Chapter 773
He couldn’t stomach the humiliation any longer, especially with so many high-profile guests watching. He couldn’t physically fight them, and he knew he lacked the leverage to have them thrown out of an event like this.
Plus, as a man of his standing, arguing with a woman in public was entirely beneath him.
Seraphina, meanwhile, was utterly useless in an argument, especially when she was in the wrong.
Before Owen could reply, Mira smoothly intervened. “My apologies, Lawrence, Sera. Jillian is simply a classmate who traveled with us. I don’t control what she says p>
This exact scenario was precisely why Mira had brought Jillian along. She had a natural talent for playing the enforcer.
It was an underrated skill, but an essential one in elite circles. Many ambitious people built lucrative careers acting as the sword for powerful figures.
Whenever the shot-callers needed to maintain their image, people like Jillian stepped up to do the dirty work.
Vanessa had used Jillian for the exact same purpose, but while she demanded total loyalty, she had refused to pay the price for it. Naturally, Jillian had jumped ship to a better boss.
Elara was Mira’s close friend, but her gentle personality made her entirely unsuited for a role like this.
“Who the hell are you calling your subordinate p>
Lawrence demanded, his fists clenched tight and his eyes wide with rage.
In these circles, that specific term implied he was nothing more than a lackey or an errand boy.
Who the hell did she think she was? He was eight years older than Mira! The absolute audacity was infuriating.
Harvey and the others muffled their laughter, while Seraphina’s face twisted in indignation.
Sera? Did Mira really just talk down to her like that?
“She’s your future sister-in-law p>
Owen offered the correction with a completely deadpan expression.
Lawrence glared at him, his chest heaving with heavy breaths as if he were seconds away from snapping.
Ultimately, Zachary Lloyd, his personal assistant, stepped in, whispering urgently into his ear before physically dragging Lawrence away by the arm.
“Don’t let a momentary provocation ruin the broader strategy p>
Zachary continued to soothe Lawrence once they were out of Mira’s line of sight.
Fortunately, the altercation at the entrance had been brief enough that from a distance it merely looked like a polite exchange. The nearby sta had heard everything, but given the status of those involved, they wouldn’t dare breathe a word of it.
Once the annoying duo had finally vanished, Mira lowered her voice and asked Owen, “Why haven’t we seen Jude Vance yet p>
“The golden boy is too precious for an early entrance. He’s probably saving himself for a dramatic, arrogant reveal p>
Owen’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smirk, and Mira understood perfectly.
Mira turned and gave Jillian an approving pat on the shoulder. “You passed the test. From now on, you’re officially on my team p>
When Jillian had backed Vanessa,
her safety net was practically
en
non-existent, making every conflict a massive risk. Going up against. powerhouse like Mira used to mean
that vanessa abandoned he
Jillian would beat the full devastating brunt of the retaliation.
That exact scenario had played out when several classmates helped Luna Lance
cyberbully Mira-many of them had ended up behind bars.
But now that she was aligned with Mira, the dynamic had completely shifted.
“Really? That’s amazing p>
Jillian beamed. If there hadn’t been an audience, she probably would have jumped for joy.
Mira smiled. The girl was a genuine talent. Playing the aggressive vanguard wasn’t
a role just anyone could execute smoothly.
Once Jillian was out of earshot, Elara lowered her voice. “But she betrayed Vanessa p>
The implication was clear: she was inherently disloyal.
“That’s just because Vanessa refused to compensate her properly p>
Vanessa had only wanted a servant, offering zero actual support and throwing her nothing but pathetic, meaningless scraps.
Mira operated differently. As long as someone proved their worth, she made sure they were generously rewarded.
No one worked for free. If the payout didn’t match the effort, resentment was inevitable.
Elara’s dynamic with Mira was
completely different. They were
genuine friends meaning their
relationship wasn’t
transactional-they simply looked
out for each other.
Across the room, Vanessa and her clique noticed Seraphina returning. “Who was at
the door? Why didn’t you bring them over?” they asked eagerly.