Chapter 224
A strange, tense silence fell over the room the moment she finished speaking.
It was as though time itself had momentarily stopped.
Felicity, who had just entered with a tray of food, froze in place. Her eyes were filled with shock, disbelief, and barely contained fury.
Had Audrey not warned her to stay calm, she would have dumped the dish right on Talia’s head without hesitation.
In her mind, Felicity scoffed, ‘She’s really that confident? She thinks she’s more qualified to be Mrs. Winifred than Madam?‘
Talia’s heartbeat thundered in her ears.
What she had said was a calculated risk, a final gamble. Having spoken those words, she found herself tightly wound with tension, her eyes fixed on Yann with quiet hope.
She believed there was no reasonable cause for him to refuse.
Her family background, personal capabilities, and social standing all placed her well above Audrey. She had every confidence she could be a competent and dignified partner to Yann.
A marriage between their two families would be a powerful alliance.
Though her father disapproved, her grandfather had offered her an opportunity.
The Winifred family, too, was plagued by internal problems.
In her view, this marriage would benefit both parties with no apparent downside. The logic was, in her mind, self–evident.
Audrey remained silently nestled in Yann’s embrace. She made no effort to argue, but slowly tightened her grip on his shirt, her expression marked by unease and restrained anxiety.
The confrontation had started with her and Talia.
Now, it was Yann’s turn.
Some things, when spoken by a man, carried far more authority than if spoken by a woman.
This was not her battle to fight. Not now. It was time to become the one in need of protection and to allow him the space to take the lead.
Then Yann spoke, his voice cold and cutting through the air like a blade.
“Ms. Price.”
His deep eyes narrowed, danger lurking beneath their calm surface. A chilling hostility began to rise in his gaze.
“I don’t deny your competence. But capable people are everywhere. If this were about merit alone, you wouldn’t even rank among the top tal
company.
my
“I’m choosing a wife, not a business partner. What I value is warmth, kindness, intelligence, and sincerity. And in my eyes, Audrey is all of those things. She’s the best choice for me.”
The confident expression that had just begun to form on Talia’s face froze in place.
She tried to speak, but Yann raised a hand and silenced her before she could utter a word.
“And for the record, no, I don’t think you’re more impressive than my wife. Not in looks, not in grace, not in anything.”
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Chapter 224
The statement landed with the force of a slap.
Talia’s face, drained of color, quickly turned a deep, humiliated red.
Audrey turned her head slightly, just enough so only Talia could see the smug smile on her face, one that carried the quiet arrogance of victory.
“She’s nothing but…” Talia began to argue.
She believed Audrey to be anything but virtuous, greedy,
ulative, and insincere.
She had always acted arrogantly in private, yet the moment Yann appeared, she transformed into a picture of innocence and fragility.
Talia simply could not accept that such a two–faced woman could be considered superior.
However, before she could finish her sentence, Audrey lifted her gaze to Yann, eyes filled with gratitude and emotion. “You really see me that way?”
Yann gently took her hand, intertwining their fingers with quiet certainty. “I do.”
Tears welled up in Audrey’s eyes. She pressed her lips together, attempting to embarrassed by it. Even so, the joy on her face could not be hidden.
She stole a quick glance at Yann. That look alone carried the sweetness
contain her emotions. She wanted to smile but seemed almost
of
quiet intimacy, enough to stir anyone’s heart.
Talia’s rage boiled beneath the surface. She wanted nothing more than to claw the smugness from Audrey’s face.
But when she met Yann’s icy and warning gaze, she had no choice but
to
clench her fists behind her back and suppress her fury.
“Mr. Winifred, some people are very good at pretending. I suggest you take a long, hard look before making up your mind. My offer still stands. “She gave Audrey a sidelong glance filled with venom before forcing a smile. “I’ll come visit another day.”
“Then we won’t keep you for dinner.” Audrey slipped from Yann’s arms, her tone light. “Go eat. I’ll see Ms. Price out.”
As soon as they walked past the gate, Audrey’s expression flipped, confident, smug, borderline hostile.
“Ms. Price,” she said with a condescending smile, “Yann’s only ever been into me, no matter how many amazing women are out there. You can throw yourself at him all you want, but honestly? It just makes you look desperate.”
“Audrey!” Talia snapped, eyes blazing. “I will expose you for who you really are!”
Audrey shrugged, mocking her. “Go ahead. Let’s see what works faster, your righteous mission, or Yann’s blind devotion to me.”
Talia clenched her fists, furious, and turned to leave.
Audrey pulled out her phone and texted Paul.[Let her go.]
The moment she turned around, she froze. Yann was still standing inside the door, one hand in his pocket, watching her with that quiet, unreadable gaze.
But when she met his eyes, his expression softened. He reached out a hand.
Audrey smiled sweetly, closed the door behind her, and placed her hand in his. “Nice performance.”
Yann leaned in slightly, his face close to hers. Audrey kissed him on the cheek in reward.
“Why the charade?” he asked.
“Know your enemy, know yourself, win every time. I know her, and she doesn’t know me. That’s the edge.”
The more Audrey played the spoiled, arrogant girlfriend who relied on a man’s favor, the more Talia looked down on her.
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And that was exactly what she wanted. Talia’s arrogance would be her blind spot. While she underestimated Audrey, Audrey would bide her time, sharpen her claws, and strike when it mattered most.
Meanwhile, Paul gently shook Jocelyn awake from the couch.
Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused for a moment.
Paul brought up a project related to chips and asked Jocelyn to take a look.
Jocelyn hadn’t planned to go. But ever since Yann pulled technical support, their research had stalled.
Still, she figured it couldn’t hurt to check things out. Maybe she’d find a new angle, maybe even someone worth bringing in.
They met with the team and grabbed coffee. Jocelyn barely got a few sips in before her eyelids turned heavy, and she passed out.
“You’ve been running yourself ragged, huh?” Paul teased. “Fell asleep like someone hit a switch. I’ve been an insomniac since Series A. Wish I had your gift.”
Jocelyn’s face changed. She grabbed Paul’s wrist, alarmed.
“You ate the pie?”
Paul chuckled, brushing her hand off. He popped half a piece of pecan pie into his mouth and casually dusted the crumbs from his fingers.
“It’s just pie. Why so tense?”
He picked up his coffee, took a sip, and gave a satisfied smack of the lips.
“Not gonna lie. It tastes just like the stuff they sell at Honeycomb Bliss in Ashbourne. Pair it with a strong black coffee? Heaven.”
Jocelyn’s expression twisted. She scrambled to find her phone, panic rising.
Paul watched her lazily, a smile playing on his lips, but his eyes stayed cold.
“I thought you left it for me,” he said, voice calm. “So I ate some when I got bored. Someone came by to pick it up later. I couldn’t just send them away empty–handed, so I grabbed a new box from the supermarket and used your old packaging.”
Jocelyn had just found her phone. Her hand froze mid–air. The phone slipped and hit the table with a thud.
She stared at him in shock. After a long moment, she stood up abruptly.
Towering over Paul, she looked down at him, her voice sharp and sure. “You’re working with Audrey?!”
It sounded like a question, but there was no doubt in her tone.
Paul casually brushed pastry dust off his sleeve and stood up, half a head taller than her.
The balance of power shifted instantly.
He leaned in, close enough for her to catch the scent of his coffee. “You thought you could use me to mess with Audrey,” he said quietly, almost amused. “Thing is, anyone who tries to play me never ends well.”
