CHAPTER 173: CHAPTER 173: HOW DOES IT FEEL?

The four men scanned the photos inch by inch, their eyes couldn’t wait to devour them and emitted a series of lewd low laughs.

"Hehe, Mrs. Hawthorne is really generous, she can even send out her own daughter-in-law for our benefit."

Mother Hawthorne looked down on these filthy men, her eyes laden with disgust as she sent them into the other room.

"There’s food and drink inside, you can start eating first."

This private room was especially chosen by Mother Hawthorne.

This level of private room is like a small suite, dining outside, resting area inside, with a game room, spacious enough, perfect for the task.

As the four walked into the inner room, Yvonne Hawthorne couldn’t help but say, "Mom, why are you even preparing food for these people?"

Mother Hawthorne sneered, "Just in case one of these men has no heart to act against Tanya Sinclair, if even one doesn’t participate, it’s a risk! I’ve added a certain dose of aphrodisiac in their food..."

Yvonne Hawthorne gave her mother a thumbs up.

"Mom, you really think things through."

Mother Hawthorne opened the door and left; this corridor only has this one private room, located at the end, leaving no escape.

Moreover, she had already turned off all nearby surveillance cameras ahead of time.

Mother Hawthorne went downstairs alone, in the downstairs private room were the entertainment reporters she had arranged, ready and waiting.

Seven or eight reporters, all confidants Mother Hawthorne got from back home, with money in place, they could write anything.

"Madam, the press release is ready; once the photos are taken, they’ll immediately be synchronized online! We’ve arranged tens of thousands of press releases!"

Mother Hawthorne revealed a satisfied smile, "Good, once things succeed, everyone will get a big red envelope."

The subsequent press releases were already arranged by her, highlighting Vincent Hawthorne’s exhaustion within this marriage, along with Tanya Sinclair’s poor background, her years of relentless pursuit and scheming to rise... this combination of blows will drown Tanya Sinclair in netizens’ scorn!

The saint ascends to heaven, the harlot descends to hell.

An eternal truth.

By then, Vincent Hawthorne will be portrayed as the perfect victim, an exceptional man, and once the news of his divorce from Tanya Sinclair is out, many wealthy beauties will rush to him!

Mother Hawthorne displayed a smug smile.

Meanwhile, Yvonne wasn’t idle either, she secretly informed Cindy Lynn, her future sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law, wait for tonight’s top gossip headlines."

Her other hand touched the necklace around her neck, the latest release from a top luxury brand.

It was a small gift Cindy Lynn brought when she invited her for lunch today!

This was extremely hard to buy domestically!

She wore it to the company that afternoon and it drew envy.

Having Cindy Lynn as a sister-in-law was truly impressive, much better than Tanya Sinclair, who only knew how to massage, apply acupuncture, and collect herbs, she was way above!

After Mother Hawthorne finished instructing the group of paparazzi, she received a message from Butler Langdon.

[Madam, she went inside.]

Tanya Sinclair got off the car, just as she walked in, a waiter warmly approached her.

"Ms. Sinclair, right? Let me take you to the private room."

Tanya Sinclair acted calmly, "Thank you."

She followed the waiter across the lobby, walking inside, Tanya Sinclair glanced around at the surveillance cameras.

They captured her face clearly from all angles.

Tanya Sinclair couldn’t help but sneer inside, The Hawthornes really went to great lengths to frame her.

The private room was in the innermost building; Tanya Sinclair followed the waiter inside.

Interestingly, there were no surveillance cameras inside here.

The doors of two private rooms near the stairway weren’t closed properly, noisy inside.

The waiter instinctively glanced inside, seeing a group of men, dressed sharply, but with loud, crude voices.

The waiter frowned disdainfully in secret.

Probably another group of uncultured nouveau riche visiting such a high-end restaurant for the first time.

The waiter led Tanya Sinclair to the entrance of the private room, "Ms. Sinclair, here it is."

Having completed his task, he turned and left.

Tanya Sinclair caught a glimpse of the tightly closed door of the opposite room; as soon as she withdrew her gaze, the door in front of her opened in response.

"Tanya." Mother Hawthorne beamed as she pulled her inside to take a seat.

Tanya feigned ignorance, "Where’s Uncle Hawthorne? Wasn’t he supposed to invite me for dinner today?"

"Your uncle had a last-minute issue at the company and will arrive later." Mother Hawthorne dramatically changed her previously indifferent demeanor and actively poured tea for Tanya, "I’ve already heard about your divorce with Vincent. I’m not one of those feudal mothers-in-law, I do not object. After all, marriage is your business! As long as you’re happy! But you’re separating so suddenly, I really feel a bit reluctant..."

Mother Hawthorne was quite the actor, her eyes reddened as she spoke.

Unknowing bystanders might really think she was a good mother-in-law.

Tanya quietly watched her performance.

Mother Hawthorne picked up her own cup, lamenting, "Tanya, I know I may not have been the perfect mother-in-law these past two years, perhaps I’ve caused you grievances. I am here to apologize to you."

Yvonne Hawthorne also chimed in, "Sister-in-law, oh no, I should start calling you Ms. Tanya. Ms. Tanya, you’ve looked after me these years, tutored my thesis, helped adjust my health, and didn’t even charge a dime for aiding my projects... I’ve been quite spoiled, and I also owe you an apology."

Tanya listened quietly, a feeling of indifference in her heart.

Turns out they were aware of her contributions to The Hawthorne Family over the years, her grievances, they simply didn’t care.

In other words, they never treated her like family but merely as a free laborer.

Tanya felt an urge to laugh.

She had longed for a family, thinking marrying Vincent Hawthorne would naturally make her part of The Hawthorne Family.

She believed that if she gave enough, one day, she would be accepted by The Hawthornes.

To those who don’t care about you, no matter how much you give, they won’t cherish it, only thinking you’re foolish and cheap, convenient for them to exploit!

Tanya turned her gaze toward the cup of tea, reached out, and picked it up, looking at the mother and daughter of The Hawthorne Family, returning their smiles, "Let’s not dwell on the past, let’s settle everything today."

Yvonne Hawthorne eagerly said, "You’re right, Ms. Tanya, let’s make a toast and settle everything! I toast to you!"

Tanya opened her mouth to drink the tea but suddenly remembered something and put down the teacup.

"By the way, since Aunt and Yvonne, you are here today, these two gifts, I won’t have to ask Uncle to send them back for me."

The mother and daughter of The Hawthorne Family originally had their hearts in their throats, eagerly waiting for her to drink the tea, but unexpectedly, Tanya put the cup down at the last minute.

The mother and daughter were somewhat irritated, Yvonne Hawthorne visibly showing impatience, but Mother Hawthorne maintained her composure.

"Tanya, what good items have you prepared for us?"

Tanya took out two sachets from her bag, handing them to Mother Hawthorne and Yvonne Hawthorne.

"Although The Hawthorne Gardens are maintained clean, this season inevitably brings mosquitoes. I specially made mosquito-repellent sachets for you. Smell it and see if you like the scent."

Mother Hawthorne and Yvonne Hawthorne didn’t suspect anything.

Tanya had often made sachets for them before, either for insect repelling or calming purposes.

Their minds were preoccupied with watching Tanya drink the tea, so to encourage her, the mother and daughter grabbed the sachets and sniffed them vigorously.

"Smells wonderful, Tanya, you’re so considerate." Mother Hawthorne urged, "Quickly drink the tea, if you don’t drink it, it’s as if you don’t forgive us."

Tanya smiled slightly, picked up the teacup, and then, under the eager gazes of Mother Hawthorne and Yvonne Hawthorne, turned her hand and poured it onto the floor.

"Tanya Sinclair!" Mother Hawthorne could no longer hold back, angrily slammed the table, "Don’t be so ungrateful!"

Anyway, the entire room and area were filled with her people, Tanya Sinclair couldn’t escape!

If she couldn’t be persuaded, they’d resort to force!

However, suddenly Tanya Sinclair’s figure became two, Mother Hawthorne shook her head vigorously.

Yvonne Hawthorne similarly appeared unwell, whole body swaying.

"Mom, mom, I feel dizzy!"

She said, collapsing onto the table, already fainted.

Mother Hawthorne finally realized something was wrong, grabbed the sachet on the table.

"Tanya Sinclair, you little bitch, you dared to drug us..."

She didn’t smell deeply earlier, it seemed Yvonne inhaled too much!

Tanya smiled slightly, "This contains mandala flower powder, does it smell good?"

"You bitch!" Mother Hawthorne gritted her teeth and lunged at Tanya Sinclair, but Tanya nimbly dodged, causing Mother Hawthorne to fall heavily to the ground.

"Tanya Sinclair, do you think you can get away today?" Mother Hawthorne gritted her teeth, trembling as she reached for the phone in her bag, but her dizziness was so severe that it slipped and fell to the ground.

She stretched out her hand to reach for it, but Tanya Sinclair kicked it away.

"Want to call Butler Langdon? Let me help you with that."

Tanya Sinclair looked down at Mother Hawthorne on the floor, dialing a number in front of her. In less than a minute, the door of the private room opened from the outside, with Butler Langdon being dragged in like a chick by two burly men.

"Madam, I just reached the staircase with the men, but was blocked by this group..." Butler Langdon looked distraught, almost in tears.

Tanya Sinclair just waved her hand, and Butler Langdon was dragged out.

Mother Hawthorne’s face was already pale, and now it was completely white!

"Wendy Chester, I have asked myself, in all these years at The Hawthornes, I have never wronged any of you and fulfilled my duties as a daughter-in-law." Tanya Sinclair couldn’t suppress her anger, coldly questioning, "Now that I want a divorce, you insist on destroying me this way?"

"Daughter-in-law, hahaha..." Mother Hawthorne laughed sarcastically. Even at this point, she still had no regrets.

"You think you’re worthy of being my daughter-in-law? Tanya Sinclair, if you had died in childbirth five years ago, leaving only a pair of children, I’d barely let you into The Hawthorne Gardens! But you just had to wake up, and being left with nothing wasn’t enough, you want to divorce and take my son’s assets, and want the two kids... Tanya Sinclair, you’re insatiably greedy!"

Tanya Sinclair closed her eyes briefly.

She didn’t waste any more words, simply pointed to Yvonne Hawthorne, instructing, "Take her to the back room."

Back room...

Mother Hawthorne thought of the four drugged men inside and was thoroughly panicked, finally beginning to feel scared.

"No... Tanya Sinclair, don’t touch my daughter!"

She crawled to Tanya Sinclair’s feet, desperately using both hands and feet.

"If you dare touch Yvonne, I won’t let you go!" Mother Hawthorne threatened viciously, but seeing Tanya Sinclair’s indifferent expression and Yvonne Hawthorne being dragged into the back room, Mother Hawthorne was extremely flustered.

"Tanya, Tanya, I only have Yvonne, my dear daughter, if you want revenge just let me go in! I’ll take her place! Everything was my doing, it has nothing to do with my daughter..."

She was crying and bowing her head to Tanya Sinclair, hitting her head until it broke.

Finally knowing pain only when the knife was stabbing into oneself.

Tanya Sinclair slowly squatted down, her voice icy and piercing.

She said, "Wendy Chester, when you sought to destroy me this way, did you ever consider, I’m someone else’s darling daughter too?"

Mother Hawthorne’s face turned completely white.

"Ah—help! What are you doing, let me go!" The terrified screams of Yvonne Hawthorne came from behind the door.

She cried out, "Mom, mom, help me!!"

"Yvonne!" Mother Hawthorne scrambled towards the back room.

But Tanya Sinclair didn’t give her the chance; she took out a handkerchief from her bag, poured the remaining mandala flower powder onto it, and firmly covered Mother Hawthorne’s mouth and nose.

Inside the room, Yvonne Hawthorne’s screams became more and more heart-wrenching.

Tanya Sinclair waited a little while longer, nodded to the leader of the extras behind her, who understood and rushed in with his men.

Tanya Sinclair followed behind them in.

In sight was Yvonne Hawthorne, her clothes torn and barely covering her, her panties almost pulled down, curled up in a corner and scared to death.

The four drugged men were nearly naked, staring intently at Yvonne Hawthorne, eyes lit green like starving wolves on prey.

If it weren’t for Tanya Sinclair bringing a lot of people, it might have been impossible to hold these four down.

The extras filming and photographing on the side were almost stupefied.

He handed over the camera to Tanya Sinclair, unable to resist swallowing his saliva, whispering, "Ms. Sinclair, this realistic-style documentary, you shot it too vividly..."

Tanya Sinclair had told them they were shooting a documentary-style film, with hidden cameras, one-take.

She didn’t speak, roughly flipping through it, there were both photos and videos.

She put away the camera and picked up the vibrating phone to take a look. It was from Zion Monroe, with just one word.

[Withdraw.]

"Thanks for your hard work, everyone, let’s continue with our meal back in the private room."

Tanya Sinclair gave Yvonne Hawthorne one last look, turned indifferently, and left.

She had just descended the stairs and taken a few steps when a group of policemen arrived, rushing upstairs with a clear target in mind.

Tanya Sinclair quietly exited the restaurant from the back door. She didn’t leave immediately, going around to stand quietly across the street, waiting for a moment. Soon, the police came out with four men, along with the barely covered and terrified Yvonne Hawthorne, and Mother Hawthorne clinging embarrassingly onto her.

Reporter teams then emerged from all directions, rushing up with cameras, focusing on Wendy Chester and her daughter Yvonne Hawthorne. With onlookers gathering around for a show, the scene became chaotic, and the police couldn’t even manage to contain it.

Amidst this, Yvonne Hawthorne’s coat was pulled off in the chaos, and flashlights were flashing wildly. Mother Hawthorne kneeled, desperately shielding her daughter with her body.

Tanya Sinclair coldly withdrew her gaze.

She glanced down at the camera in her bag, the most sensational material was still with her...

Tanya Sinclair turned to leave, when a motorcycle approached.

Tanya Sinclair’s keen instincts sensed something was wrong. The motorcycle suddenly changed lanes, speeding towards her, and the person on the back seat drew a steel rod from their clothes, swinging it at Tanya Sinclair!

Tanya Sinclair’s pupils widened in shock.

’Bang—’

A black luxury car came from behind with lightning speed, ramming into and overturning the motorcycle.

The two people on the motorcycle rolled over a dozen meters, enduring severe pain to quickly get up, and two motorcycles waiting at the corner for support immediately rushed out, picked them up, and fled!

Everything happened so fast.

Tanya Sinclair’s blood had yet to warm back up. The door of the black Maybach next to her opened, and she heard a familiar man’s voice, laced with deep lingering fears.

"Tanya Sinclair!"

Tanya Sinclair turned her head stiffly, seeing Declan Pierce inside the car, extending his hand towards her.

He was in the shadows of the car, only the hand reaching out to her bathed in the soft moonlight...

Tanya Sinclair didn’t know why, but her eyes inexplicably felt hot, grabbing Declan Pierce’s hand, he exerted force, pulling her entire self into the car.

Tanya Sinclair fell completely into Declan Pierce’s embrace.

The car door closed behind her, the car began to drive.

The noise outside was isolated.

Tanya Sinclair’s face was almost buried in Declan Pierce’s chest, his presence enveloping her, through the crisp fabric, she could even hear the man’s heartbeat in her ears.

’Thud—thud—thud—’

One after another, heavy and powerful.

Too close.

Declan Pierce’s breathing brushed past the top of her head.

Tanya Sinclair dared not look up, wanting to get up from his embrace.

At this moment, the car happened to take a turn, causing her just-uplifted upper body to be swung back more forcefully by inertia, and this time, she wasn’t nearly buried in Declan Pierce’s embrace; she was fully buried.

Just resting her head on his heartbeat, her whole body threatened to burn up, her hands, unfortunately, pressing onto his abs.

This position was too ambiguous.

Tanya Sinclair repeatedly apologized, anxiously trying to extricate herself.

But the car was too dark, her hands groping around in panic for a support point, moving downward, but... why did it not feel like genuine leather seats?

She hesitated, feeling around once.

The next second, Declan Pierce firmly grabbed her wrist.

His voice was slightly hoarse, with a hint of dangerously restrained tone, "Tanya Sinclair, if you find any issues, it’s on you to deal with them?"

Just then, she saw in the corner of her eye, her hand almost about to rest on something that definitely wasn’t part of the real leather seat...

"!"

Tanya Sinclair bounced away from Declan Pierce’s embrace, nearly flying back out of it. She immediately started, "I—," but was intercepted by Declan Pierce shamelessly saying, "How’s the feel?"

Feeling instantly embarrassed, Tanya Sinclair didn’t have time to open her mouth to argue before hearing Declan Pierce, shamelessly adding, "How does it feel?"

Tanya was stunned.

"""