153
800 Words
Aris stood frozen, hand still stinging. "..."
So much for the 'easy to get along with' update, he thought dryly.
Outside the silent iron gates of the Grayson estate, Chloe Bishop waited in the thickening dark. Finally, her phone buzzed. Her network had delivered: Xavier had been spotted at The Grand Prestige. He was with Aris, and as usual, the manager, Yara, had personally greeted them.
Chloe scanned the area. This was the most exclusive residential district in the city; the only vehicles passing through were private luxury cars. There wasn't a taxi in sight for miles.
She looked at her solitary suitcases, then turned and walked toward a dark, nondescript SUV parked in the shadows a few yards away. She tapped on the tinted glass.
The window slid down to reveal Vince’s clean-cut face. Chloe felt a wave of cold relief. If Xavier’s personal shadow was still here, it meant Xavier wasn't truly finished with her—he was just teaching her a brutal lesson in humility.
She didn't wait for an invitation. She opened the door and climbed in. "Take me to The Grand Prestige."
Vince hadn't received orders to withdraw, so he remained, for all intents and purposes, her personal bodyguard. He glanced at the purple knot on her forehead and silently handed her a small antiseptic bandage.
"Thanks," Chloe murmured, pressing it over the cut.
At The Grand Prestige, Chloe bypassed the main lounge and headed straight for the private elevators. This was Victor’s territory, and she remembered the suite number from her previous encounter with Xavier.
As she approached the heavy double doors, she spotted Xavier’s elite security detail standing guard.
"Young Mistress," the head guard acknowledged, dipping his head.
"Go in and tell him I'm here," Chloe commanded.
The guard disappeared inside for a moment, then returned with a neutral, apologetic expression. "My apologies, Young Mistress. You are not permitted to enter."
"Fine. I’ll wait here."
Chloe didn't argue. If Xavier wanted to make her stand in the hallway like a servant, she would endure it. She stepped to the side, leaning against the cold marble wall.
"Well, well... isn't this our city's 'First Socialite'?"
A shrill, mocking voice echoed down the hall. Chloe looked up. The woman speaking looked familiar, but Chloe couldn't place the name. However, she recognized the woman standing next to her instantly: Giselle Zhao.
Giselle was the only woman in the city who could truly rival Chloe. She was the "Perfect Rival"—beautiful, brilliant, and known for her extensive charity work. Her reputation was spotless.
The first woman, Bella, seeing Chloe ignore her, sneered even harder. "Oh, standing out in the hall? Don't tell me Xavier Grayson finally kicked you to the curb already?"
Chloe’s eyes finally landed on Bella, her voice calm and maddeningly detached. "I'm sorry... who are you again?"
The blunt honesty of the question turned Bella’s face a furious shade of red. "How dare you be so arrogant! You're nothing but a—"
"Bella."
Giselle interrupted, her voice firm but elegant, cutting off her friend’s petty outburst. She gave Chloe a polite, graceful nod—the picture of high-society decorum—before leading the fuming Bella into the adjacent private suite.
Chloe felt a flicker of grim amusement. Ever since the wedding scandal and her father's accident, it seemed every "small player" in the city thought they could take a swing at her. Do I really look that vulnerable?
She waited. One hour bled into two.
During that time, several other familiar socialites passed by, their faces all wearing the same look of suppressed glee. It was as if a memo had been sent out: Come to The Grand Prestige to see Chloe Bishop’s fall from grace.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated. It was a message from Lyra: "Chloe, is it true? Did Xavier throw you out of the house?"
Chloe’s brow furrowed as she typed back: "How do you know that?"
Lyra replied almost instantly: "It’s all over the secret group chats! Someone posted a photo of your luggage sitting on the curb outside the Grayson gates. Chloe, where are you? I’m coming to get you!"
Chloe leaned her head back against the wall, a cold realization dawning on her. Xavier hadn't just thrown her out; he had allowed the world to see it. This wasn't just a private punishment. It was a public execution of her status.
Just then, the heavy doors to Xavier's suite opened. Yara stepped out, smelling of expensive lilies, and paused when she saw Chloe. She didn't look triumphant; she looked at Chloe with a strange, lingering pity.
"He says you can come in now," Yara whispered.
Chloe straightened her clothes, ignored the throbbing in her forehead, and walked into the lion's den.
- Writer
