Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22 The Cruel Game

She carried a large bag of medicine, stumbling unevenly along the street while counting the days in her head.

Today was the eighteenth. Next month on the eighteenth was the promised date.

As long as she lived until that day, it would be enough.

A hint of relief slipped into her otherwise gray, heavy mood.

Suddenly, the shriek of brakes tore through the air.

Her body tensed instantly, like a startled bird.

When she looked up, a flashy red Maserati screeched to a halt in front of her. Four or five other brightly colored sports cars boxed her in completely.

Several arrogant young men climbed out, circling around a girl in the middle–Minnie.

“Minnie, is this your sister–in–law?”

“Ha! She doesn’t deserve to be my

sister–in–law!”

“Hahaha, true enough. Look at that shabby mess! I can smell the stench from here!”

Minnie’s face twisted with disgust. Her eyes on Tatiana held not the slightest respect, only naked hostility.

“My brother would never marry a woman like her!”

To Minnie, Jasper was faith itself—an idol she worshipped. She was a rabid brother–obsessive who had despised Tatiana since childhood, ever since Tatiana had followed Jasper around.

Back then, as a foster daughter of the Jackson family, she hadn’t dared truly offend the Lowell family’s eldest daughter. She’d endured and swallowed her anger. But now Tatiana was nothing more than a driver’s daughter–someone to be toyed with at will.

Thinking of how her mother had scolded her over Tatiana, Minnie’s rage boiled over. “Hold her

down!”

Sensing danger, Tatiana turned to flee.

But her bad leg betrayed her. She barely managed two steps before someone deliberately tripped her. She crashed down hard, her chin splitting open on the concrete, blood gushing. She didn’t even have time to care about the pain–she scrambled to grab the scattered bag of

medicine.

“Well, well, what’s she clutching so tightly? Must be precious!”

Minnic ordered coldly, “Bring it here.”

A follower rushed forward to snatch it.

Tatiana clung to it desperately. “No, please, I beg you, give it back!”

But the bag was torn from her arms and delivered to Minnic. She opened it and frowned at the boxes of medicine, the scientific names meaningless to her.

One of the lackeys peered closer, pointing at a few boxes. “These are for lung disease. She’s sick?”

Minnie looked from the pills to Tatiana, then smirked. Shaking the bag in her hand, she sneered, “You want this back?”

Tatiana reached toward it, panicked. “Give it back to me!”

The moment she moved, rocks rained down on her. She staggered backward, shielding her face with her arms.

Even so, a stone split her forehead, blood streaming down.

The group laughed cruelly, jeering as though mocking a stray dog.

“Look at her! What a pathetic coward!”

“Didn’t she always act so high and mighty? Now she’s like a mutt on the street!”

“Hey, let’s make a bet. First one to hit her eye wins a sports car. How about it?”

The crowd roared with excitement, itching to try.

One hesitated. “That… doesn’t seem right. What if something really happens-”

“You’re such a weakling! What’s there to be scared of? She’s no longer the Lowell family’s daughter, just a driver’s brat. If something happens, we’ll throw money at it. Problem solved!”

Minnie didn’t stop them. On the contrary, she added fuel to the fire. “Whoever wins gets to have dinner with me.”

The jeering doubled in volume.

These

young men were her lapdogs, basking in her glow. Now that they had a chance to share a

dinner with her, how could they resist?

“Me first!”

One raised a rock, muttering as he looked for a target. “She’s covering herself too well. Can’t get her eye.”

“Then hit somewhere else! She’ll move if it hurts enough.”

“Haha, smart thinking.”

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