Chapter 9 Maria’s Tactics
Maria gripped her phone tightly, her voice as taut as a bowstring.
“What’s her name?”
“Her name is Emily.”
“Both parents are ordinary company employees. She’s a senior, a year older than Sarah, and she was on the banquet guest list. Last night, she went to Mr. Kowalski’s company.”
“Do you have photos?”
The assistant sent Emily’s student ID photo.
Maria enlarged it, then covered the lower half of the face with her finger — copying how the masked, hoodie-wearing girl looked that night.
Both girls had double eyelids and large eyes…
Yet something still felt off.
“You said she went to Michael’s company yesterday?”
“Yes, apparently to borrow a book.”
“Then it’s her.”
The resemblance was weak — but the detail matched.
Maria stared at Emily’s picture, murderous intent growing with every second.
“You know what to do next.”
The assistant wasn’t sure.
“Do we scare her… or rough her up?”
Maria clenched the paper slip beside her, her tone flat and chilling.
“Make sure she can’t have children. Whatever it takes.”
⸻
Jennifer hadn’t received a reply to her text from last night.
But she hadn’t expected one.
All she wanted was for Michael to think of her occasionally.
If his mind wandered to her while he was with Maria,
then she’d won half the battle.
Students streamed out of the academic building after the last class.
Jennifer and Sarah walked side by side through the crowd.
One cool and elegant, the other vibrant and lively — a striking pair.
Sarah adjusted her hair using the mirror on her phone case.
“You know Emily from senior year? She went to Michael’s company last night!”
“She missed her shuttle, stayed at a 24-hour internet café, and skipped class today because she was dead tired.”
“Jennifer, do you think she got jealous after seeing him lend you his book and tried her luck?”
“Hilarious. Too bad he’s not into her type.”
Jennifer hadn’t expected Emily to go straight to Michael.
Still, she doubted Emily intended to seduce him.
At most, Emily had stolen something — and now wanted to test Michael’s attitude toward Jennifer out of guilt.
“So? Did she see him?”
Sarah laughed.
“Oh, absolutely not.”
“Michael’s company has insane security.”
“She probably couldn’t even get past the first checkpoint. She was stopped immediately and didn’t even reach the front desk. And don’t get me started on my stepmom — that petty, scheming woman guards the place like a fortress.”
At the mention of Maria, Sarah’s face twisted with contempt.
“Would Michael let Maria meddle in his circle?”
Sarah replied,
“Hard to say. Back when Maria was with my dad, she planted people everywhere feeding her intel. She climbed the ladder as a mistress — so she’s paranoid about any woman near my dad. The way she deals with them gets more vicious every time.”
“How brutal?” Jennifer asked.
Sarah turned serious.
“When I was in middle school, a woman called late at night to provoke us. I handed the phone to Maria.
The next day, that woman was ambushed, gang-raped by hired thugs, and ended up permanently disabled.”
Jennifer felt a chill crawl up her spine.
“So, Jennifer, you have James — and you’re somewhat safe with Michael.
But you cannot let Maria find out about you.”
Jennifer: speechless.
Why didn’t she say this earlier?
She’d even told Maria, to her face, that Michael had feelings for her.
Seeing Jennifer’s tense expression, Sarah mistook it for fear and reassured her:
“But she couldn’t possibly know you went to Michael’s villa that day. It’s all his people over there.”
“He’s not like my dad.
Even though he’s younger, he’s much more ruthless.
Maria wouldn’t get anywhere with him.
He won’t let her run wild.”
Jennifer murmured,
“…Probably.”
After all, yesterday, when Maria tried to use connections to get a hospital bed, Michael shut it down.
The two walked toward the dorms.
Suddenly, Jennifer’s expression changed — sharply.
“Sarah, go back to the dorm first. I have something to do.”
Jennifer was rarely this tense.
Seeing her urgency, Sarah didn’t ask.
“Oh, okay. You go ahead. I’ll wait for you for dinner!”
After parting, Jennifer immediately called Emily — anxiety written across her face.
The call went straight to voicemail.
Jennifer wasn’t soft-hearted.
But the thought that Emily went to Michael because of her left her uneasy.
More importantly —
this might be the perfect chance to strike back at Maria.
Jennifer dialed another number.
“Didn’t you say you loved me?”
“Jennifer?”
James had waited at the pool for Jennifer until dawn…
only to run into Michael.
Michael had given him a warning:
Be careful with your friends.
James went home feverish, texting Jennifer nonstop — receiving nothing.
Now, hearing her voice, half his illness evaporated.
“If you want me to contact you again, find Emily within ten minutes.”
As student council president, James managed dozens of group chats — each with over five hundred members.
“Jennifer, don’t worry. Emily Schneider, right? I’ll find her.”
James mobilized the entire campus.
Within minutes, someone photographed Emily leaving campus toward nearby streets for dinner.
Jennifer rushed there immediately.
“Jennifer, you’re going to find her now?”
“James, you’d do anything to get my forgiveness, right?”
“Of course! I genuinely care about you.”
“Then come now.”
“And be ready to call the police.”
She wanted James to personally report Maria —
to send Maria straight to jail.
Between the boy he cherished most…
and his fiancée…
Who would Michael choose?
Jennifer was already anticipating the outcome.
Meanwhile, Emily — who had pulled an all-nighter — was starving and heading off campus to grab dinner.
But as she passed the entrance of an alley, a hand suddenly yanked her backward—
Her scream was instantly muffled.
