No More Mrs. Nice Wife (Eleanor) novel Chapter 976

Hearing that familiar deep voice, Vanessa suddenly laughed, a flirtatious sound. "And? What are you going to do about it?"

Ian's voice remained devoid of emotion. "Stop what you're doing."

Her laughter turned mocking. "You don't need me anymore, remember? Why do you care what I do?"

"Our transaction is not yet complete," Ian stated, his tone flat but carrying an undeniable weight of authority. "Do not test my limits."

Vanessa laughed again, a triumphant sound this time. "Limits? So you do still need me, don't you? You still have to control me."

Feeling as though she had regained the upper hand, and emboldened by the alcohol, she listened to his cold but still intoxicatingly sexy voice and bit her lip. "Beg me, Ian. Beg me to stay alive, and I'll continue to keep your mother alive. Otherwise… do you really think I won't die just to spite you? I wouldn't mind adding another scar to my wrist—you—"

The line went dead.

Vanessa stared at the disconnected call in disbelief. With a cry of rage, she hurled the phone onto the adjacent sofa cushion, buried her head in her hands, and began to sob.

Laverne silently picked up the phone. She finally understood why Ian needed Vanessa. She was donating blood to save Mrs. Goodwin, Ian's mother.

So that was the source of Vanessa's unique leverage over him.

But now, not only had Ian ignored her threats about drinking, he had hung up on her. This unprecedented coldness made Laverne realize that Vanessa's greatest leverage was likely gone for good.

As her agent, however, Laverne had her own interests to protect. She couldn't let Vanessa actually self-destruct.

"Vanessa, snap out of it! You're going to ruin yourself," Laverne said, reaching for the liquor bottle.

Vanessa set the bottle down, a cool resolve gradually replacing the hysteria in her eyes. She had known this day might come. And she had prepared a backup plan.