"What did you say?" Erik laughed, but the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"I said, you're making such a big fuss just for money, right? How much do you want? Name your price." The Hills might not have much else, but they had plenty of money.
"Nelson's lost his mind! I always thought he was this untouchable prodigy. Who knew he could be this crass?"
"How is it crass? Who even knows what that guy's background is? Isn't he sticking with Janelle just for her money?"
"Exactly. The only reason he's not agreeing now is because the price isn't right yet. Offer enough, and he'll cave."
"I think so too. Janelle came back from the border, wasn't it also for money?"
"Nelson, you motherfucker! You really have no shame! Human life can't be measured by money!" Sara couldn't hold back any longer.
"I saw the video! You were trying to kill Erik and Janelle!" If Erik hadn't pushed Janelle aside, who knows what would have happened to her?
Sara surged forward, wanting to tear Nelson apart. Lillie, however, blocked her path.
"Janelle, I know your mother has been in a sanatorium all these years. Paying her medical bills must have been hard. Fine, whatever amount you want, we can give it to you. Let's just drop this."
Sara was furious. She slapped Lillie. Still not satisfied, she grabbed her hair.
"Lillie! You, the bastard daughter of a mistress! What right do you have to throw the Rovellas' money at Janelle?!" Sara was petite, but she fought fiercely.
Lillie felt her scalp sting. Being taller, she shoved Sara away hard. Sara almost fell.
Luckily, Janelle slipped off her stool and caught Sara's waist.
"You okay?"
Sara steadied herself, shaking her head. She'd just been too angry. This Lillie was as shameless as her mother.
Seeing Sara was fine, Janelle walked towards Lillie. Lillie was intimidated by her aura.
"What do you want to do? There are so many people watching!" Lillie's voice trembled. But in front of so many people, she couldn't back down.
"By your logic, as long as the money is right, trading your two lives is also acceptable, right?" Janelle's voice was icy.
"Then tell me, how much are your two worthless lives worth? Since you don't want to apologize, we'll solve this my way! Get out there! Stand in the middle of the road. You tried to run me over once; I'll run you over once. Don't worry! If you dodge, it's over."
"What?"
Lillie didn't understand.
Janelle, however, grabbed Lillie's hair with one hand and seized Nelson's collar with the other. She started dragging them both outside.
"What's happening? Are they playing this crazy? Could someone actually die?"
"Oh my god! Did you see that? Janelle looks terrifyingly cool!"
"Come on! Let's follow them out!"
Beside them, Sara was stunned. Playing this insane? But if someone really got run over and killed...
It could be... Sara was worried.
"Erik..." Sara wanted Erik to stop Janelle, but she saw Erik looking excitedly thrilled as he followed them out.
"..."
Damn it. If these two actually get together, wouldn't they just go crazy together?
This is too scary!
Janelle dragged them outside. Lillie struggled, resulting in being scraped along the ground. Once outside Nightfall, Janelle released them. Nelson and Lillie collapsed onto the pavement.
Lillie was utterly humiliated. She had never been so degraded. Now, in front of all these rich kids, Janelle was grinding her self-respect into the dirt.
Before she could even react, Erik had tossed the car keys to Janelle.
"Go wild." Whatever she wanted to do, he would handle the consequences.
Janelle yanked the car door open and got in. Sitting behind the wheel, her beauty was matched only by her terrifying audacity.
"Crazy. They're all crazy!"
Lillie scrambled frantically to her feet. She wanted to run. She could not die here. Janelle's life and hers were not equal! She was the heiress of Blue Whale, Nelson's fiancée! Janelle was just gutter trash; how could she compare?
Erik, however, blocked her escape.
"Going somewhere? Didn't you think money could solve everything? Today, whatever price you name, I'll pay double. For your two worthless lives." They loved using money to bully people? Now they could feel what it was like to be crushed by it.
Meanwhile, Janelle had started the engine. The blue Rolls-Royce Cullinan began moving towards them.
Lillie screamed.
"Ahhhh! Help! Janelle's gone mad! She's a lunatic! This is murder!"
Nelson also struggled up. He no longer cared about anything else; he just wanted to flee. For the first time, he felt the true depths of Janelle's madness.
But he'd barely taken a step when Erik grabbed his collar and hurled him back into the middle of the street.
At that moment, the blue Cullinan accelerated towards him.
"No! Janelle, no!!" Nelson was petrified. Would someone really try to run him over in front of so many witnesses? Remembering Madalyn was a madwoman... a madwoman's daughter was likely insane too. He was truly terrified. He tried to crawl away, but his legs were jelly, his body refusing to obey.
To save his life, he could only scramble desperately towards the curb.
"Oh my god! Isn't this going too far?!"
"Yeah! Janelle really seems like a psycho."
"Some of you are just hypocrites! Nelson drove at them first! Janelle's just returning the favor! What's wrong with that?" It was easy to talk when the knife wasn't at your own throat.
As the car seemed about to hit him, Nelson dropped to his knees. And as he knelt, he peed his pants.
"I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please forgive me! I'll never dare do this again!" Faced with death, anyone felt small. He didn't want to die. He wanted to live. Only by living could he hope to repay everything he was suffering today.
The Cullinan screeched to a halt less than five centimeters from him.
Janelle remained seated in the car, looking down at Nelson kneeling before the hood. Inside, she felt an eerie calm. He was the first to say sorry, but he wouldn't be the last.
"Janelle, I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Please, let me go!" Nelson was the picture of utter degradation.
"Oh my god! Did Nelson just pee himself?" someone in the crowd couldn't help but comment.