The Traps of the Black Swan (Book 2)

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Maisie's eyes widened when she sensed the female bodyguard in a suit standing behind her after hearing Zain.

None of them knew how Maisie actually treated Jennie as the latter never told them. But Jose was different. Jose witnessed everything from his birth. He was always obedient to her because he had witnessed how Maisie was beating Jennie. So a small threat would be enough to make Jose cry out everything. He feared the pain more than anything.

"Zain, how dare you? Did you forget we are family?" Maisie stood up to stop her son from blurting out everything in fear. Jose was her son anyway, he learned by watching her and knew how to save himself from trouble.

She turned to Jose, even if she raised her voice at Jose, she never really got angry at him. But this time, she fiercely glared at him, "Jose, don't forget your limits. Go to your room."

Jose was feeling pressure from all sides. The Manoban family, Zain, and also his parents. Gulping a mouthful of spit, he tried to stand up but Zain's continuous tap on his shoulders felt too heavy. He tried to speak, words stayed behind, he weighed the situation and stayed seated.

Looking at the situation of his parents, he didn't want to end up like them. So he too chose his welfare against his parents. He wasn't the one to be blamed, that's what he learned from his mother and father all these years.

"Family?" Zain scorned. That was the most ridiculous word from her mouth. He was a Kim, the more he revealed to the Manoban family, the more they would despise the Kim family. Hence he didn't reveal much about how they treated him after he lost his father.

The assistant placed a file on the table as he reported about Jose, "Just passed in graduation, has a girlfriend on whom he spends all his allowance. Excluding his car, he has nothing under his name. Has no job or responsibility, spends all the time playing video games."

Jose: "..."

He felt every word out of that middle-aged man as a taunt and he couldn't understand what was going on. For a moment he wondered if Zain was using the Manoban family to get rid of them for the Kim International.

In that case, wouldn't Zain be working at Kim International to help their grandfather and get on the good books? Jose felt his brain wasn't smart enough to discern what was going on.

'Did Mom or Dad offend the Manoban family?' His eyes widened.

They often feared the Manoban family when Mino had told them he would ruin them if something happens to Jennie at the wedding hall. Jose knew how protective Jisoo and Mino were of Jennie.

'So is this old grudge?' Jose thought as he glanced at Zain who loved Jennie more than anybody in the family.

Jose used to get a little jealous of his sister when Zain was returning from boarding school with gifts for her and take her out for playing all day. Then Maisie would coax him with more gifts and vacations, hence he never fought with Jennie.

People often crave something unattainable. Hence, Jose was a little envious of Jennie when Hayden and Zain treated Jennie like a princess and always ignored him. He only had his parents flatter him.

Jisoo cracked his knuckles as he stood up and flexed his arms, "I didn't work out well today." He lazily said and Jose lost it there.

"Mom used to hit my sister almost every day." He crouched aside anticipating Jisoo to hit him.

"Jose," Maisie grunted loudly as she stood up. She was about to stride towards him, the female bodyguard, grabbed her hair mercilessly and flung aside for more space to beat the woman.

'Flop' Maisie cried out in pain falling on the floor. It immediately reminded her how she always used her strength and dragged Jennie by her hair.

Of course, the bodyguard knew who they were talking about. Young Madam of the Manoban family. Ignoring that they were Young Madam's parents, she focused on her job.