Chapter 372
Chapter 372:
But the words froze on her tongue the second she registered who it was—it was that waitress. Again. How on earth did she manage to swoop in so quickly?
Was this all some elaborate act?
Bella’s expression darkened as she rounded on Megan. “Are you out of your mind? Did you just push me? I let what happened earlier slide, but now you’re trying to hurt me p>
Megan’s face went pale, and she threw her hands up defensively. “No! I didn’t push you. I swear I didn’t!” Megan was stunned. Hurt Bella? Never! Bella was her darling daughter, after all.
“What’s going on?” Donna’s voice cut through the tension as she stepped closer, her sharp gaze flitting between Bella and the waitress.
Then Donna hesitated. Something was… off. For the first time, she noticed an uncanny resemblance between Bella and the waitress. It struck her like a bolt from the blue, leaving her momentarily lost in thought.
Before Donna could piece her thoughts together, Bella interrupted her reverie.
“Mom, it’s nothing,” she said quickly, her voice calm but firm. “I just lost my footing for a second.” As she spoke, she shot a pointed look at Megan, her eyes laced with an unspoken warning.
Megan quickly defended herself, her tone earnest. “Mrs. Harris, Miss Harris, I truly didn’t mean to cause any trouble p>
Just then, Yelena stepped in. “I can vouch for her,” she said firmly. “I saw Bella nearly trip over herself. This waitress caught her just in time p>
Megan shot Yelena a grateful look, her heart lightened. Yelena’s words were spot on—that was exactly how it had happened!
Bella let out a frosty snort, her annoyance clear. Yelena was always sticking her neck out for strangers but never sparing a thought for her own sister.
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Not that Bella considered Yelena a sister, anyway.
With the misunderstanding sorted, Bella had no choice but to let the matter drop. But she wasn’t happy about it. Huffing in frustration, she stormed off, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.
As she left, Bella vowed that the meddlesome waitress wouldn’t get off scot-free.
Once in the car, Yelena pulled out her phone and immediately began typing a message to Stella. Donna, seated beside her, watched with a knowing smile. “What’s the big secret you couldn’t say at dinner?” she teased lightly.
Yelena matched her smile but stayed tight-lipped, knowing Donna was just making small talk and didn’t mean to pry.
Bella, however, wasn’t above snooping. She craned her neck, trying to sneak a peek at Yelena’s screen. But thanks to the privacy filter on the screen, all she saw was a black void.
Bella scowled. “What’s so fascinating about that stupid phone, anyway?” she thought.
Unbothered by Bella’s nosiness, Yelena continued her message. She asked Stella if she’d come up with a plan to tackle the counterfeit products debacle.
Yelena had deliberately avoided mentioning it at the restaurant—there were simply too many prying ears, and loose talk had a way of traveling faster than wildfire.
Sterling and Grace’s reputation was on the line. Known for their impeccable craftsmanship and cutting-edge designs, the brand had always stayed ahead of the curve in the luxury market. Their integrity was their lifeblood, the reason they’d outlasted countless competitors over the years.
But now, with this scandal brewing, firing Heather—the store manager responsible—wasn’t a silver bullet. If Stella stopped there, it would only send the wrong message.
Customers might start to see Sterling and Grace as poorly managed—after all, if one store manager could pull a stunt like this, what was to stop hundreds, or even thousands, of others from doing the same?
If word of this scandal leaked, even customers who hadn’t been deceived into purchasing counterfeit items in the past might flood back, demanding refunds and creating absolute chaos.