I Was A Hopeless Gold Digger Protected By A Pain‑Linked Billionaire Chapter 03

I Was A Hopeless Gold Digger Protected By A Pain‑Linked Billionaire Chapter 03

Serena had me dragged to the Shaw family’s private club.

Tonight, they were hosting a charity gala. Half of the socialites and rich heirs from The Manhattan Elite Circle were there.

When I was thrown into the ballroom, looking battered and helpless, every camera turned toward me.

Serena had changed into a couture gown. She held a champagne flute, polished and composed.

“Everyone — let me introduce you. This is Jade Clarke. The one Grant Hale keeps in his villa. She spends the Hale family’s money while stealing Hale Group secrets and fooling around with other men.”

The crowd erupted.

“So that’s her.”

“A gold digger who had nothing before she met a rich man—she really thought she’d become somebody just because she landed a rich man?”

“Ms. Shaw is the daughter-in-law the Hale family has chosen. What does that make her?”

The loudest voices came from the daughters of families whose companies Grant had acquired. Before, they’d cross the street to avoid me. Now that Grant was gone and Serena was backing them, they had suddenly grown spines.

I looked up at Serena. “I’ll explain this one last time. I don’t love Grant Hale, and I’m not trying to take your place as Mrs. Hale. He keeps me here because I matter to him. If you want to marry him, you should be making sure I stay safe. The more seriously I’m hurt, the less likely you’ll ever marry into the Hale family.”

Serena’s grip tightened on her glass. “Still playing that game? You think a woman who sells herself for money can affect my marriage?”

I thought for a moment, then answered honestly: “Probably because I’m worth more than your marriage.”

The room went completely silent.

Serena’s composure cracked.

She glanced at a woman in a dress, who immediately walked over with a drink.

I recognized her. Elena Ford.

Six months ago, she’d been jealous that Grant spent three hundred million on me at an auction. She had tampered with my drink. I felt awful for half a day. Grant suffered the consequences for three.

After he was discharged, he took over the Ford family’s company and sent Elena to its Africa branch.

She’d found her way back.

Elena grabbed me by the jaw and forced me to drink the entire glass.

The liquor burned all the way down, and my stomach felt like it was being seared by fire. I curled up in pain.

“Jade Clarke — look at you now. If it weren’t for you, Mr. Hale never would’ve destroyed my family.”

I managed to lift my head. “You’re the one who drugged my coffee. What, you blame gravity when you take a dump?”

Elena’s face twisted with rage. She grabbed a second glass.

“Still running your mouth?”

The glass had barely touched my lips when Zane was carried into the ballroom. His arm was bandaged. His face was paper-white.

“Stop! Mr. Hale has cut off his negotiations overseas. He’s on his way back! Ms. Shaw, your father has called more than a dozen times just now. He’s ordering you to let her go!”

Serena’s phone was ringing nonstop. She glanced at the screen — then silenced it.

“My father’s just scared. Once I expose this fraud, Grant will thank me.”

Zane’s voice shook. “He won’t thank you. He’ll make sure the Shaw family pays the price.”

Elena leaned in close to Serena. “Don’t listen to him. No matter how powerful Grant is, he wouldn’t turn against the Shaws over a gold digger. As long as we completely ruin her reputation, there’s no way Grant can marry her.”

Serena smiled again.

She had me dragged to center stage, then yanked the black cloth off a transparent tank.

It was filled with ice water and crushed ice.

“Didn’t Jade say she’s more important than my marriage? Let’s see if Grant will really destroy the Shaw family just to save her from from that situation..”

Zane completely lost it. “If anything happens to her — Grant will be affected too.”

Serena’s eyes went cold. “You’d say anything to protect her.”

She raised her hand.

“Throw her in.”