Once Downtrodden; Now Divine

Chapter 3

Donald was stunned for a moment.

After accepting the black card and the phoenix ring, he and Jane became people from two different worlds. He never expected Jane would show up in front of him again, let alone come looking for trouble.

He sneered. “You flatter yourself. I didn’t come here for you. You’re not worth the effort. I’m here at someone else’s request.”

Her smile flickered, but Jaxon’s laugh cut through the tension.

“Someone else’s request? Oh, this I’ve got to hear. Who in DeGrand Corporation would lower themselves to invite trash like you?”

“Unless… DeGrand needed an ex-con to do the grunt work. Maybe security. Maybe sweeping floors. That would fit. A washed-up criminal like you would make a fine doorman.”

Donald smirked, unbothered by Jaxon’s words.

"I can see you know nothing at all,” he said coldly, stepping aside to move past him.

Jaxon’s hand clamped down on his arm, and defiantly blocked his path.

“Don’t rush off,” he sneered.“Imagine how pathetic the headlines would look: ‘Ex-husband of a rising CEO reduced to playing guard dog at her new empire.’”

He jerked his chin toward Jane, whose lips curved with smug satisfaction.

“Jane doesn’t deserve that kind of embarrassment.”

Immediately Jaxon yanked out his wallet, pulled Donald back, slapped a bank card against his cheek, and let it drop into his lap.

“Here,” Jaxon said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

“One thousand dollars to buy your stay-at-home for a year. If I so much as see your name in the news, I'll have your legs broken.”

Donald’s blood boiled and his fists were ready to strike.

He never thought that before he could even go after them, they'd have the nerve to provoke him first.

But he stopped himself.

DeGrand had cameras everywhere, and if he caused actual harm to Jaxon, he would create trouble before he could truly help the warden's daughter.

Instead, with one quick move, Donald twisted Jaxon’s wrist and pressed a nerve.

Jaxon gasped in pain, dropping the card.

He stumbled back, clutching his arm, his face pale with shock.

Donald’s voice was ice.

“I'm not in the mood for this today. But you’ll really regret it if you touch me again.”

Jane’s cheeks burned red with fury.

“You—criminal! How dare you lay hands on him? I’ll call security right now and have you arrested!”

She spun toward the reception desk, but Jaxon grabbed her wrist.

“Enough, Jane!” he snapped, surprising her.

He lowered his voice. “This is DeGrand Corporation. Do you want to make a scene or cause a disturbance here? You’ll ruin our chances.”

Jane bit her lip, forcing herself into silence. 

Just then, the sharp click of heels echoed across the lobby.

A young secretary in a navy skirt suit hurried to the reception desk, her expression urgent.

“Where’s the visitor who came to see Miss Harrington?” she asked the receptionist in a hushed but insistent tone.

“This time’s guest is very important. We can’t afford even the slightest mistake.”

Ivy Harrington was the CEO of DeGrand Corporation and she commanded deep respect.

Donald moved toward the secretary. Before he'd left the prison, the warden had told him that Ivy had cleared her entire afternoon schedule, waiting specifically for his arrival as an important guest.

But just then, Jane stepped in front of him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jane looked him up and down coldly. "Can't you see the secretary is looking for Jaxon and me? Are you really trying to interrupt us right now?"

Donald's brow furrowed deeply. "You're seriously claiming that you're Ivy's important guest?"

Jane burst out laughing, as if she'd just heard the joke of the century. She kept laughing for a while before finally stopping, her eyes cutting cruelly toward Donald.

"Well, who else would it be? There are only three of us in this waiting area. If Ivy isn't here for us, you think she's here for you?"

Jane pulled Jaxon close and planted a firm kiss on his cheek. "Right, honey?"

Jaxon blinked, puzzled.

He had checked Miss Harrington ’s schedule carefully—today’s only major engagement was a charity gala in the evening, nothing connected to DeGrand.

So, there was no other option for the guest but him.

But the authorities had always looked down on his playboy reputation and his family. Why was this time different?

Maybe everything was going exactly as he’d planned, after all, he and Jane had registered together this time, not separately as they had in the past.

With that idea in mind, he broke into a pleased smile. "That's right, babe. You got it."

He straightened his suit and puffed out his chest, then stepped forward confidently with Jane.

“That would be me—the VIP guest Miss Harrington is expecting. Shall we go in?”

The secretary froze briefly at the sight of Jane and Jaxon. They were two familiar names that had begged DeGrand for cooperation many times, only to be politely refused.

These couldn’t possibly be the important guests Miss Harrington had spoken of.

"What are you still hesitating about?" Jane said with some dissatisfaction. "There are only three people in the entire waiting area including us, and one of them is here to apply for a security guard position. Could there be anyone else besides us?"

The secretary glanced at the waiting area and found that this was indeed the case. She thought to herself that perhaps Ivy had recently changed her opinion of these two people.

Pushing aside her doubts, the secretary put on a practiced smile.

“Miss Wilson, Mr. Brown—this way, please. The VIP room is ready.”

Jane defiantly hooked her arm through Jaxon's and planted a kiss on him, then turned to shoot Donald a contemptuous look.

"See that? You can follow me all you want, but money and status—that's the real gap between us."

With a cold snort, she turned on her heel and swept into the elevator with Jaxon, following the secretary's lead, without so much as a backward glance.

Donald watched the scene coldly. He had wanted to go up and tell the secretary that he was the so-called guest, but he really didn't want Jane and Jaxon to continue wasting his time.

He calmly pulled out his phone, asked the warden for Ivy's number, and dialed.

A pleasant yet somewhat anxious voice came through right away. “Mr. Smith, I've sent my assistant downstairs to meet you. Is everything alright?”

Donald said coolly: "Your secretary came and left with others. I'm still downstairs on the first floor. I think you might need to come down and meet me."

“What???”