Chapter 3

Faced with Merla's repeated provocations, I was not angry. Instead, I chose to tolerate her entirely.

After all, this was a class reunion. I did not want to ruin the atmosphere.

However, before I could take a few steps, Merla's bodyguards grabbed and restrained me.

She strutted up to me arrogantly and slapped me hard.

"You really think you're somebody, huh? You think you can just leave whenever you want? You loved tattling back when we were on the cheer squad, didn't you? Well, let's see who in this circle is going to stand up for you now?"

I stared at her coldly, my voice low and steady. "Merla, this is my final warning. Back in high school, you loved playing your little clique games, turning the cheer squad into your personal team, teaming up with your lap dogs to isolate any girl who didn't bow to you.

"But you're an adult now. You might want to start weighing the consequences of your actions."

Hearing this, Merla let out a short laugh as if I had just told the most ridiculous joke. Her gaze swept over the former classmates gathered around us.

"You all heard that, right? She told me to consider the consequences! Hahahaha!

"Even if I kill you today, what could you do to me? I'm going to be the future lady of the Reno family. Taking care of you would be as easy as squashing an ant!"

I slowly lifted my head, suppressing the fury burning inside me. "Merla, have you ever heard the saying, 'There's always someone stronger'? Some people are simply not to be messed with. I suggest you let me go now. Otherwise, the one who'll regret it won't be me. It'll be you."

Our former classmates started whispering among themselves.

"A nobody like her acts tough? What a joke."

"So what if she works in New York? Without power or connections, she's nothing more than a stray dog."

The former class president, clearly panicking, lowered his voice and urged, "Just apologize. Don't go against her. The Reno family is ruthless! Even people with higher status than you have had to kneel and beg for mercy after crossing Merla."

I scanned the faces around me that were once so familiar but were filled with nothing but mockery and cowardice.

So this was what they called 'classmate camaraderie'?

All I had done was try to leave early, yet they insulted and humiliated me over and over again.

They called me poor and said I drove a cheap car. I did not care, but…

Someone actually dared to lay hands on me?

When she noticed my silence, Merla assumed I had backed down. She pulled out a thick stack of cash from her pocket. "Nicole, here's a hundred grand. All you have to do is lick the dirt off my high heels, and the money's yours."

"Otherwise…" She drew out the word, amusement flickering in her eyes. "Consider it your medical bill."

My expression turned ice-cold.

"Merla, you're really digging your own grave. Do you have any idea who you just laid hands on?"

Instead of backing down, Merla's arrogance only grew. "You? Who could you even be?"

She lifted her chin, signaling toward the entrance. "That Bugatti over there? A single drop of its paint costs more than your entire car!"

I could not help but laugh.

She didn't know what that old Ford of mine really represented. Every mafia family in the world would be bowing in respect the moment they saw the license plate.

Merla's ignorance was not the scary part.

The scary part was that she did not even realize she had just made the worst mistake of her life.