Isabella was just about to look up, ready to cast a reproachful, victimized glare at Serena and put on the performance of a lifetime. But the moment she lifted her head, she met Douglas's half-smiling face.
A violent shudder ripped through her body. Douglas?!
What time was it? Why had he arrived with Serena?! If Douglas was here, their plan
to point fingers and condemn Serena first was completely ruined.
She swallowed hard. A second later, her gaze shifted to the tall, striking man standing in the doorway, and her pupils constricted in shock. "Nicholas..."
Why was he here? Wasn't he back in Elyndor? How could he be here in the United Realmon States? And with Serena... Had he flown all the way here just for her?
Isabella's eyes instantly welled up with tears. A suffocating wave of jealousy and panic crashed over her. She couldn't let Nicholas know about those photos and videos! She couldn't destroy her perfect image in his eyes!
Anna, by comparison, wasn't nearly as smart. The moment she spotted Serena, her temper flared. Her eyes flashed with pure hatred. "You bitch, you actually dare to show your face!"
"Douglas, you're incredibly biased!" She glared at him, furious. "You actually helped her! You teamed up with this bitch to bully us! We're all part of the Vinton family. Do you have any idea how much humiliation I suffered yesterday? You threw away the Vinton family's dignity just for her!"
Then, she noticed the devastatingly handsome man standing at the door.
Remembering how he had just been holding Serena's hand, sheer envy gnawed at her insides.
Boiling with rage, she screamed, "Bitch! Is he your lover? What else are you good for besides seducing men? Is this your newest toy? Are you trying to use him to torture Isabella and me..."
*Slap!*
A resounding, deafening slap echoed through the room.
It wasn't Serena who struck her. It wasn't either of the two men, either. It was Holden.
The old man's hand trembled with fury. "Anna, where are your manners?"
Kiera's face was livid. She stared at Anna, who looked like an absolute lunatic, her eyes filled with profound disappointment. "Anna, that is your cousin You just spat the most. Vulgar insults at her. Is this how the Vinton family raised you?"
te
Clutching her chest, her voice turned stern. "Before anyone even figured out what happened, you attacked Serena, you attacked Douglas, and you hurled insults at a guest You are completely out of control!"
Anna was stunned into silence. She clutched her stinging cheek in disbelief. This was the first time her grandfather had ever laid a hand on her. And he had done it for Serena!
"Don't be angry," Serena said softly. She reached out and gently massaged a pressure point on Kiera's arm, expertly soothing her racing heart.
Then she looked at Holden. "You shouldn't let your emotions get the best of you either, Grandpa."
"Serena, what exactly is going on?" Kiera asked, holding her
granddaughter's band. "They
claimed you hired the mafia to for them to race, and then forced them
to take those awful pictures.ds it true?"
IMS
She asked the question, but the older couple's stance was obvious. They didn't
believe a single word Anna and Isabella had said.
"Not quite," Serena explained in a gentle tone. "It's more accurate to say they brought it upon themselves."
Isabella and Anna turned pale. Anna shrieked, "You ruined our lives, and now you want to twist the truth in front of them?!"