I Was A Hopeless Gold Digger Protected By A Pain‑Linked Billionaire Chapter 02

I Was A Hopeless Gold Digger Protected By A Pain‑Linked Billionaire Chapter 02

Serena froze for a second, then laughed in disbelief.

“Zane Cole, you’re just a secretary. How dare you threaten the Shaw family?”

Zane didn’t even acknowledge her. He pushed past the guards and crouched down to check my injuries.

“Ms. Clarke, besides your hands and feet, are you hurt anywhere else?”

I rolled my shoulder. “They pinned me down a couple of times. It hurts a little.”

His lips went white. He turned to the doctor.

“Check everything. Don’t miss a single thing.”

Serena blocked the doctor’s path. “Who said you could touch her?”

Zane shot to his feet. “Mr. Hale’s orders. Before he boarded the plane, he said that no matter what happened, Ms. Clarke was not to be harmed. Ms. Shaw, if you really want to marry into the Hale family, now would be a good time to stop.”

Serena’s eyes burned into him. “He’s overseas, and he’s still worried about her? Who’s supposed to be his future wife?”

Zane’s voice went flat. “At least for now, Mr. Hale has never acknowledged any engagement with the Shaw family.”

That hit her where it hurt.

The Hales and Shaws had discussed a marriage alliance. But from beginning to end, the Shaws were the only ones publicly spreading the word. Grant had never given a straight answer.

Serena was desperate to marry into the Hales. And here I was — a gold digger living in his private villa. She’d already marked me as her enemy.

Now even a secretary dared to use that engagement to rub salt in her wound.

“Hold Zane down too! When I’m Mrs. Hale, you’re the first one I’m firing!”

Shaw’s guards surged forward. Zane’s men moved to stop them, but more than twenty guards surrounded them.

In the chaos, Serena grabbed me by the hair and dragged me away from the couch.

My knees slammed into the ground.

A searing pain shot up through my bones, and I nearly blacked out on the spot.

Zane was losing his mind. “Stop! Mr. Hale can’t stand to see Ms. Clarke hurt! Everything you do today — the Shaw family will pay for it!”

Serena yanked my head back by my hair. “Can’t stand to see her hurt?”

She had her assistant start a livestream and point the camera directly at my face.

Then a document landed in front of me. An asset transfer agreement. Houses, shares, jewelry, cash, trust funds — all of it. At least one point five billion dollars.

My heart nearly stopped.

Serena shoved a pen into my hand.

“Sign it. Then publicly admit that you seduced Grant and stole Hale Group secrets, and I’ll let you go.”

I threw the pen away. “Not signing.”

“You’re in this situation, and you’re still worried about money?”

“Obviously. I can live without Grant Hale. I can’t live without his money.”

That was my last shred of dignity as a gold digger.

Serena’s breathing went heavy with rage. “Fine. Let’s see which is tougher—your courage or that mouth of yours.”

She had my right hand pressed flat against the coffee table. Her assistant handed her a heavy brass decorative piece.

Zane was fighting desperately, eyes bloodshot. “Serena — if you hurt her, you’re destroying yourself and your family! She’s the most important person in Mr. Hale’s life! He’d rather something happen to him than ever let her get hurt!”

The last bit of reason in Serena’s eyes vanished. “The most important person? Then what am I?”

She raised the brass piece and swung it down toward my hand.

Zane broke free and lunged — took the hit for me.

A sickening thud.

His arm took the impact, and he staggered back in pain. All the color drained from his face.

Before I could react, Serena’s palm cracked across my cheek.

“Since Grant treasures you so much, tonight I’ll let the entire Manhattan Elite Circle see exactly what kind of trash he’s been keeping.”