Jesse rubbed her nose with a wry smile, brushing off the concern as she said, “Got into a
scuffle this afternoon.”
“With who?”
“It’s over, Estre. Let’s not dig into it.”
“Jesse, don’t make me investigate it myself.”
Estre’s temper was something Jesse was all too familiar with. She might seem all sunshine and
rainbows on a regr day, but if you crossed a line with her, you’d be in for a rude awakening.
“I ran into Pa today. She brought backup, and I was outnumbered.”
As soon as Jesse finished her sentence, Estre was on her feet, heading for the door. Jesse grabbed
her arm urgently. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Estre’s face was a storm cloud as she snapped, “You expect me to sit down for dinner when you’re
beaten up like this?”
Jesse held on tighter, trying to calm the storm brewing within Estre. “Estre, it’s done, and it wasn’t
all Pa’s doing. Don’t do anything rash.”
Estre saw there was more to the story. She reined in her anger and sat back down. “Fine. I won’t.
Just tell me everything.”
They settled back at the dining table, and Jesse began recounting the story. “A few days. ago, I got into
it with Melinda. Guess she couldn’t let it go and teamed up with Pa.”
Melinda was Jesse’s stepsister. Jesse’s mom had passed away when she was just a toddler, and her
dad had quickly remarried Damita, who was pregnant at the time. Damita never took a liking to Jesse
and would often take advantage of her husband’s absence to berate and mistreat the child.
After a particrly nasty incident in middle school, Jesse had changed. Her father, under the constant
influence of Damita’s whispers, had grown colder towards her. Life as a Manning wasn’t exactly a walk
in the park for Jesse.
Estre’s face was grim as she asked, “Are you hurt anywhere else? Did you get checked. out at the
hospital?”
“Just some bruises. Took a few kicks to the gut, bleeding a little, but the hospital said it’s nothing
serious.”
Hearing about the injury, Estre’s heart clenched with pain. She knew Pa must have ambushed
Jesse on purpose, taking advantage of her less favored status in the Manning family to strike at her – a
proxy for her real target, Estre herself.
15:24
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of myself. Otherwise how can I keep up the good fight with
those two?”
“If you say you’re fine, then I trust you,” Estre said,dling out chicken soup for Jesse. “Eat up, and
next time, don’t be a hero. If you see they have the numbers, just run.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Jesse had intended to run that afternoon, but Pa had been prepared, blocking all possible escape
routes. Jesse didn’t share these details with Estre, not wanting to stoke her fiery nature. The
Manning family’s involvement and the existing business tensions between their fathers were enough
reason to keep things low-key.
After dinner, as they approached the crossroads in their cars, Estre warned, “Jesse, call me the
instant anythinges up, alright?”
“I will, don’t worry.”
“Good. Now go home and rest up.”
“Yeah.” Jesse hesitated before adding, “Estre, let’s just let tonight’s incident slide, okay? Don’t go
after Pa.”
“I got it. I’ll listen to you.”
Listen to her? Not go after Pa? Estre might have agreed verbally, but as soon as they parted
ways, her foot mmed down on the elerator, speeding towards the Lamont residence. If she let
this slide, Pa would take every opportunity to go after Jesse, and Melinda would only be more
emboldened
Estre wasn’t about to y nice.
“Ms. Estre, our youngdy isn’t home. Perhaps you coulde back another time?”
“Ms. Estre, I must ask you to leave.”
Despite the servants’ attempts, they couldn’t stop Estre from barging into the Lamont’s grand hall.
“Miss Estre…” a servant began, but Estre cut them off with a re, her hands deep in the pockets
of her cks. “Bring Pa down to me.”
No sooner had she demanded this than Pa, in her loungewear, descended the stairs, clearly
annoyed. “Estre, what’s all this racket about? Is this the kind of manners you family teaches?”
Without a word, Estre grabbed an antique vase from a side table and hurled it at Pa. “Did you
corner Jesse this afternoon?”
The vase shattered against the wall, sending Pa into a panic as she dusted off the
1534 LI
fragments. “Estre, have you lost your mind? This is the Lamont residence, not some back alley!”
As Pa’s finger bled from a shard, her anger erupted. “So what if I cornered her? I went after Jesse,
not you.”
Pa’s admission fueled Estre’s fury. In a few strides, she had Pa by the throat. “Say that again. I
dare you.”
As Pa choked out her defiance, Estre’s grip tightened. Today had been a direct hit at her through
Jesse, and Estre was not going to let it stand.
With one swift move, Estre dragged Pa down the stairs by her hair, determined to settle the score
once and for all.
Dragged down the steps by Estre, Pa was fuming with indignation. Scrambling to her feet, she
lunged for Estre’s face. “You bitch! How dare you strike me in my house? I’ll take you down!”
However, her fingers barely grazed Estre when Estre’s right leg shot out, delivering a brutal kick to
Pa’s midsection. Pa gasped in pain, stumbling backward tond hard on the floor. When it came
to brawling, she was no match for Estre.
Clutching her belly, tears streaming down her cheeks, Pa spat out a threat through gritted teeth.
“Estre, this isn’t over. I swear, next time I’ll take Jesse out myself.”
Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org.
Hearing the threat, Estre unleashed another two kicks squarely onto Pa’s abdomen. In essence,
Estre was serving back the same treatment Pa had intended for Jesse. Regrettably for Estre,
she wasn’t wearing her stilettos today, just some mid-heels.
After the warm-up skirmish, Estre knelt on one knee in front of Pa, seizing her hair. “Are Melinda
and Damita in cahoots with you?
Through her tears, Pa retorted, “What does it matter who’s with me? Just know that you and I…”
Pa’s words were cut short as Estre delivered several stinging ps across her cheek. “Still talking
tough, are we?”
With each blow from Estre, Pa’s face swelled and blood began to trickle from the corner of her
mouth. Facing Estre alone, Pa was destined only to be on the receiving end of the beatdown.
1524