Chapter 313
The Tasting Room had a secluded alley behind it. That’s where Penelope had told Chasel to meet her.
When she arrived, he was squatting on the ground, smoking, a pile of cigarette butts at his feet. He had clearly been waiting for a while. Seeing her, he flicked his cigarette away and stood up, furious.
“You kept me waiting for half the day, you bitch p>
“You’re asking for thirty million, not three thousand,” Penelope said coldly. “It takes time to get that kind of cash p>
In truth, she had arrived much earlier and had been waiting in the shadows for someone else to get into position.
Chasel was impatient. “Enough talk. Give me the money p>
Penelope took a check from her purse and waved it in front of his face before tucking it back into her pocket.
He lunged for it and missed. “Give it to me!” he snarled.
“The videos you took of me. Delete them p>
Chasel shot her a glare but pulled out his phone. He found the videos from the restaurant-the ones of her with the Lancasters and the one of her hitting Mr. Lancaster Sr. and deleted them in front of her.
He undoubtedly had backups. This wouldn’t be the only time he tried to fleece her.
“Why are these videos so important that you had to come yourself? It’s a waste of my time p>
They weren’t important, but her presence was non-negotiable.
“My reputation doesn’t matter, but I won’t let the Stapletons be disgraced because of me. The videos have to be erased p>
Chasel’s eyes darted around. “So it seems that the next time I’m short on cash p>
“You didn’t delete everything p>
“Of course I did. Your brother wouldn’t lie to you p>
Penelope’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare call yourself my brother. Or you won’t see a single cent of this p>
“Whoops, my bad!” Chasel said, slapping himself lightly on the cheek. “You’re not my sister. You’re my queen. How’s that p>
He carefully inspected the check, then shoved it into his pocket with a greedy grin. “Well, I guess this is goodbye. In the future p>
Before he could finish, a black BMW accelerated, heading straight for them. For a second, he froze, then instinctively started to run. He glanced back at Penelope and saw she had already vaulted over the low fence bordering the alley and was standing safely on the other side, watching him with cold eyes.
The roar of the engine grew louder. The car was chasing him. He tried to scramble over the fence, but in that
moment of hesitation, the cap crashed into him, sending him flying.
He hit the ground hard.
His head was spinning. A figure got out of the car. It took him a few seconds to focus and see who it was.
Zebulon.
Zebulon’s face was contorted with rage. He strode over, grabbed Chasel by the collar, and punched him squarely in the face.
“You backstabbing piece of shit! I’ll kill you p>
The punch seemed to clear Chasel’s head. With a snarl, he wrapped his arms around Zebulon’s neck, pulled him down, and sank his teeth into his ear. “Aaargh!” Zebulon screamed.
He couldn’t push Chasel off, so he started clawing at his throat. Chasel held on, biting down hard while pummeling Zebtilon’s stomach with his free hand. The two of them rolled on the ground, fighting like cornered animals.
Penelope watched from behind the fence, a slow, satisfied smile spreading across her face.
She had known Zebulon was waiting in that black BMW nearby. Waving the check wasn’t just for Chasel’s benefit; it was to provoke Zebulon.
Sure enough, the sight of Chasel pocketing the money had sent him over the edge. He had meant to run them both down, but Penelope had been prepared.