Chapter 383
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Chapter 383:
The carefully rehearsed greeting died instantly in her throat.
Gaston Collins was sitting casually on the edge of Jocelyn’s mahogany desk, holding a delicate linen napkin and gently, meticulously wiping a smudge of soy sauce from the corner of Jocelyn’s mouth. The sheer domestic intimacy of the gesture — performed by a man who routinely destroyed corporations before lunch — made Victoria’s stomach churn with violent, acidic jealousy.
She forced a tight smile onto her face.
“Cousin Jocelyn,” Victoria cooed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. She walked over and settled onto the white leather guest sofa, deliberately crossing her legs to let the slit of her dress fall open and expose her thigh.
𝗦a𝘃е у𝘰𝘶r 𝘧𝖺𝘷𝗼𝗋𝗂𝗍𝖾 ո𝘰𝗏е𝘭ѕ on
Jocelyn didn’t offer her a drink. She leaned back in her ergonomic chair and crossed her arms.
“What do you want, Victoria?” Jocelyn asked, her voice as cold as liquid nitrogen.
Victoria pouted, glancing at Gaston from the corner of her eye to ensure he was watching her performance.
“I came to talk about Aunt Elouise,” Victoria said, her voice trembling slightly. “She is living in our attic, crying every single night. How can you be so cold, Jocelyn? She is your mother. It is incredibly cruel of you to abandon her while you live in luxury p>
Jocelyn let out a sharp, genuine laugh.
“If the Stein family hates feeding her so much, throw her on the street,” Jocelyn replied without hesitation. “She is not my problem. Is that all p>
Victoria’s face tightened. The emotional manipulation was failing. She pivoted immediately to her backup plan: intellectual seduction.
She turned her body entirely toward Gaston and looked up at him with unfiltered adoration, her eyelashes fluttering.
“Mr. Collins,” Victoria purred, her voice dropping an octave. “I have been following your recent European acquisitions. The way you structured the debt leverage in Frankfurt was absolute genius. I actually have my master’s in finance from Wharton. I would love to buy you a coffee and discuss your financial modeling. It must be exhausting, not having anyone on your intellectual level to talk to p>
She let her gaze slide sideways toward Jocelyn — a venomous glance that implied the hotel manager was far too simple to understand him.
Jocelyn didn’t get angry. She simply raised an eyebrow and looked at Gaston, waiting to see how her husband would handle the blatant disrespect.
Gaston finally looked away from Jocelyn. He turned his head slowly toward Victoria.
He didn’t look angry. He looked completely and utterly bored.
A cold, terrifying smile touched his lips.
“Ms. Stein,” Gaston said, his voice a slow, arrogant drawl that radiated absolute class superiority. “Do you know what I despise more than anything p>
Victoria blinked, her confident smile faltering. “No. What p>
“Cheap, cloying perfume,” Gaston stated. “It is currently polluting my wife’s office and giving me a headache p>
Victoria’s face drained of all color. She was wearing a five-hundred-dollar niche salon fragrance.
Gaston didn’t stop. He stepped off the desk, towering over her.