The Billionaire's Dangerous Redemption (by Claire Winters) novel Chapter 146

146 A Calculated Spill

Hazel’s POV

I sat across from Tanya in the bustling café, watching her face twist with mounting fury. The revelation about the jade bracelet’s true value had hit her like a physical blow. Three hundred million dollars, destroyed by her daughter’s jealousy and her own negligence. The horror in her eyes was priceless.

“You’re lying,” she hissed, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms. “That bracelet couldn’t possibly be worth that much.”

I took a leisurely sip of my hot chocolate. “Think what you want, Tanya. Imperial jade with documented provenance speaks for itself.”

Her nostrils flared. “Even if it was valuable, which I don’t believe for a second, how convenient that you only mention this now, when the bracelet is long gone and can’t be verified.”

“I have the appraisal documents,” I replied smoothly. “And photographs. Mother was very thorough about documenting family heirlooms.”

Tanya’s eyes darted around nervously. I could practically see her mind racing, calculating angles, searching for an escape route from the financial trap she’d walked

into.

“This is blackmail,” she whispered harshly.

I raised an eyebrow. “Is it? You asked for my company shares. I named my price. That’s just business.”

“Business?” Tanya’s voice rose slightly before she caught herself, aware of the other café patrons. “You’re deliberately asking for something impossible!”

“Just like you did to me for years,” I countered. “How many times did you demand perfection, knowing I could never meet your standards? How many times did you set me up to fail?”

Cherry shifted in her seat beside me, eyeing Tanya with undisguised contempt. I appreciated her silent support.

“I never-” Tanya began.

“Save it,” I cut her off. “We both know the truth. The only difference now is that I’m not that frightened little girl anymore.”

Tanya’s coffee cup trembled in her grasp. I recognized the signs of her mounting rage -the twitching corner of her mouth, the rapid blinking, the whitening knuckles. She was about to lose control.

Good.

I discreetly moved my designer purse from the table to my lap, protecting it from what I knew was coming. Tanya had always been predictable in her explosions.

“You think you’re so clever now,” she spat, voice dripping with venom. “Just because Sebastian Sinclair is backing you. Without him, you’d be nothing”

I smiled, the calm before the storm. “Is that what helps you sleep at night? Believing my success is only due to a man’s support? How wonderfully outdated of you.”

Her hand tightened around her coffee cup, and I knew the moment had arrived. I watched her muscles tense, preparing for the dramatic gesture-the coffee splash meant to humiliate me publicly.

But I was ready.

In one fluid motion, just as her arm began to rise, I stood abruptly, “accidentally” knocking my hot chocolate across the table. The thick brown liquid splashed directly onto Tanya’s cream-colored designer suit and beige silk blouse.

She shrieked, jumping to her feet as the hot liquid soaked through her expensive clothing.

“Oh my God!” I gasped with theatrical concern. “I’m so clumsy! Let me help you!”

I grabbed a handful of napkins and rushed to her side, dabbing at the stain with enough force to spread it further across the delicate fabric.

“Stop it!” Tanya slapped my hands away. “You’re making it worse!”

“I’m so sorry,” I continued, my voice dripping with false sincerity. “Here, let me—”

“Get away from me!” she hissed, drawing stares from nearby tables.

I stepped back, making a show of my distress for our audience. “Please, let me pay for the dry cleaning. It’s the least I can do.”

I opened my purse and pulled out a measly fifty dollars, holding it out to her. “Will this cover it? I know times are tough for you right now.”

The café had gone quiet, all eyes on our little drama. Tanya’s face flushed crimson with humiliation as she stared at the insulting amount. We both knew her suit alone cost

thousands.

“You did that on purpose,” she whispered, voice shaking with rage.

I widened my eyes with feigned innocence. “What? No! It was an accident. I’m trying to make it right.”

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