Chapter 382
The bodyguards rushed forward, subduing all the women. Their screams filled the air as they were forced to the ground,
I frowned at the excessive force. “Let’s go, I told Adrian.
“Wait,” he replied, dabbing egg from my hair with a tissue. “Aren’t you curious who sent them?”
I paused. “Sent? They weren’t acting alone?”
“No. I was in the smoking area and saw everything. They were waiting for you specifically. They had photos of our car. When they matched it to Ethan’s, they staged this ambush.”
“This was planned, not spontaneous.”
The overweight girl’s shouting drew my attention.
‘Mr. Parker! My father partnered with Parker Group this week and had dinner with Rachel Hayes! We’re friends this!”
we texted today! You can’t treat me like
Adrian walked toward her. “So Rachel Hayes sent you?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course…” She caught herself. “No! This was my idea! It has nothing to do with Miss Hayes!”
Adrian laughed. “Interesting. I never suggested Rachel sent you. Why the rush to deny it?”
She kept her head down. “I just don’t want you to misunderstand her!”
“If you hadn’t mentioned her, we wouldn’t have suspected her,” Adrian said. “But now…”
He took out his phone and called Rachel, putting it on speaker.
“Hello?”
‘Adrian Knox here. There’s an overweight girl claiming her father dined with you. Says you’re friends.”
Silence stretched for several seconds.
‘Where are you?” Rachel finally asked. “The hotel entrance?”
‘You’ve guessed correctly. Please come quickly – we’ll wait for you.”
Rachel’s voice hardened. “Fine. Don’t hurt her or her friends. I’m coming now.”
She hung up.
I leaned against the car, Rachel’s voice echoing in my head. I knew her voice patterns too well after all our years as friends. That quick response, that immediate promise to come she didn’t even ask who these girls were or why they were in trouble.
She knew exactly where they were and what they were doing.
So I was right. Rachel was behind this whole thing.
She’d stolen my draft designs to accuse me of plagiarism.
She’d arranged for these girls to ambush me with rotten eggs.
1/2
Chapter 382
The reality hit me like a physical blow. Did Rachel hate me that much? Even knowing Evelyn was my twin sister, she’d go this far?
“Hey.’ Ethan touched my shoulder lightly. “It’ll take her a while to get here. Why don’t you go clean up?”
His suggestion pulled me back to reality. I’d been planning to shower before Adrian stopped me to watch this drama unfold. Now that we were waiting for Rachel anyway, I might as well make myself presentable.
I glanced at Adrian. “I’m going upstairs.”
He nodded. “I’ll call when the show starts.”
As I walked past Blake, I kept my eyes forward, not acknowledging his presence. I didn’t spare him a single glance.
“Mrs. Knox, Michael called after me, voice tight with disapproval. “You’re just leaving? After he
“Michael.” Blake’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “Focus on your job.”
3
I heard Michael sigh behind me as I continued toward the hotel entrance. He raised his voice deliberately. “What are you all standing around for? Mr. Parker deserves better than this.”
The subtext was clear he wasn’t just talking to the security team.
I didn’t break stride. Blake’s help meant nothing to me now. Adrian had already thanked him, which was more courtesy than Blake had ever shown me. All those times I’d bent over backward for him, all I’d ever gotten was a quick ‘thanks’ before he moved on.
Now that I was just giving him the same treatment.
