"No, I didn't. I didn't mean it like that." Claire deliberately mimicked Zoe's exact tactics.
Preston's face remained thunderous. Did she think he was deaf? She was blatantly insulting him.
"You misunderstood me. How could I possibly be talking about you?" Claire continued.
Preston finally caught on. Wasn't this Zoe's usual script?
He frowned, turning to Zara. "Zara, you've been badmouthing Zoe to your friend, haven't you?"
Otherwise, how could a stranger hold such a massive prejudice against Zoe?
"She didn't tell me anything. But the moment Ms. Zeller arrived, she tried to stir up trouble, claiming Zara wasn't as pretty as me."
"I think Zara is stunning. I just don't know if some people are completely blind."
The 'blind' comment wasn't just aimed at Zoe; it was heavily implying Preston was clueless, too.
Preston picked up on the jab.
"Everyone has their own preferences."
"No matter how pretty Zara might be, the one I like is Zoe."
Zoe's face had been slightly pale, but hearing Preston's declaration, a blush crept up her cheeks.
"Preston, don't say that." Zoe shot a glance at Zara.
Zara took that glance as a direct provocation.
Just as she was about to snap back, Claire beat her to it. "You say that as if Zara is desperately in love with you."
"You're not even that handsome!"
Preston's eyes widened. It was the first time anyone had ever called him unattractive.
He had good looks and a wealthy background; plenty of girls chased after him.
That was the foundation of Preston's confidence.
Now, suddenly attacked, his first reaction was that this woman was just sprouting absolute nonsense.
He wasn't handsome?
"I'd love to know how many actual attractive guys you've seen to be making such bold claims."
Claire was about to reply when she spotted Dane Green walking their way.
The others noticed Dane, too.
A knowing smile touched Claire's lips. "See for yourself. Isn't Mr. Green much more handsome than you?"
Preston's expression instantly soured.
He genuinely couldn't compare to Dane.
Though he was two years younger than Dane, Dane was the absolute pinnacle of their generation.
Preston prided himself on standing out among his peers, which fueled his belief that Zara was pining for him.
But placed next to Dane, he fell devastatingly short.
It irritated him even more when he caught the unmistakable glimmer in Zoe's eyes as she looked at Dane.
"Dane Green is definitely handsome, but he's completely out of your league."
Preston had never seen Claire
before. He assumed she was just an
ordinary girl Zara had dragged into.
their elite circle, possessing a background barely above average.
If even their powerful families couldn't match The Green Family, how could she dare
to dream of Dane?
Zoe chimed in, pretending to caution
Claire. "Claire, I know you're Zara's
friend, but Mr. Green really isn
someone you should try to
approach."
"If you accidentally offend him, you'll drag Zara down with you."
"I'm not afraid of the fallout," Zara snapped.
Zoe rolled her eyes inwardly but kept her tone patient. "Zara, I know you're loyal to
your friends, but you need to think about the family."
"No matter how powerful our family is, we can't afford to cross The Green Family."
Zara seized upon Zoe's words,
giving a mockingly amused laugh "Since you know that so well, why
are you always trying tổ thrâu yourself at him?"
Zoe choked on her words.
She didn't know what Zara had seen, and she didn't dare say the wrong thing now.
She offered a stiff defense. "Zara, don't make things up. I've never tried to provoke Mr. Green."
She definitely wanted to secure Dane.
But Dane was an impenetrable fortress, leaving Zoe with no angle to exploit.