Chapter 8 The Rise of the Collins Family

• Thinking about it, Yamila pulled out her phone, debating whether to send Leon a message, giving him a heads up about watching out for the Collinses.
• But then she remembered the heartless words she'd just thrown at him, leaving her unsure of how to approach them.
• She shrugged it off, hoping Leon would take care of himself and not provoke the Collinses anymore.
• ...
• After Samuel returned home, Jose Collins was furious.
• "B*stard! How dare he hurt my son! He's asking for death!"
• Seeing Samuel in such a sorry state, Jose was uncontrollably enraged.
• Samuel's face was wrapped in bandages, his eyes filled with hatred.
• Jose felt terrible seeing his son like that and said, "Don't worry, I'll make sure to settle this score for you!"
• Jose rose to his feet, exuding a strong and assertive presence as he said with dominance, "We've been laying low for too long. Now, even a little, nobody dares to step on us!
• "Spread the word. We're holding a press conference. I'll announce loud and clear that James, the Vice President of White Financial Group, is my little brother!"
• Jose clenched his fists, feeling a rush of determination.
• "I'll make sure everyone knows that the Collinses are not to be messed with!"
• ...
• Overnight, the Collinses became the hot topic in the elite circles of Lunaria.
• Everyone was discussing how James, the Vice President of the White Financial Group, turned out to be from the Collinses.
• James Collins was a big shot in Lunaria. Just a little move from him could shake things up.
• Who would've guessed that James was actually Jose's brother!
• The Collinses sure knew how to keep a low profile. With such a big shot in the family, they still managed to stay under the radar.
• For an ordinary family, having someone rise to a leadership position in the White Financial Group would be like hitting the jackpot, capable of lifting the entire family to new heights.
• But the Collins family has not only someone in a leadership position but also a Vice President!
• It was like going from zero to hero in no time!
• The Collinses used to be just a second-tier family, barely considered elite. But after being suppressed before, they suddenly hit rock bottom.
• Now, with the White Financial Group's support, they were practically rising!
• In no time, the Collinses became the talk of the town, everyone's gossip over coffee.
• Samuel was feeling a bit better today, at least enough to speak up.
• "Dad, I want to marry that b*tch, Yamila!"
• "I'm going to torture her. Otherwise, I can't ease the hatred in my heart!"
• Jose nodded. "With the reputation our family has now, you can marry whoever you want. And as for that, Leon, I'll make sure he pays the price!"
• A wicked grin crept onto Samuel's face. "That little b*stard, I'm going to drag him here and make him watch as I marry Yamila!"
• "Okay."
• With the current power of the Collinses, getting back at a poor guy like Leon would be a piece of cake.
• But just killing him would be too easy.
• He wanted Leon to watch his beloved woman marry him right in front of his eyes—hugging, kissing, and all that wedding stuff! It'd be like stabbing him in the heart!
• Soon enough, Samuel and Yamila's wedding was back on the agenda.
• Unlike last time, this time the place was packed with guests. The wedding hall was filled to the brim, and there were even people standing around watching.
• The Collinses were on a whole new level, especially with big shots like James. Everybody wanted to cosy up a bit.
• After all, he's the Vice President of the White Financial Group. Who wouldn't want to cosy up to that big shot in Lunaria?
• At that moment, Yamila sat in the makeup room, expressionless, like a zombie, her eyes empty and lifeless.
• Even when Nova did her makeup, she showed no reaction.
• Nova furrowed her brow and said, "Yamila, it's your wedding day. Try to smile a bit. You're not still hung up on that poor guy, are you?"
• At the mention of Leon, Yamila's expression subtly changed. After today, that guy should be completely out of her mind, right?
• Out of the blue, someone called for the bridesmaid to step out for a moment, and Nova put down the eyebrow pencil.
• "Yamila, you better do your own makeup quickly. I'll be right back!"
• Once Nova left, the makeup room felt deserted, leaving Yamila alone.
• Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, Yamila felt a whirlwind of emotions. Is this really what I want?
• Just then, a "ding" sounded, signalling a notification.
• It was from Nova's phone, sitting on the table.
• Yamila hesitated for a moment. She knew she shouldn't snoop on other people's phones. But then she wondered, Could this message be from Leon?
• With that thought in mind, Yamila picked up the phone, unlocked it using Nova's birthday, and opened the message.
• Fortunately, it wasn't from Leon, but from Samuel.
• Frowning, Yamila opened the chat, and her eyes landed on a photo that stood out—a pregnancy test report, confirming Nova's pregnancy.
• Scrolling up, Yamila's mind was blown!
• So, Nova's baby was actually Samuel's?!
• Reading through their explicit messages, Yamila felt like she was falling apart. It turned out they had been involved for a while, maintaining this illicit relationship. Samuel often sent money to Nova as compensation.
• Later, when Nova got pregnant, Samuel gave her 15 thousand dollars before she went for an abortion!
• Yamila saw my abortion report, so I came up with a brilliant idea. I told her it was Leon's baby, and she totally bought it and was furious. Haha ... '
• Baby, you played it so well. Once I marry your sister, I'll send you another 15 thousand!'
• Mr. Samuel, if you marry my sister, will you stop seeing me? (Feeling hurt)'
• Haha, don't worry, babe. Once I'm done playing with your sister, I'll come play with you. Maybe you two sisters can team up on me then, haha ... '
• Reading these disgusting chat logs, Yamila trembled all over.
• As she scrolled up, it got even crazier!
• Mr. Samuel, it's all sorted. That loser, Leon, was almost naked, and he still turned me down, but then my sister caught us in the act.'
• He didn't sleep with you? What a loser. Now it's going to be hard to send him to jail!'
• It's okay. After this incident, Yamila won't marry him. Don't worry, I've already discussed it with my mom ... '
• Just then, the door suddenly swung open, and Nova walked in.
• Seeing Yamila holding her phone, her face instantly turned pale.
• "Yamila! What are you doing with my phone?!"
• Yamila's expression turned extremely ugly. "Nova! So, you've been lying to me all this time!"
• Nova furrowed her brow, realising she had forgotten her phone just now. She was careless, and she didn't expect Yamila to see everything.
• "Yamila, it's come to this. There's no turning back now. Marrying Samuel is your best option!"
• "I won't marry him. If anyone wants to marry him, go for it. Get out of my way!"
• Nova let out a cold snort. "Yamila, do you really think you can run away from this? The place is packed with guests. Almost all the elite families in Lunaria are here. You really think you can escape?"