Chapter 74: One by One, They Leave
Giselle Frost stood there and t Serena Blackwood’s gaze without the slightest change in expression.
"It sounds like too many people bowing and scraping to you has given you the illusion that everyone is supposed to obey you."
A sharp edge flashed through her sea-blue eyes, like a calm ocean suddenly kicked into restless waves.
"That line should be mine," she said coldly. "You should be the one staying away from him."
The atmosphere around them turned vicious in an instant.
Two won with overwhelming status and power were now facing each other head-on, neither bothering to hide the force of their presence. The pressure between them felt almost tangible, like steel grinding against steel. It carried the sense that, in the very next second, they might actually co to blows.
Not far away, in a quiet corner, Liora Voss broke off in the middle of a conversation. She gave the woman standing across from her a polished, ladylike smile.
"One second. I need to answer sothing."
"Of course," the woman said with a nod, her eyes already openly filled with admiration.
She was deeply glad she had co to Lucien Hart’s birthday party tonight.
Otherwise, she never would have t soone like Liora.
In such a short amount of ti, she had already beco completely captivated by her.
If Elias had been here, even he might have had to admit Liora’s thods were sothing else.
When she was genuinely interested in soone, when she fully let her charm off the leash, almost no one could resist her completely.
As for the standoff at the entrance of The Pinnacle Club, Liora only spared Serena and Giselle a brief glance before looking away again, nearly dismissing them altogether.
She knew perfectly well they would never actually fight.
There were too many people here.
For the woman in control of the Blackwood family and the Frost family’s heiress to publicly fight over a man would be laughable enough as gossip. Letting anyone witness it with their own eyes would be even worse.
Even Liora had no interest in watching that kind of spectacle.
It would embarrass her too.
She slipped her phone out of her pocket and saw that Little Kitten had sent her two ssages.
Instead of tapping them open right away, she smiled inwardly, amused.
Did Elias have any idea that two won no noble guest here would dare offend were practically on the verge of going to war over him?
Of course he did not.
More likely, every bit of his attention was already fixed on that doctor nad Yvonne Quinn. That was his newest target. Why would he care about two fish who were already on the hook?
And even if he did know, he would probably love it if they really started tearing into each other.
That was exactly the kind of scene he wanted.
The thought nearly made Liora laugh out loud. But considering the atmosphere hanging between Serena and Giselle right now, she decided it was better not to break the tension so casually. She held it in, tapped open the floating preview, and read the ssages.
Little Kitten: Hurry up. I’m waiting for you at the front gate.
Little Kitten: And I even wore the cat ears you like~
The teasing, flippant tone could not have clashed more sharply with the hostility in the air around her.
"Ha..." Liora let out a soft laugh anyway.
Fortunately, it was quiet enough that only the woman beside her noticed.
"What’s so funny?" the woman asked curiously. "Let see."
She reached out, intending to take Liora’s phone.
Liora lifted her hand just slightly and dodged the grab with effortless grace. Her seductive eyes curved at the woman as she smiled.
"A little kitten," she said lightly, "who’s got everyone spinning in circles."
"Really?" The woman kept her smile polite, but disappointnt flickered beneath it.
She could tell the exact mont Liora’s phone had buzzed, all of Liora’s interest in her had vanished.
Or maybe not vanished.
Maybe it had never been more than the faintest trace to begin with.
Didn’t everyone say the younger Voss sister liked won?
Then how...
Was she not pretty enough?
The thought stung her pride.
Liora noticed the shift in her mood imdiately.
"I enjoyed talking to you," she said, extending a hand. "Goodbye, beautiful."
"Goodbye." The woman took her hand and shook it once. There was still regret in her, but it passed quickly enough.
Liora withdrew her hand and sent Elias a ssage.
Liora: Wait for .
She could read other people’s emotions with ease, just like she had with that woman.
But Elias was one of the very few people she could not see through.
Sothing about him was wrapped in thick layers of fog. Only he could peel them back himself. Anyone else who tried to probe deeper would co away with nothing but mystery.
Still, not being able to see through his heart did not an she could not see everything else.
Liora believed, with absolute certainty, that she would personally witness the process of Elias falling into the abyss.
And it would start now.
She strode out of The Pinnacle Club and, without the slightest hesitation, placed herself between the two won locked in confrontation. Her gaze swept over Serena and Giselle before she smiled faintly.
"Today is Lucien’s birthday. Are you two really planning to fight over another man?"
Especially when that man happened to bear such a striking resemblance to Lucien.
That single sentence did not erase the conflict between Serena and Giselle, but it was enough. They both withdrew their eyes from each other at the sa ti, and the atmosphere eased at once.
Off to the side, Lucien’s mother stirred inwardly.
Another man?
But she relaxed almost imdiately.
The fact that Serena and Giselle had co here tonight already proved what Lucien ant to them.
That was enough.
Everything else had nothing to do with her. Better not to dig too deeply. Curiosity killed the cat.
Liora quietly withdrew the glance she had aid at Lucien’s mother.
As expected, the Hart family had not risen to its current position on the support of the Frost and Blackwood families alone.
At least in Liora’s eyes, a mother willing to make use of her own son was absolutely not soone to underestimate.
Serena picked up where Liora left off, the warm smile at her lips taking on a faint chill of mockery.
"For Miss Frost, Elias really is ’another man.’ For , he isn’t."
Giselle’s expression tightened, and she was just about to respond when her phone rang.
She pulled it out and glanced at the screen.
The coldness in her face faded almost at once into sothing calr. Without saying another word, she turned, descended the steps one by one, and left.
Serena watched her retreating figure and gave a quiet, disdainful scoff. She assud Giselle had left because she had nothing to say back.
And yet, underneath that certainty, a faint sense of sothing being off still brushed across her mind.
Liora gave Serena’s shoulder a light pat. "I’ve got sowhere to be, so I’m heading out too."
Serena turned to look at her. "Going to find your little kitten?"
Liora stilled for half a beat, but did not deny it. "Yes."
"Then go." Serena’s expression said she had expected as much. Her smile, compared to the one she had worn for Giselle, was much more genuine. Then she brought it up again. "Whenever it feels right, bring her ho so your sister can et him. The four of them would be very pleased, watching from above."
Liora’s steps paused.
Then she descended the stairs.
"Okay."
After she drove away, more guests began to erge from inside. Serena’s face settled once more into that perfectly asured warmth as she spoke with them, exchanged farewells, and saw them off one by one.
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