Chapter 13 The Roffes‘ Most Pampered Princess
Chapter 13 The Roffes‘ Most Pampered Princess
Sabrina never could have imagined it.
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After returning to Qodon, the biggest obstacle in her path would turn out to be the very person she had always dismissed- Alisa.
The air in the room froze.
That single, cutting remark–grew up as a servant–didn’t pierce Alisa. But it set off Preston, who was sitting right beside her
He shot to his feet like a spring uncoiled, eyes blazing with the promise of violence.
“Sabrina,” he growled, “I dare you to say that again.”
Every hardship Alisa had endured, every humiliation she had swallowed growing up–she owed it all to the Nelsons.
She should have been the most pampered girl of the household.
The Roffes were famous for standing together–when one prospered, all prospered; when one fell, all fell.
Since Alisa’s return, there had been an unspoken rule within the family: no one brought up her past.
And in Qodon, there was another rule everyone knew: no one insulted the Roffes in front of the Roffes.
And absolutely no one called Alisa a servant in front of Preston.
The look Preston gave Sabrina said it all–he wasn’t bluffing; he would hit her if she pushed him.
Sabrina paused for a beat, then she sneered, “Did I say anything wrong?”
She didn’t get to finish. Preston lunged forward, closing the distance in a heartbeat, and clamped his hand around her throat. His voice came out low and deadly, as though ground between his teeth.
“You’ve got a death wish.”
The auctioneer froze in shock.
Around them, the well–dressed guests–prominent figures from every corner of society–watched in rapt attention.
“Preston!”
Alisa’s voice cut through the tension.
She couldn’t let him go too far–he wasn’t about to kill Sabrina in front of a hundred witnesses.
At her call, Preston glanced sideways toward her.
In that moment, Sabrina struck–her hand chopping hard at his arm. She wrenched free, stumbling back three steps.
Angry red marks, clear as five fingers, flared across the skin of her throat.
The pressure Preston used was obvious.
Clutching her neck, Sabrina hissed, “What now? Have you grown so arrogant that you think you’re above the law? I’ll sue you for assault–and everyone here is my witness!”
Preston rolled his eyes and didn’t even bother to answer.
Alisa rebuked. “I can’t think of any cousin who would sit there and do nothing when someone called his cousin a servant to her face. If you want to press charges, Ms. Nelson, go right ahead. But first, I suggest you deal with the problem in front of
you
TN O
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3:14 PM P
Chapter 13 The Roffes‘ Most Pampered Princess
The auction had been delayed for nearly 20 minutes.
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News of the commotion reached upstairs. Nydia descended with her secretary at her side. The moment they stepped into the hall, they were met with the charged, hostile scene.
Her gaze slid briefly to Alisa, a shadow of something unreadable flickering in her eyes.
Alisa tilted her chin just enough to meet it.
“I hadn’t planned to say this…” Sabrina lowered the hand from her throat, her voice laced with both fury and pride. She glared at Alisa, spitting out each word like a challenge. “Today, I wasn’t going to reveal my identity. But since you’ve dared to publicly spread lies about me, I’ll expose you for the fraud you are.”
She straightened and raised her voice for the whole room to hear. “Listen carefully, everyone! I am Mino. Sunset Bloom is my work, and there’s absolutely no way its materials contain any carcinogens. I’m here tonight to auction my own painting.”
A ripple of shock swept through the hall.
“What? Sabrina is Mino?”
“Mino is Sabrina? My God!”
The murmur of astonishment washed over her, restoring her confidence. The power of the moment settled back in her favor, and for the first time all evening, she felt firmly in control.
She was the center of attention now–but the people here weren’t fools.
Just because she said she was Mino didn’t mean they would blindly believe her.
In no time, somebody stepped forward and questioned her identity.
“Please,” someone scoffed from the crowd, “if saying it makes it true, then I’m the mayor of Qódon. You buying that?”
Laughter rippled through the room.
Sabrina’s eyes swept across them like razor blades.
“My mentor is Wynne Sharp. If you don’t believe me, I can call her now and have her confirm it herself. And another thing- do you really think I couldn’t sell my paintings anywhere else? I only brought my work here because my mentor recommended it.”
In truth, Wynne had close ties with the Cantrells. She was a friend of Nydia’s, which was why she’d vouched for Sabrina at Cantrell Auction House in the first place.
Sabrina needed cash fast to cover her debts, and because of this special connection, she’d been promised an immediate payout after the sale–no waiting for the usual payment cycle.
It was a simple favor between friends.
But here she was, in front of Qodon’s elite, speaking without restraint–raising herself up while insulting the very auction house doing her the favor.
From the back of the hall, Nydia heard every word.
Her brow creased, her earlier courtesy toward Sabrina evaporating.
She’d only agreed to auction the painting to honor Wynne’s request. Two weeks ago, Sabrina had publicly clashed with the Roffes; no one with half a brain would offend the Roffes for her sake.
But Sabrina was proving even more tactless than Nydia had imagined.
Fine.
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3:14 PM P
Chapter 13 The Roffes‘ Most Pampered Princess
If she couldn’t keep her own mouth in check, then Nydia had no reason to ignore Alisa’s earlier suggestion.
With her secretary in tow, Nydia strode forward into the center of the room, drawing every eye.
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The auctioneer spotted her immediately and hurried over, bowing with respect. “Ma’am, what brings you downstairs?”
“I came to check why the auction hasn’t started,” Nydia replied coolly. “What’s the dispute?”
He wasted no time, relaying the incident from start to finish.
Sabrina’s confidence swelled the moment she saw Nydia. In her mind, there was no question–Nydia would side with her. After all, she was Mino, and Nydia was a close friend of her mentor.
Now that her identity was out, tomorrow all of Qodon’s high society would know. She could already picture Alisa and Preston’s smug expressions wiped clean.
The thought made her smile faintly.
When the auctioneer finished, Nydia glanced briefly at Alisa, who lounged back in her chair with an unreadable expression.
Then Nydia’s eyes shifted to Sabrina.
Sabrina jumped in at once. “Mrs. Cantrell, you know exactly who I am. I don’t need to prove myself again, do I?”
Nydia’s lips curved politely. “Ms. Nelson, you have a good mentor.”
The confirmation lit a spark of triumph in Sabrina’s chest-
But it was snuffed out a heartbeat later,
However,” Nydia said firmly and clearly, “your painting won’t be going up for auction tonight. Ljust got word 30 minutes ago -the pigments tested well above the legal limit for radioactive carcinogens. Not only is this piece banned from the auction, but from now on, no artwork by Mino will be accepted at Cantrell Auction House.”
Sabrina’s face turned pale. Her confident smile collapsed into stunned disbelief.
“That’s impossible!”
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