Chapter 664
Only after all the students in the classroom had cleared out did Erlinda, dragging her tired feet, trail behind Nolan.
Nolan, now 50, was no spring chicken. His temples were completely gray.
They bumped into many people along the way, all of whom greeted him politely.
But once they stepped into Nolan’s private office, his smile vanished. He jerked his chin, signaling Erlinda to take a seat.
Erlinda was only twenty years old this year and was a Junior in college.
Erlinda slowly made her way to a chair, her calves trembling in fear.
“You saw Penny earlier, didn’t you? Did you give her the script?”
“Yes, I did‘
With that, Erlinda lowered her head, afraid to meet Nolan’s eyes.
Nolan nodded in satisfaction, suddenly patting her shoulder.
“Erlinda, you didn’t gab too much, did you?”
Nolan’s sudden movement startled Erlinda, causing her to tremble slightly.
“I didn’t, I swear.”
Nolan chuckled, then leaned in to give her a hug.
“Good. Penny’s just a minor player, she can’t do much damage. What did she say when you gave her the script?”
“Ms. Penny didn’t really like it. She asked me to make some changes.”
Erlinda swallowed hard.
A frown creased Nolan’s brow, and he snorted, “Of course she wouldn’t. I just gave it to her to keep her sweet. After all, to keep Mr. Sanders happy, I had to throw her a bone. You tinker with it a bit more, then just fob her off. Let her think you can’t do any better, and we can call it a day.”
With that, he placed his hand on Erlinda’s thigh.
She shivered again.
Nolan was pleased to see her so scared of him. He withdrew his hand, then placed it at the back of her neck, sliding it down to her shoulder blade.
“Erlinda, you’re looking a bit skinny lately. Eat up when you get home.”
Erlinda felt like throwing up. She sat there, pale–faced, clutching her books, hoping the time would pass quickly.
“Remember, don’t blab in front of Penny. Stick with me, and you’ll do well. The script has caught the eye of the Raymond Corporation. They’re looking to invest millions. You’ll get a share of the profits. Your family’s not exactly rolling in dough, so the money will help.”
Nolan then pointed to a table.
“Lie down. I’ll give you a check–up.”
Erlinda was scared out of her wits, “I have stuff to do at home.”
But the next second, she was being choked, adding more bruises to the collection.
“What could you possibly have to do? Your father’s just a private school teacher, up to his ears in grading papers. Your mom’s probably still out on her delivery route. You only have one class tonight. You used to get home even later when you had two.”
Nolan knew all about Erlinda’s family situation.
Quiet students from poor families were easy to manipulate.
Everyone had this trait in common. When faced with something much more powerful than themselves, they cowered in fear, unable to fight back. All that left was the endless terror.
Erlinda lay there, trembling, tears streaming down her face.
Nolan’s actions had knocked the books off the table.
He was getting old, and he wasn’t up to it physically. But he had plenty of ways to make people suffer.
Erlinda retched suddenly, her vomit splattering all over the desk.
Nolan gave her a slap, “How many times have I told you, stop puking!”
Erlinda didn’t respond, she just kept throwing up and crying.
Within three minutes, the man was done. He yanked her hair hard.
It felt like her scalp was about to be ripped off.
“Clean up the mess on the table.”
Erlinda nodded, tears streaming down her face.
It was only after he left that she grabbed a nearby trash can and threw up violently.
But she didn’t dare not clean up. With trembling hands, she made the desk spotless.
