Chapter 19
Fred turned to Lisa and asked coldly, “And you are?”
Cyril h
| had also stepped forward, his presence looming beside Trina, so intense it felt like the air itself had chilled.
“Mel” Liu Sinally glanced at Fred, giving him a quick once–over before scoffing “Well, Trina, you sure move fast. Couldn’t handle being single for five minutes after the divorce, huh? Just the other day you were Truman’s little sidepiece, and now you’ve already got a new boy boy. Who’s this one upposed to be
Fred frowned, thoroughly confused, and shot a questioning look at Trina. “Thaman’s sidepiece! What the hell is she talking about?”
Trina almost burst out laughing. “Don’t pay attention to her.” She tapped her temple lightly and added, “She’s muts”
Fred immediately caught on, then shifted his gaze to Cyril. Their eyes locked in mid–air, each man instantly sizing up the other as a threat
Cyril’s menacing presence was so intense that passersby instinctively steered clear, not daring to come anywhere near him.
But Fred was no pushover either. His cold demeanor carried an almost crushing force of its own.
The tension between them was so thick it made Lisa shut up for a second.
Trina, acting like she didn’t notice any of this, gave Cyril a glance before turning back to Fred. “Shall we go?”
Cyril’s gaze flicked to her, his eyes darkening like he could swallow her whole. “Who is he?”
Before Trina could snap back, Lisa jumped in, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why do you care! A practical woman like Ma. Grow wouldn’t just pick anyone. This must be her… special friend.”
The words “special friend” came out with a heavy dose of insinuation.
Fred cut in smoothly. “Who I am isn’t any of your business. His eyes moved to Cyril. “Or yours, ex–husband.
Lis chuckled softly. “Oh, we’re just worried about Trina, that’s all. She changes guys so fan, we wonder how she keeps track. I mean, women should really take better care of themselves. Sure, there’s protection these days, but you can never be too careful with germs. If
“Watch your mouth!” Before Lisa could even finish, Fred cut her off, his tone icy. “Ms, if you don’t know how to speak properly, maybe you should go home and have your parents teach you some manners. Respect is something you should come by naturally.
“If you can’t manage that, it’s probably best you stay in the shadow of someone else. At least that way, you won’t embarrass yourself in public?
He paused, then glanced at Cyril with blatant mockery. “Mr. Banks, I hear your commands respect in the business world, but your taste in women? Well, that’s clearly another story.”
With that, Fred casually wrapped his arm around Trina’s waist and whispered, “Let’s go.” He shot one last cold look at the pair, dismissively adding, “Goodbye.”
Trina felt a surge of satisfaction.
Fred, despite his polished appearance, had always been known for his sharp tongue.|||
Back when they were kids, whenever Trina got into arguments, Fred was always there to back her up. Seeing him tear into someone like this now
made her admire him even more.
But just as they turned to leave, Lisa sormed up from behind, shouting, “Think you can just walk away! Not so fast!” She jabbed a finger at Fred. “Who the hell do you think you are, accusing me of having no manners? What are you, some nobody? Bet you don’t know shit about me.
“All flash, no substance. You’re probably some washed–up loser. That’s why I’ve never seen you at any of the city’s elite events. And you’ve got the nerve to criticize Cyril’s taste! Do you even know who he is! You’re not even t to mention his name, let alone serve him.”
Fred stood there, listening to her rant without a flicker of emotion. The more she raged, the colder and more disdainful his expression became. To him, her vulgar display wasn’t even worth a response, let alone an argument.
He could tolerate it sure, but Trina wasn’t about to let her friend be insulted without saying something. She shot back calmly. “Even if Cyrilis powerful, having someone like you by his side drags him down. As for Freil, you don’t even deserve to know who he la
Then, out of nowhere, Trina asked, incredulously, “Lisa, what, did you develop a masochistic streak or something! Haven’t you learned your lesson from that last scandal? What’s wrong, no one’s dragging you online anymore so you think you’re back on top?”
Liu’s face turned crimson with fury
1/2
Chapter 19.
다
After Cyril’s warning, she had indeed kept a low profile for a while. But she wasn’t one to sit quietly. She knew her power among the upper–class women was solely due to Cyril’s backing
She could afford to lose everything except Cyril. She had to hold onto him, no matter what
That last scandal gave Trina the upper hand, allowing her to publicly humiliate Lisa in front of the Banks family. But Lisa had one last ace up her sleeve–Vernon.
Sure, Vernon didn’t have the pedigree or power, but he had paved the way for Lisa’s rise with his life. He’d allowed her to climb to the top; and his death bound Cyril to her with an unbreakable promise,
Even though the scandal had dented her image in Cyril’s eyes, it wasn’t something that couldn’t be salvaged,
Dressed plainly, Lisa had gone to the Banks family manor alone, timing her visit for Cyril’s return. She massaged Cyril’s mother, Sienna Banks, the matriarch who had always held her in high regard
When Cyril walked in and save the scene. “coincidentally” of course, Sienna showered Lisa with praise. That finally gave Lisa the opening she needed. She tearfully recounted her side of the story, throwing in a subtle reminder of Cyril’s promise to Vernon. In the end, she earned his forgiveness
Today’s shopping trip with Cyril had only been possible thanks to Sienna’s mediation. Lisa had been hoping to use the opportunity to get Cyril to stay with her overnight, but she hadn’t anticipated running into Trina,
Judging by Cyril’s demeanor, he definitely wasn’t in the mood for dinner now.
Lisa was fuming, hating Trina so much she could practically tear her apart; there was no way she’d just let it go.
She shouted angrily. “Isn’t my public shaming all thanks to your dirty tricks! If you hadn’t leaked those things online, would I have faced such an undeserved disaster?”
Trina was nearly laughing at how absurd Lisa was “Lisa, you really know how to play the victim, but have you ever heard the saying the one who starts a fight is the lowest? Who exactly bought off influencers and paid trolls to smear me online first? Have you lost your memory or something?”
Lisa’s guilty eyes darted around. “I didn’t. It wasn’t me. What evidence do you have to say it was me? You’re defaming mer
Trina chuckled. “You want evidence? That’s easy. But are you sure you want me to produce it? I’m afraid once it hits the internet again, you might not be able to handle it”
2/2
