Chapter 191:
With that thought, Kiera reached out desperately, clutching Elena’s sleeve, her eyes silently pleading not to be left alone.
Elena’s expression tightened subtly.
Just then, the group spotted them.
With fury in her voice, the woman leading them snapped, “Kiera! You little rebel, how dare you run away? Trust me, your punishment will be severe once we get home!”
The group surged forward toward Elena.
As the woman reached out to grab Kiera, Elena stepped in and blocked her hand.
Elena tightened her grip on Kiera’s other hand, her tone icy. “She’s not leaving with you.”
Ethel Johnson’s eyes darkened as she shot Elena a sharp look. “And who the hell do you think you are? Mind your own business.”
Elena’s gaze remained calm, but her expression hardened. “What’s your connection to her? If you’re strangers, I won’t allow you to take her.”
“That’s none of your damn concern!” Ethel snapped, irritation lacing her voice. “Do you even know who you’re dealing with? I’m warning you—release her this instant, or you’ll regret it.”
Kiera couldn’t speak, but she read lips.
Once Ethel finished talking, Kiera yanked herself free, stepping in front of Elena despite her slight frame. She signed, “Don’t hurt her.”
Ethel, unfamiliar with sign language, scoffed. “What the hell are you waving your hands for? Haven’t I told you before? Stop signing in public! If people find out you’re mute, you’ll only bring shame to the Johnson name. Enough of this. Come with me—Rory still needs his operation.”
Ethel reached out once more. Before her fingers could brush against Kiera, Elena caught her wrist mid-air.
A slight squeeze made Ethel yelp in pain. “Ah! Let go! You’re going to break my wrist!”
Ethel turned to her crew, shouting, “Are you all just going to stand there like fools? Get this meddling bitch off me!”
The man closest to them hesitated, but before he could act, Elena increased the pressure, causing Ethel to break into a cold sweat.
Every story starts at gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s﹒𝒸оm
“D-Don’t move! Stay back, all of you!” Realizing the situation was slipping out of her control, Ethel hastily yelled at her crew and adjusted her approach.
Facing Elena, Ethel forced a smile. “Listen, young lady, I think you’re misunderstanding something. I’m her uncle’s wife—we’re family.”
Elena glanced at Kiera, noticing how frail and undernourished she looked. Then, her expression sharpened. “You mentioned the Johnson family earlier. Is she related to the Johnsons of Klathe?”
The Johnsons in Klathe were a distinguished lineage. The family was split into three divisions.
The first division was headed by Marlon Johnson, the current CEO of the Johnson Group. He had two children: a well-known son, Malcolm Johnson, and a daughter who was rarely seen and rumored to have a disability. Elena studied the mute girl before her—so this was Marlon’s daughter.
The second division belonged to Remy Johnson, who ran an entertainment empire but remained unmarried and childless.
