Chapter 450
Chapter 450:
“What did you just say to me?” Brinley’s smirk vanished as though wiped clean. Her jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.
Did Corbett think his earlier embarrassment wasn’t enough? Now he was dragging the rest of them into this mess?
Erica’s voice sliced through the tension like a whip. “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Brinley. Don’t play dumb p>
Brinley’s crew closed ranks around her, forming an impenetrable wall of smug confidence. Brinley’s face practically glowed with mocking satisfaction as she stared down Erica and her friends.
But Yelena wasn’t here to play games. Subtle digs wouldn’t land on people this shameless—hinting would be a waste of breath. Yelena’s voice sliced through the air like a blade.
“That’s our takeout. Delivered here by mistake.” She paused, letting the words settle before adding, with ice dripping from every syllable, “Did it never occur to you to check what you actually ordered? Or do you just claim anything that lands in front of you like a scavenger p>
The room froze as though someone had hit pause on a movie. Brinley’s crew shifted uneasily, and the other lab members turned their heads in unison, eyes locking onto Brinley with expressions caught somewhere between disbelief and judgment. Their faces might as well have said, “What actually happened here? Didn’t you order the food p>
Brinley’s smug facade cracked. Her lips parted, but no clever retort came out. Her face paled, and her throat bobbed as she fumbled for words. “I… I…
That pathetic stammer was all anyone needed to hear. Finally, someone broke the silence.
“Hold on—didn’t you just say you ordered these for us p>
Brinley flinched like the question was a slap to the face. Her shoulders went rigid, and after an excruciating beat, she stammered, “I did order takeout, but… but not these dishes.” A low murmur rippled through the room like a rising wave of disbelief. One voice cut through, tinged with mocking incredulity.
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“Wait. So it wasn’t yours, but you just pretended it was? That’s next-level shameless p>
Another person added, sharper and louder, “Seriously? Even if it wasn’t ours, it clearly belongs to someone. What, you think anything that gets dropped here automatically belongs to you p>
Brinley’s face turned a deep shade of crimson. Being publicly called out—especially by someone younger—stung more than she could bear. Her pride flared, and she lashed out, her voice cutting and defensive.
“And so what? If anyone’s at fault, it’s the delivery guy for messing up. They dropped it off here, and we assumed it was ours. What were we supposed to do, leave it sitting there p>
“You just assumed it was yours, huh? Don’t you know better than that?” Yelena said, her voice deceptively calm but sharp as glass. “Or did you forget that food from Coastal Port doesn’t exactly come cheap? Do you even have the kind of money to make an order like that p>
Brinley stiffened, words catching in her throat.
“So, what’s it going to be?” Yelena’s voice cut through the room, leaving no room for argument. “Are we solving this here, or do I need to call the cops? Because, in case you didn’t know, stealing someone else’s food still counts as theft p>
“You—I” Brinley blurted out, her voice trembling with anger and panic, but her bravado faltered under Yelena’s unwavering glare. Yelena pulled out her phone, her movements deliberate.
“Alright then,” she said coolly. “Looks like we’ll let the police handle this p>
Brinley’s face drained of color, and before Yelena could finish dialing, she lunged forward, grabbing Yelena’s arm in desperation.
“No! You can’t call the cops p>
Her voice cracked with panic, and her eyes darted wildly around the room as if searching for a lifeline. After an excruciating pause, she blurted out, “It’s just takeout! Do you really think the cops will care about something so small p>