Betrayed By The Billionaire

189

The tension in the foyer was a physical weight, thick enough to choke. Chloe stood in the center of the circle, the icy red wine soaking through her white silk dress, looking like a jagged, blooming wound over her heart. Her skin was deathly pale, the fever from earlier making her eyes unnaturally bright—furious and sharp.

Chloe looked up to find Giselle Zhao staring at her with blatant provocation. Giselle was nothing more than a lapdog for the more powerful socialites, yet even she felt emboldened enough to snap at Chloe tonight. She pointed a trembling finger at a tiny damp spot on her own waist, her voice high and accusatory. "Do you not have eyes? Look at what you’ve done to my dress!"

Chloe didn't say a word. She simply stood her ground, her gaze fixed on Giselle with a chilling, regal intensity. Even drenched in wine and shivering with cold, the "First Socialite" possessed an innate elegance that made the women around her look like common street brawlers.

Giselle flinched under that gaze, her scalp prickling with a sudden, unexplainable fear. "What... what are you staring at me for? You’re the one who bumped into me! Everyone saw it!" She gestured wildly to the other women, who all nodded in silent, malicious agreement.

Then, Yumie, the most dangerous "White Lotus" of the group, stepped forward. She had only been out of the hospital for a day after the incident where she provoked Sarah into a confrontation. She wore a small, delicate bandage on her forehead and light makeup that made her look fragile and pitiable—the ultimate victim. She reached out and tugged at Giselle’s arm. "Forget it, Giselle. Just go change your clothes. Don't catch a cold over this."

Yumie’s tone was a masterclass in manipulation. She made it sound as though Chloe was a heartless bully and Giselle was merely a victim being forced to swallow her pride.

Giselle, catching sight of a familiar figure approaching from the hallway, suddenly found her courage. She pointed at Chloe, her voice trembling with mock hurt. "I don't care who she thinks she is. Even the 'First Socialite' has to apologize when she ruins someone's evening!"

Yumie sighed, her voice soft and weary. "Let’s just go, Giselle. It's fine."

Go? They had doused her in wine, framed her for the accident, and now they wanted to walk away as the "bigger people"? Chloe’s blood, already hot with fever, began to boil with a different kind of fire.

"What happened here?"

The voice was deep and familiar. Chloe turned, a spark of recognition in her tired eyes. "Donovan?" she whispered, calling out to Donovan Tang.

But the man didn't even glance at her. He strode right past her, his focus entirely on Yumie. He stood by her side, his voice full of protective concern. "Are you alright? What’s going on?"

Chloe watched the exchange, a wave of cold disgust washing over her. She knew Donovan had been seen with Yumie lately, but seeing him shield this woman so openly, so shamelessly, made her skin crawl. How could he do this to Sarah? How could he stand by this woman while his own wife was suffering at home?

Giselle, seeing Donovan’s support, practically shrieked with feigned injustice. "Chloe Bishop ran right into me! She ruined my dress and hasn't said a single word of apology!"

Donovan looked at Yumie, his expression hardening. "Is that true?"

Yumie looked at Chloe, her expression one of pained hesitation. She gave a small, reluctant nod. "I... I'm sure my cousin didn't mean it."

Slap!

The sound of the strike echoed through the marble foyer like a gunshot.

Before Yumie could even finish her sentence, Chloe’s hand had connected with her face. The force was so sudden and so violent that Yumie’s head snapped to the side, her balance failing as she stumbled backward.

The surrounding women let out a chorus of horrified screams.

Donovan reacted a second too late, catching Yumie just before she hit the floor. He turned his gaze on Chloe, his face a mask of thunderous rage. "Chloe Bishop! Do you have a death wish?"

The Line is Drawn

Chloe stands her ground, her hand still stinging from the impact, her chest heaving with exertion. She doesn't look like a victim anymore; she looks like an executioner. Liam Jr. is standing right beside her, his small face set in a mirror of her cold defiance.

Chloe has finally snapped. By striking Yumie in front of Donovan, she has declared open war on the "White Lotus" and the man who chose her over his own family. With the banquet guests beginning to crowd around the scene and Xavier Grayson likely only seconds away, Chloe is standing on the edge of a social catastrophe. Will Donovan strike back at the woman he once called "sister," or will Xavier arrive in time to claim his "troublesome" wife before she draws more blood?

Do you think Xavier will take Chloe's side in front of the crowd, or will he punish her for embarrassing the Grayson name?