Chapter 8
Dexter broke out in a cold sweat immediately.
“Miss Bennett, or just name your price.”
I smirked with amusement.
“Uncle Dexter wants me to name a price? So that’s it-just throw money at the problem and hope it goes away?”
“Let me be clear – I’ve dealt with plenty of tough guys over the years, but I’ve never met such a lawless little prince like your son.”
“If this had been some regular nobody today, would you have even bothered showing up? Or would one phone call have been enough
to make it go away?”
Dexter was visibly shaking and couldn’t even meet my gaze.
“Miss Bennett, what happened today was completely our fault. I’m willing to make this right.”
“Just say the word – I won’t haggle, I give you my word!”
Louis had never seen his father grovel like this. To save face in front of the employees, he jumped in first.
“Dad, we’re the fucking Johnson family. How can you just bow down to anyone like this?”
I locked eyes with him, my voice dripping with amusement.
“So… Mr. Johnson, you still think your family runs New York?”
I may have stayed out of the spotlight these past few years, but I’ve met my share of real power players.
But when it came to wealth and influence, the Johnson family? They’d barely qualify for the guest list.
‘Listen up, Bennett – I’m not as easily fooled as my dad.”
‘If you think you’re hot shit, prove it!”
I glanced at my watch and let out a cold laugh.
‘Mr. Johnson, confidence is great, but blind arrogance? That’s your problem.”
This Johnson family empire you’re so damn proud of? From where I’m standing, it’s pretty fucking mediocre.”
Dexter’s face went pale the moment those words left my mouth.
He was about to speak, but I cut him off with a raised hand.
“Uncle Dexter, you heard what your son just said, right?”
“If I don’t respond to this, people might think they can walk all over the out-of-town girl.”
The moment I finished speaking. Louis’s phone started ringing.
He shot me a nervous glance, hesitated for a few seconds, then finally answered.
“What did you just say? Run that by me again!”
Louis’s eyes went wide as he stared at me in disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
“Financial irregularities? Indefinite shutdown?”
“A federal task force from D.C.?”
After triple-checking with his legal team, Louis looked completely shell-shocked.
“Jessica Bennett… don’t tell me… you’re behind all this?”
The look on Louis’s face told me that even hearing his company was going under, he still couldn’t believe I had that kind of power.
This time, I didn’t even need to respond. Dexter, who’d been holding back his frustration, finally exploded:
“Louis Johnson, how did I raise such a complete fucking idiot!”
Weren’t you satisfied with the damage you’d already done? Did you have to drag the entire Johnson family down with you?”
Dexter slapped his own thigh in frustration, the picture of disappointed rage.
‘Louis! Do you still not understand why I arranged this engagement?”
I could overlook your usual bullshit, but today you had to go and piss off Miss Bennett!”
The more Dexter talked, the more worked up he got, until he was practically stamping his feet in fury.
And honestly? He wasn’t exaggerating one bit.
Especially considering Carrie had totaled my supervisor’s ride on top of everything else.
After Dexter’s desperate lecture, the light finally dawned on Louis.
Dad… are you saying… this woman’s connections are so high up that even our family can’t fuck with her?”
–
At that moment, every single person there looked at me completely differently – with pure terror in their eyes.
Especially Carrie, who was cowering in the crowd, too scared to even make eye contact.
Mr. Johnson, you should be grateful you didn’t cross any bigger lines with me earlier.”
Otherwise, bankruptcy would be the least of your problems right now.”
