Chapter 9

"You're Stock God?" Jesse stared at the woman in front of him in disbelief. She wore a black slip dress with a mysterious mask that hid her face. He never imagined that the legendary investor making waves in the business world would turn out to be a young woman. But for some reason, he had this odd feeling that she looked a lot like Grace. No way. Grace was just his useless doormat. She couldn't possibly be the famous Stock God. "Why did you choose me?" Jesse couldn't help asking. He knew countless major companies had reached out, including Donovan Corporation. It made no sense that Stock God would pick him. Grace swirled her wine and took a slow sip. Her red lips curved into a smirk, her voice laced with disdain. "You're average looking, incompetent, arrogant, and way too full of yourself. Honestly, I'd rather choose a dog than choose you." Jesse's grin stiffened. His face twisted with rage, but he didn't dare lash out. He could only grit his teeth and swallow his fury down. Grace savored the sight of him stewing. "My daughter's severely ill. She needs blood transfusions. But she has a rare blood type, and the local blood banks hardly carry it. I've searched all over the city. There aren't many people with her blood type." She took another sip and looked at him, dropping her next remark on purpose. "I remember your daughter has that same rare blood type, doesn't she?" He blinked. "Yes, she does." Grace settled on the couch, crossing her legs elegantly. She sized Jesse up like a bug on the floor. "If you agree to let your daughter keep donating blood to my daughter, I'll sign the contract with you right now. So, Mr. Blake, what's it going to be? Are you willing to sacrifice your daughter for your future?" Jesse said he needed time to think. Grace wasn't worried at all. She had already thrown out the bait. She just had to wait for him to come begging. If he dared to say no, she had more than enough ways to put him in his place. ... Outside Noble Kindergarten, the driveway was packed with luxury cars. After meeting with Jesse, Grace went to the kindergarten to pick up Clara. She held a hot dog in one hand and a milk carton in the other, trying to make up for all the motherly love Clara had missed out on. But after half an hour, there was no sign of Clara, and Grace started to worry. She walked into the classroom, but it was empty. Then, she heard something in the supply closet next door. Peeking through the window, Grace saw Clara being pushed down by a group of girls her age. A short-haired girl was yanking Clara's hair. "You little bastard, how dare you hit me?" Clara glared back. "You insulted my mommy, so yeah, I hit you!" Amelia stood there with a smug grin. "My dad only loves my mom, but your mom won't stop chasing after him. If she's not a leech, then what is she? Trash?" "Shut up! Don't you dare talk about my mommy like that!" Clara lunged at Amelia and started hitting her with her little fists. The other little girls quickly pulled Clara away. Amelia was enraged. She grabbed Clara's long hair and fished a pair of scissors from her pocket. "You little bastard! You're just here to give me blood when I need it. How dare you fight back? Today, I'll show you what happens when you mess with me!" "Who are you calling a little bastard?" Before Amelia could do anything, Grace grabbed her by the arm and lifted her right off the ground. "Mommy!" When Clara saw Grace, she ran straight to her and clung tightly to her leg. Tears poured down her little face. "It's alright. I'm here." Grace tossed Amelia aside and gently patted Clara's back to calm her. "Apologize," Grace said coldly to Amelia. "You want me to apologize to that little bastard? Did you lose your mind?" Amelia sneered, completely unfazed and even more defiant. She spoke as if giving orders. "If you smack Clara around, I might just let you cook at my place. That way, you can see my dad again." Amelia was just six years old, but she wasn't like a naive child at all. She was spoiled and mean, a result of bad parenting. Grace had thought maybe Amelia was innocent, even with parents like that. But clearly, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. "Did Nina give birth to an idiot? Tell your mom to book a session with a neurologist. I'll cover the bill," Grace said with a cold smirk. How could she possibly hurt her own child just to please someone else? Amelia had to be an idiot. "Cut the act! Now you want to play the loving mom? Please. You used to hit Clara all the time just to suck up to me. Did you forget that?" Amelia scoffed, arms crossed. Grace ignored her nonsense. "I'm only going to ask one more time. Are you going to apologize or not?" Amelia stayed just as arrogant. "No way. What are you going to do about it?" Grace gave a cold smirk. "You brought this on yourself."