Lila barely held back a smirk as soon as those words came out of Richard's mouth.
Before she could say anything, Ivy's phone rang. Lila looked down. It was Leo Ashton.
Her breath caught in her throat as panic surged through her. She quickly glanced up, her face rattled with pretend fear, and held the phone up to Richard.
His face darkened instantly, his expression tightening with rage. Without hesitation, he snatched the phone from her hand.
"Look here, Mr. Ashton," he barked into the receiver, his voice laced with fury. "I respect you as a respectable voice in the corporate world, but don't test my patience. Stay away from my daughter!"
He ended the call abruptly and dropped the phone onto the table with a sharp thud. The tension in the room was thick, suffocating.
"You a
