Third Person's POV
Elmer stood there, stunned for a few seconds, staring at Vanya in disbelief. "You dared to hit me?!"
"I told you, if you say another word, don't blame me for being ruthless," Vanya said coldly, her eyes fixed on Elmer.
Elmer's temper flared. "Vanya! You f***ing..."
Before he could finish, Vanya slapped him again, this time with full force. Elmer's face immediately turned red and swollen.
"Watch your mouth! I used to give you some leeway for Aldridge's sake and ignored your antics. Don't think I'm someone you can bully. If you dare to provoke me again, you'll regret it!"
Vanya's gaze grew even colder. In the past, when she lived at Aldridge's place before marrying Cliff, young Elmer, encouraged by Mirabel, had often played petty tricks on her—ruining her notebooks, stealing her things.
She hadn't bothered to confront him about those minor incidents, but now she saw no reason to put up with him any longer.
Elmer was trembling with rage. Towering over Vanya, he was about to lunge at her when Vanya suddenly raised her voice and shouted downstairs, "What are you all doing? Get him back to his room now!"
A few maids, alerted by the commotion, hurried upstairs and stood by Elmer, urging him to leave.
If the matter reached Aldridge's ears, Elmer would be in serious trouble.
Elmer pointed at Vanya and said defiantly, "You just wait. I'll show you!"
Vanya let out a cold laugh. "Tell your mom to stop scheming. As long as I'm alive, she can forget about it!"
Elmer had no choice but to swallow his anger for now.
Later that night, Cliff called Vanya. After a brief silence, he asked in a deep voice, "When are you coming back?"
Vanya replied coolly, "I'm staying at Aldridge's place tonight. I won't be coming back."
"I'll come get you now," Cliff said.
Vanya frowned and hesitated for a moment. "Tomorrow. I have something to talk to you about."
"Now," Cliff insisted, his tone brooking no argument.
Vanya glanced at the clock—it was midnight.
Cliff was waiting on the line, his heart heavy with unease. The Silver Moon Packhouse was eerily empty tonight, and he felt a sense of dread, as if he were about to lose something important.
"Alright, come get me," Vanya finally agreed. There was no point in delaying the conversation any longer.
Outside the house, Elmer had been eavesdropping on Vanya's call. He sneered, then slipped downstairs and into the garage.
Vanya's car was parked there. Elmer took out a pair of scissors and cut the brake lines, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Vanya, you're done for!"
Cliff's car soon arrived at the Thunder Packhouse, disturbing Aldridge and Mirabel, who had already retired for the night.
They both came out to greet him, with Elmer trailing behind. Aldridge's expression was less than welcoming.
"Alpha Cliff, whatever misunderstandings you and Vanya have, you need to clear them up quickly. Don't let things get out of hand," Mirabel said, hoping to prevent Vanya and Cliff from rejection.
"I apologize for the late visit. I'll talk things through with Vanya," Cliff said, his eyes fixed on Vanya, trying to read her expression. But since he had arrived, Vanya hadn't even glanced at him.
"Vanya..." Aldridge began, but Vanya understood his concern. "Aldridge, I'll be fine. I'm leaving now."
Aldridge composed himself and said, "Drive safely."
Vanya nodded and followed Cliff out of the Dalton family's gate.
"I'll drive my own car. I came here by myself," she said, heading toward the garage. Cliff grabbed her hand, frowning. "Still angry?"
Vanya didn't respond.
Cliff whispered, "I was wrong this time. I lost control of my emotions."
"Cliff, that's not the point," Vanya said, pulling her hand free. "Let's talk about this when we get home."
Vanya turned and walked into the garage. Cliff watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.
The two cars drove one after the other down the empty street. Knowing Vanya was still upset, Cliff didn't speed up. He just followed her at a safe distance.
The night was quiet, and the streets were deserted. Vanya turned on some soothing music, her mind racing with how she would bring up the topic of rejection with Cliff when they got home.
At the first traffic light, the light was green, and Vanya prepared to brake. But when she stepped on the brake pedal, nothing happened. She froze.
This car...
Cliff, following behind, noticed the traffic light and frowned slightly. He called Vanya. "Vanya... you just ran the red light. Do you realize that? You could get into an accident if you keep driving like this!"
By now, Vanya had tried the brakes several times and realized something was wrong.
She took a deep breath and said, "Cliff... there's something wrong with my car."
"What do you mean?"
"The brakes aren't working!"
Vanya's face turned pale. She hadn't been driving fast, but there was a speed bump ahead. If she couldn't stop the car, an accident was inevitable.