Chapter 283

Trudy found herself back in the cramped, rundown apartment.

Inside, Miguel and his wife, Glenda White, sat at the table,staring anxiously at nothing but two plates of pasta.

The day had ended with yet another disappointment.

Miguel had spent hours reaching out to everyone he once considered a friend, only to face cold shoulders and ridicule at every turn.

A handful of old contacts had grudgingly offered him a little cash, tossing it over as though he were some beggar on the street.

To make matters even more humiliating, one acquaintance went so far as to hint that Miguel should let Trudy spend a few nights at his place.

He remembered before the White and the Perry families fell apart, those same people wouuld trip over themselves to curry favor with him.

He couldn't understand how he had been so blind to their true nature all this time.

The realization left Miguel feeling utterly defeated.

Meanwhile, Glenda barely touched her food, her expression mirroring his hopelessness.

Trudy had left early yesterday and hadn't returned,not even a phone call to ease their worries.

Her daughter's beauty had always set her apart. But what if something terrible had happened while she was gone?

Glenda's thoughts raced, her heart gripped by anxiety and fear.

Suddenly, the front door swung open and someone tossed a figure into the apartment with no more care than tossing out the trash.

Both Miguel and Glenda jumped in shock, dropping their forks in fright.

It only took a moment to recognize the disheveled,bound-up figure as Trudy.

Her hair was tangled, makeup streaked, and a look of stubborn defiance flashed across her bruised face.

"Let me go right now! You'll regret treating me like this! I'm the White family's daughter and Nolan's future fiancée! How dare you? I swear you'll pay for this!" Trudy shouted, her words coming out in a furious rush.

Each syllable rang out, wild and desperate, teetering on the edge of hysteria.

In the doorway, a tall figure stood motionless,shrouded in cold light.

Erick stepped inside,his face unreadable,bringing with him an icy tension that seemed to shrink the small apartment even more.

Miguel immediately recognized him; this was Nolan's right-hand man, the last person they wanted as an enemy.

A wave of fear swept through Miguel at once.

He scrambled to his feet, barely sparing Trudy a glance as he put on his most patronizing smile. "Mr.Wright, what a surprise! Is something wrong? Did Trudy offend you or Mr. Stewart in some way?"

Erick's frigid stare flicked from Trudy, still raging on the floor, to Miguel's anxious face.

In a calm, almost chilling voice, he announced, "Your daughter was apprehended while trying to harm Mr.Stewart. Tell me, Mr. White, how do you propose we handle this?" A numbness spread through Miguel's mind,leaving him reeling in disbelief.

She had actually tried to harm Nolan?

How could she be so reckless?

Terror gripped him so tightly it felt like his blood had turned to ice.

There was no coming back from this.

No one understood Nolan's ruthlessness better than him, and with that realization, he knew the White family had reached the end of the line.

In a fit of rage, Miguel spun toward Trudy and struck her with a brutal kick.

"You worthless girl! I should beat you half to death!You've destroyed everything for this family!" Miguel yelled,hitting her again and again.

Glenda watched from the side. Tears streamed down her face, but she was too terified to intervene.

Trudy curled into herself on the floor, choking back cries of pain, her gaze still blazing with defiance.

Drained and desperate, Miguel turned back to Erick.He collapsed to his knees, tears running down his cheeks. "Please, Mr. Wright, have mercy! She's my only child, and I failed her as a father. Punish me instead, I beg you! Just ask Mr. Stewart to let her go.We'll do anything you want!"

But Erick only regarded Miguel with cold indifference,his gaze as unyielding as midwinter frost.

Every desperate word Miguel wanted to say died in his throat.

One glance told him that Nolan demanded an explanation, and nothing less would suffice.

Completely defeated, Miguel crumpled to the floor,his strength utterly spent.

"Do whatever you have to," Miguel muttered,managing a weak,hollow smile.

Without a word, Erick gestured for the men behind him to begin their search. "Go ahead."

The two bodyguards moved in at once, methodically rifling through the cramped space of the apartment.

Miguel stared blankly, unable to comprehend what they could possibly be looking for.

A few moments later, one of the guards uncovered a finely crafted wooden box stuffed in Trudy's abandoned bag in the corner. He handed it over to Erick without hesitation.

As Erick cracked the lid, a rich, sweet aroma immediately filled the room, unmistakable and exotic.

Flat on the floor, Trudy caught sight of the box, her eyes narrowing in terror as all color vanished from her cheeks.

A wave of sheer panic swept over her.

Meanwhile, Erick lifted the box, turning it over for a careful inspection.

At the very bottom, a small tag printed in a foreign script caught his eye-it read "Zerovia."

A faint crease formed on his brow; he understood that this was no ordinary item.

His attention shifted back to Miguel as he spoke. "Mr.Stewart says that if Ms. White is willing to disclose the source of this box, there may still be hope for the White family."

Hearing those words was like being thrown a rope while drowning; a spark of hope returned to Miguel's desperate gaze. He shot to his feet, rage twisting his features as he glared at Trudy.

"Tell them!" Miguel shouted, storming over and pulling Trudy up by the hair, smashing her head against the floor. "Who gave this to you? Are you trying to destroy us all?"

Trudy's painful scream echoed through the apartment,her scalp burning from the force of his grip.

"Dad, please! I'll talk, just stop!" Trudy pleaded, her voice shaking with fear as she pleaded for mercy.

Miguel then let go,his eyes still burning with fury as he stared her down.

Shaking uncontrollably, Trudy darted a nervous glance at Erick's stony face before forcing herself to speak."Brodie Stewart gave it to me. Before he ran away,he slipped this to me in secret. He told me... he warned that Nolan would destroy my family, and this was my only shot at getting back on top."

Refusing to be dragged down with everyone else,she had accepted the offer without hesitation.

She had truly believed it was her golden ticket, never realizing it would be the very thing that ruined her.