Semua Bab I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis: Bab 151 - Bab 160

I leaned in, closing the gap between us.‘You were so brave before, running your mouth. Where’s that confidence gone now?’‘I’ll call the cops!’ Harper whimpered.‘Go right ahead. You started this mess, not me. You call the cops, and they’ll take you in. Harassment, provocation of violence, assault.’ I sniffed. ‘And public intoxication. Jesus, who drinks at ten o’clock in the morning?’Harper was reaching for her phone, but she froze halfway.I leaned in closer, almost nose-to-nose with her. ‘Delete your posts. Instagram, X, everything. Now.’Her fingers twitched, and her lip trembled. ‘I... I won’t delete them.’‘You will. Or I’ll be the one calling the cops. You realise you’ve just handed Yvaine enough to sue the shit out of you, right? That stunt you pulled online—clear case of defamation and malicious falsehood.’‘Yeah!’ Yvaine backed me up. ‘Malicious!’I’d picked up a thing or two from lawyer Hannah and put them to good use now. ‘She can file for damages—loss of business, all th

Yvaine and I had breakfast at her shop, then I headed into my studio to get things ready for the day.When the call came, I was excited.‘Miss Vance, this is Nathan Liddicoat from the organising committee of the Aureate Awards.’‘Good morning.’I’d just passed the preliminaries and qualified as an independent designer.I assumed he was calling to confirm the next round.‘We regret to inform you that you’ve been disqualified from the competition.’‘Sorry—what?’ I sat up straighter. ‘Could you say that again?’He did.‘Why? Was there an issue with my submission? I can—’‘There’s nothing wrong with your design,’ he said. His tone was stiff, with a hint of discomfort. ‘But someone reported you.’‘Reported me for what?’‘There’ve been some negative posts about your studio. Allegations that you turn customers away at the door and only work with celebrities who can pay premium fees.’‘That’s absolute bullshit.’ I kept my voice steady, but it took effort. ‘This is about Harper Foster, isn’t i

I was beyond pissed.I didn’t care how hard he’d tried to play the knight in shining armour.I was fed up.‘You really think we’re going to thank you for getting in the way? You cheated on Yvaine. You screwed Harper. When she came to my studio to start shit, you said you’d handle it, keep her on a leash. Now look.’ I swept an arm over the glass shards and smashed cakes on the floor. ‘If this is you helping, I don’t even want to think about what happens when you’re trying to make a mess.’Cassian opened his mouth like he was going to defend himself, but then closed it, his eyes flicking to the wreckage around us.What was there left to say?He knew I was right.He fumbled for his phone, his fingers stiff as he dialled.‘Shut Harper Foster down,’ he growled into the phone. ‘Everything. Her work, her accounts, everything. If I see her on any platform again, you’re all out of a job. Got it?’His voice carried across the room, meant for both Yvaine and me to hear.But neither of us reacted

Catherine stepped forward.I stepped back.Her heel scraped against the tile.My shoulder hit the edge of a shelf.We both paused.She smiled again. ‘I heard about your new studio. Thought I’d stop in and congratulate you.’‘Consider it received. Door’s that way.’‘I’ve been walking for hours. Can’t I just rest my legs here for a while longer?’‘What, Rhys can’t get you a driver? A nanny? By the way, why are you waddling around in the dead of winter with a baby bump?’She stopped walking.Her chin dipped.Two tears slid down her face.‘I didn’t come here to fight,’ she whispered. ‘Why are you being so hostile?’‘I wasn’t. Don’t twist it. I just think it’s weird you’re out here dragging your pregnant arse across town. I don’t have water. I don’t have heating either. Go home.’She kept one hand clamped to her stomach like she was bracing for impact.Her face was sickly pale, almost grey.Another tear rolled down.My scalp prickled.I tried to be polite. ‘The weather’s shite. You should

Yvaine rang just after eight.I was halfway through doing my eyeliner.‘Mira, you want me to come pick you up?’‘No need.’ I held the phone between my shoulder and ear and reached for my mascara. ‘It’s not even nine. The wedding starts at noon. I’ll drive over myself.’She giggled on the other end. ‘I’m already on my way. Couldn’t sleep a damn minute last night, I was so keyed up. Rachel’s wedding!’‘Alright, alright, I’m coming. I’ll find you when I get there.’‘Yes, please. Don’t leave me with my mother’s side of the family.’Yvaine had been bouncing about her cousin’s wedding for a week.Said she was more excited than if it were her own.I believed her.I got to the venue just before eleven, still plenty of time before the ceremony.Yvaine grabbed my arm the second she saw me and dragged me through the side corridor towards the bridal suite.‘Come on, let’s see if Rachel needs anything.’She didn’t.Rachel’s people had already covered everything—makeup artists, stylists, planners,