A Man with Nerves of Steel (Joseph Hart) novel Chapter 157

Chapter 157

At noon, in a quiet private room, Cora finally finished sizing Grace up just as the waiter left.

Cora said, “If I told you that what happened that night had nothing to do with me, would you believe me?”

Grace answered, “I would. I’ll believe anything you tell me.”

Grace kept her emotions tightly under control. Her trip to Jenton had taught her something new. Back home, she always had Mavis and her family to protect her. Even when trouble came, it was always just a minor setback.

Meanwhile, Jenton was different. It was a bloody jungle here, and just one misstep could prove to be catastrophic.

She added, “If you want me to leave Jenton, then that’s fine. Just divorce Joseph, and I’ll leave with him.”

Cora frowned. “Joseph? You have your eyes on Joseph? He’s my family. If you touch him, you’ll be seriously, crossing the line.”

Cora glared harshly at Grace. Whatever happened between them, family was supposed to be off-limits. If Grace intended to go after Joseph, then she was going to touch a nerve Cora would not tolerate.

Grace nodded. “That’s true. Joseph is your family. But have you ever respected him? Considering Joseph’s age and how long you’ve been with him, you’re still spending every day treating him like a fool. You’ve been humiliating him for years.”

Cora answered without hesitation, “Natalie is Joseph’s child…”

Grace interrupted her, “So you don’t believe in the DNA test results?”

Cora nodded. “Science is science, but when it comes to this, there was an error in the science. Joseph hasn’t been bringing this up, which means he’s already accepted that the test was mistaken. Trying to stir up trouble over this won’t accomplish anything.

“You’re clearly acting with bad intentions. If you don’t want to leave Jenton on your own two feet, then prepare to leave lying down in a body bag.”

Cora stood up after that, clearly intending to end the conversation.

Grace smiled softly. “Don’t you want to know who helped me after I was drugged that night?”

Cora froze. “Who?”

Grace said slowly, “Did you think I was just casually saying that I wanted to take Joseph away just now? He’s already become someone who will always mean something to me.”

Cora was shocked. “It was Joseph?”

Cora’s mood was already foul. “I’m on the way back. What is it? If it’s about Ernest and Dylan again, don’t bother. If you can’t even handle your own family’s problems, then what’s the point of having you around?”

Cora didn’t bother hiding her annoyance.

Frank said seriously, “It’s not about the Ashmores. It’s about you. The Patron has arrived. He wants you to accompany him the way you used to tonight.”

Cora frowned. “What is he thinking? Aren’t you the one who’s always good at handling people? Use your usual tricks and deal with him yourself.”

Frank retorted, “Do you really think the Patron is someone I can handle? I’m just delivering the message. If you don’t turn up, he’ll be very angry. The consequences will be dire.”

Cora was even more annoyed when Frank hung up on her.

Grace was already watching her like a hawk. If she went to accompany the Patron now, she’d just be handing her enemies ammunition.

At home, Joseph was no longer under her control. With how hard he’d been pressing her, she knew Joseph was desperate for evidence proving she had been unfaithful.

With pressure coming in on all sides, Cora found herself completely on the back foot.