Chapter 931:
Though fear flickered in his eyes, the man forced himself to stand tall and retorted, “If you didn’t hit Miss Reynolds, then how else would she end up on the floor, clutching her stomach like this?”
“Then go ahead—lie on the floor and fake it, just like she did.” Christina’s tone was as frigid as steel.
“You’re impossible!” he snapped, his voice rising in anger. “I’m not wasting my breath arguing with someone as unreasonable as you. Just apologize already.”
“So, you still insist I struck her?” Christina’s voice remained even, her gaze steady. “Then I’ll have no choice but to take you to court for slander.”
The man faltered under her stare, unable to hold her gaze. His composure crumbled into a flustered unease. If he kept insisting that Christina had hit Lorraine, she might truly drag him into a lawsuit.
“I suggest you all choose your words carefully,” Christina warned, her eyes sweeping slowly over the gathered crowd. “Otherwise, I’ll take every one of you to court. I have proof, and this banquet hall is under surveillance.”
The room fell into hushed stillness; not a single person dared to speak further. Her unwavering stance and cool, confident words hinted there might indeed be a misunderstanding. There was something about her—an aura so forceful that they instinctively knew if she decided to go after someone who had wronged her, she would pursue them without mercy, like a relentless hunter.
With the gawkers duly silenced, Christina shifted her gaze down to Lorraine, who still lay on the floor, pretending to be unwell.
“Whether you’re faking discomfort or not will be clear once we call the Scott family’s doctor. Keep up this act, and you won’t just lose face—you’ll drag down the people backing you and face the risk of losing them forever. Are you sure you want to risk it all over a simple wager?”
Christina’s words were laced with implications. Lorraine’s lifeline had always been the Miller family. But if she kept acting so recklessly, they would eventually cut her loose. A debt of gratitude could only be stretched so far; the Millers’ tolerance would not last forever. Lorraine’s reliance on the Millers would not last forever. She had long leaned on their influence to act with impunity, but sooner or later, she would cross someone even the Millers dared not offend—and when that happened, she might pull the Miller family into disaster along with her.
𝖁𝗂𝖊𝗐 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾: g𝗮𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⫽ⅽ𝗈𝗆
At Christina’s words, Lorraine’s face drained of color. She had no greater patron to turn to, and the Reynolds family was nowhere near strong enough. Losing the Miller family now was not an option she could afford. This insufferable Christina!
Lorraine clenched her teeth in fury. Even at this point, she couldn’t admit to faking her illness. “I really do have a stomachache,” she stammered. “I just need to go to the restroom. I’ll honor the wager afterward, I swear.”
Lorraine figured that if she agreed to follow through on the wager, Christina would let the matter drop. After all, she hadn’t directly accused Christina; whatever wild theories others spun were none of her business.
“Since you’re determined to keep up the act, I’ll just have to bring Mr. Scott into this.” Christina’s lips curved into a cold, private smile. Yes, Lorraine hadn’t openly accused her, but leaving the matter unaddressed would only let people assume she was flaunting arrogance and bullying Lorraine over nothing more than a dance with Dylan. And once such a tale began to spread, who knew how warped it would become?
Rumors might seem harmless, but they could be as sharp as blades—especially to someone fragile enough to be cut with every whispered word. Christina didn’t care about having her reputation tarnished; gossip was inevitable, and she had no interest in trying to silence the world. But she would never allow anyone to set a scheme in motion against her so brazenly. If Lorraine thought she could play petty games and walk away unscathed, she had another thing coming.
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