Chapter 250:
Thea straightened, the pain in her calf masked by a smug, taunting grin. “Honestly, I hope you’re ready to get booted straight out of the Hubbard family. It’ll be fun to watch.”
Christina let out a low laugh, her eyes flashing with confidence. “You’re in for a letdown, Thea. But…”
“But what?” Thea instinctively responded.
Christina’s laughter was soft but cutting. “But if you really want a front-row seat to your own humiliation, I’ll be happy to record it for you. We can play it back later if you need a reminder.”
“You!” Thea sputtered, her jaw tightening as the pain in her leg pulsed sharply. She bit down her anger, letting out a venomous sneer. “Don’t get cocky. You’re the one who’s going to regret this.”
“That’s advice you should take yourself!” Christina shot back sharply.
With the crowd’s attention locked on their showdown, Thea swept her gaze over Christina and Eloise, her voice rising with biting malice. “It all makes sense now. No wonder you two are friends. One loves to flirt around, and the other’s an ugly freak who can’t even speak. What a pathetic pair.”
Before Thea could bask in her own self-importance, a calm voice sliced through the noise behind her, its tone impossible to read. “Who are you calling a flirt? And who’s this ‘ugly freak’ you’re talking about?”
A startled gasp swept through the nearby guests at the sound, but Thea—too wrapped up in her own bravado—missed the shift in atmosphere. Still grinning, she jabbed a finger toward Christina and Eloise. “Obviously those two tramps—can’t believe they’re making such a scene at the party!”
Katie, eager to back Thea up, drew in a breath to speak—only to freeze when she caught Elliott’s gaze. His eyes were cold, icy enough to send a shiver up her spine. She faltered, her words dying in her throat. Was Elliott furious? Fear prickled at her skin as someone yanked her into the crowd, pulling her safely out of sight.
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“Really?” Elliott’s words landed like a threat, his voice low and sharp as he bore down on Thea. He fixed her with an arctic stare, the kind that made her skin crawl and her spine lock tight.
A strange familiarity prickled at the edges of Thea’s memory.
All around them, the crowd held its breath, not daring to so much as blink in Elliott’s presence.
Thea slowly turned, coming face-to-face with Elliott—his impeccably cut black suit framing him like armor, radiating authority. When she finally met his eyes, she felt a cold jolt, as if his gaze could slice straight through her. For one dizzying second, it was as if the ground had vanished beneath her, dropping her into a frozen void.
Thea’s lips twisted into a brittle imitation of a smile. “M-Mr. Hubbard…” she stammered, every muscle in her face straining to hold itself together.
Elliott’s tone dropped to a deadly hush. “Who did you just call tramps?” A dangerous light flickered in his eyes, making the hairs on Thea’s neck stand on end.
Thea’s heart hammered wildly as suspicion clawed at her. Did those two women have some hidden connection to Elliott? Was she actually picking a fight with his women? No, that couldn’t be. One of them was a scandal-ridden divorcée, supposedly years older than Elliott. The other one was just an ugly mute with a birthmark. There was no way either woman could possibly interest someone like him, right?
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