Chapter 20 Cracks in the Porcelain
+8 Pearls
She remembered Lincoln once said in a finance magazine interview that he liked a blend of classical elegance and modern flair.
So tonight, Quinn showed up in a modernized dress, custom–fitted just for this event.
“Mr. Martin…” Her sugary voice cut off the moment she stepped into the lounge.
Lincoln lounged lazily on a leather sofa, idly swirling the red wine in his glass. Three heavily made–up women giggled as they nestled close to him, their makeup thick enough to spackle a wall.
“Something you need?” he asked, lifting his eyes lazily to glance at the frozen Quinn before downing his drink in one gulp.
With a saccharine smile plastered across her face, Quinn stepped forward. “I heard you’re fond of classical dance? I studied it, for a while…”
“How interesting,” Lincoln interrupted, his voice suddenly sharp. “Did your teacher ever teach you what ‘classic‘ actually means?”
He gave her a mocking once–over, his gaze landing on her forced smile. “You think you compare to your sister? You look like someone scrambling for discount eggs at a market.”
Laughter erupted from the room. Quinn stumbled back, knocking into a champagne tower.
The sound of shattering glass and screams filled the air.
Lincoln frowned and brushed imaginary dust from his suit jacket. “Security. Please escort Ms. Moore out.”
Later, Quinn hurled her phone at the leather couch in a rage. On screen, Elsa smiled seductively in front of a camera.
The sight made Quinn’s blood boil.
What did Elsa even have? How had she managed to wrap Lincoln around her finger?
He even called her a cheap imitation!
She was the real Moore Corp heiress. Elsa was nothing.
Ding–dong!
A new notification popped up on her phone.
It was a trending alert from Twitter.
Staring at the tag #MooreSpokespersonElsa trending at the top, Quinn clenched her fists so hard her nails dug into her palins
“Damn it!” she growled, flinging her phone across the room.
Mandy had just finished preparing a bowl of bird’s nest soup for Quinn.
When she opened the door, the phone landed near her feet.
Startled, Mandy looked down at the shattered screen.
“Quinn, what happened? Why are you so worked up?” she asked, glancing over at her daughter fuming on the couch.
At the sound of her mother’s voice, Quinn quickly switched to a pitiful tone, pouting and whining, “Mom, can’t you do something about Elsa? She’s getting more and more out of control!”
Mandy’s hand trembled slightly as she set the bowl down, her voice cautious. “What happened this time?”
“She seduced Lincoln and made our stock prices tank!” Quinn pulled up the trading app.
Mandy’s eyes widened at the plummeting green line.
12:26 PM
Chapter 20 Cracks in the Porcelain
Felix, passing by Quinn’s room, overheard the commotion and stepped in.
+8 Pearls
When he saw the numbers, he slapped his thigh in disbelief. “Seven percent down at opening! And Moore just lost three major contracts to them!”
Mandy slammed the bowl down on the table with a sharp clang.
“That girl Elsa is absolutely out of control!”
Felix’s hands trembled, his beard quivering. “Drag that disgrace back here!”
When Elsa was hauled back into the old house by two bodyguards, bruises had already formed around her wrist.
She had no idea what was going on. The entire ride back, her mind was blank.
Shoved into the living room, she looked up just in time to see Quinn stomping on a bottle of Martin Corp’s signature perfume with her heels.
The sugary scent filled the air.
Just from that, Elsa could more or less guess what this was about.
Still, she kept her tone even. “What’s going on?”
“You’ve got the nerve to ask?” Felix snarled, grinding his crocodile leather shoe down on her fingers. His eyes blazed with rage. “What did Lincoln offer you to make you go against Moore Corp?!”
Elsa sucked in a sharp breath from the pain.
But seeing Felix’s twisted face, she actually let out a laugh.
“Are you sure you’re not confused?”
There was a hint of amusement in her voice as she looked up and met his eyes, lips curling faintly. “You should be asking how many traps he’s set for Moore Corp.”
Her gaze flicked toward Quinn, catching the tremble in her lashes. Elsa’s smile deepened.
“After all, your precious daughter can’t even lick the dirt off his shoes.”
“Sounds more like my ability, doesn’t it?”
Smack!
Mandy stormed forward and slapped Elsa across the face without a word.
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