. Sonya recounted the day’s events, describing how she’d prepared the meals.
Ashley burst into laughter.“Serves them right! Who
Who told them to bully you?”
Chapter 21: The Property Deed
I bet they won’t let me cook for them again.”
“Good riddance.”
(Menu)
Ashley shared a news story.“Sneone’s spreading rumors about you, saying you’re still clinging to Julian Jennings, and that Seraphina’s miscarriage was caused by discovering your affair.”
“Hilarious.”
“But if you’re renting that villa, you should post the lease agreement to shut them up.” There’s no need to prove myself to them.”
After hanging up, Sonya saw the online attacks; Seraphina West’s fans were calling her manipulative and fake, claiming she’d forced Julian Jennings to buy her a villa across from his new house with Seraphina. Pictures of her at the villa complex surfaced, fueling accusations that she was trying to cling to Julian.
140
Anger welled up inside her. She was about to leave the comments when a fan posted:“Sonya’s fiancé is trending! He posted the property deed for her villa, and her name is on it!” Stunned, Sonya clicked the link. The top post showed the property deed – clearly in her name. “My fiancée prefers to stay out of the limelight, but some people shouldn’t mistake her quietness. for weakness. She has me.”
The IP address was from the US. It was from Henry?
