Shane had never been threatened like this before, especially by a woman like Melanie.She had neither beauty nor family background to boast about. A woman without any redeeming qualities, yet she dared to lose her temper at him. It was simply incomprehensible.Shane sneered. "Melanie, you'd better know your place. You’re the one asking for my help, and this is your attitude?" Melanie snorted coldly, utterly unafraid. "If it weren't for your family's mine, I might still hold some respect for you. But with your family involved, if you dare to cross me, I’ll expose everything and ruin the Bancroft family's reputation."Though typically carefree, Melanie had picked up some of Jade's stubbornness over time.She often heard Jade say that people bullied the weak and feared the strong. The more submissive one were, the more easily they would bullied. But when one feared nothing, no one could do anything to them.Shane frowned, glancing at Melanie with a hint of confusion. He couldn't fa
"Get lost! Get lost!" Shane snapped irritably, striding directly toward Melanie.Shane swore to himself that he would make Melanie pay for this. This woman had no idea what she was getting into.Melanie rushed to the scene of the incident. The area was covered in a thick layer of coal, the polluted air was choking, and the cacophony of noise was overwhelming. It was suffocating.People kept trying to stop Melanie along the way, asking her what she was doing there. She glared at them, responding sharply. "I'm your employer' boss. Dare to stop me?"Melanie's domineering attitude made people hesitate to stop her. When they saw Shane following closely behind her, they assumed she was his girlfriend. After all, why else would she claim to be his ancestor?"Oh, so you're Mr. Bancroft's girlfriend. Please, come in." The person in charge quickly deduced her importance to Shane. Getting on her good side could be beneficial for his future.The situation was urgent, so Melanie deliberately
Security guards rushed over, stunned by the scene before them. The infamous Shane, unafraid of anything, was now being threatened by a woman.He was half-kneeling on the ground, his expression twisted with anger. His finely tailored clothes were covered in dust, and his well-groomed hair was disheveled. He cut a sorry figure.Holding the steel rod, Melanie calmly addressed the surrounding guards, "If you don't want anything to happen to your boss, you'd better step back.""Melanie, how dare you?" Shane had never suffered such a humiliation, especially not in front of so many people. As a man, his pride and dignity were shattered.He tried to salvage some semblance of his manhood, but Melanie wasn’t about to give him the chance. She pressed the steel rod against his carotid artery and snarled, "Shane, do you think I won’t?!"The sharp end of the rod broke the skin, and blood began to seep out.Feeling the warm trickle down his neck, Shane realized Melanie wasn’t bluffing. This mad
Shane always liked to use power and money to get things done, and he would never act according to anyone else's demands unless compelled by extreme measures.Not wasting any more words on Shane, Melanie dragged him toward the scene of the incident. The person in charge and several security guards trailed behind them, all wearing distressed expressions.The security team trailed behind nervously, terrified that with one slip of Melanie's small hand, Shane would fall victim to her wrath.More than ten hours had passed since the incident, and the current situation was unclear.The person in charge informed Melanie, "Miss Melanie, I understand your feelings, but based on the information we have, the situation below is dire. Any forced rescue attempt could cause another collapse, and the chances of survival for those below are extremely slim."Naturally, Melanie knew what he was saying, but she couldn't stand by and watch her father perish miserably."I don't care. I must see him aliv
To prevent the door from being forced open, Melanie barricaded it with a table and chairs. She called out defiantly, "If you don't agree to my terms, I’ll drag this out as long as it takes."There was no food or water in the room, and Melanie didn’t believe they would risk starving Shane just to oppose her demands.The people outside, in charge of the situation, were as frantic as ants on a hot stove.After some hushed discussions, they called out, "We need to report this to our superiors, Miss Newell. Please give us some time."After all, their superiors were Shane's parents. If Shane’s parents learned that Melanie had taken him hostage, the situation would become even more complicated.Melanie had prepared herself for the worst possible outcome. She didn’t care what happened to her, but she was determined to save her father."Shane, tell them if they don’t act soon, I won't be so nice," Melanie threatened, feigning a stance ready to strike.Terrified, Shane flinched and pulled
"What do you mean?" Melanie asked, her face filled with suspicion.Shane smiled mischievously and gestured outside with his chin. "Without my signature, nothing can proceed."Melanie bit her lip, pondering for a moment before responding. "You better not be playing tricks on me. If you deceive me, I swear I won’t let you go, even if I have to haunt you.""I’m not heartless. With so many lives at stake, how could I turn a blind eye?" Shane stood up, stretching his stiff body, and said, "The rescue team should be arriving soon."Just as he finished speaking, the sound of machinery rumbled from outside. Excavators and various rescue machines began to make their way onto the construction site.Melanie stared at the scene outside, her mouth agape. It took her a while to regain her composure. "Shane, are you messing with me?"He had already coordinated with the rescue team, yet he still put on this show. Was he treating her like a fool?"Melanie, you’re just as dense as ever." With a f
Facing the close proximity of the face before her, Melanie felt both furious and humiliated. How dare Shane do such a thing to her? It was utterly disgusting. With a pained cry, Shane clutched his mouth, stumbling backward. His tongue burned, and his mouth filled with the taste of blood. His palm was smeared with bright red blood. "Me…lan…ie, how d…are you bi…te me?!" Shane's words were slurred with pain, but Melanie understood him clearly. Wiping her mouth angrily, Melanie spat several times in disgust. "Bite you? I haven't even kicked you yet! Let me tell you, Shane, taking advantage of me is not that easy." Shane hissed in pain, feeling like he had never had a good moment since meeting Melanie.The person in charge entered, walking up to Shane and whispering in his ear, "Mr. Bancroft, there’s been another collapse below. Rescue efforts are encountering more obstacles, and the situation is becoming increasingly complicated."After a pause, the person in charge asked Sha
Melanie's table manners were far from refined, but to Shane, they seemed endearing. When he realized his thoughts, he was genuinely startled. Studying Melanie closely, she was far from a stunning beauty. At best, she was a modestly pretty girl with a temper to match a mule. The fact that he found her agreeable made him wonder if he had lost his mind.Shane continued eating, occasionally hissing as the spicy food stung his tongue. His face and body were covered in bruises, giving him a somewhat disheveled appearance.Melanie ignored Shane, thinking of him as a lunatic. She focused on eating quickly, though she had no real appetite. She forced herself to eat to keep from collapsing.After finishing a bowl of soup, she put down her spoon.Shane frowned at her as if looking at a strange creature. "How can you eat so much?"Melanie's appetite almost matched his own, which baffled him. The women around him usually feared gaining weight from even a sip of juice and were extremely picky