Chapter 155 Rachel Picks a Fight
Rachel's fingertips lightly brushed against the lisianthus petals in the bouquet, her tone carrying a deliberately hesitant quality, though her eyes held a barely noticeable pickiness. "I specifically ordered top-grade imported flowers, but these petals look wilted, and this wrapping is way too plain. It doesn't match the reputation of a high-end custom shop, does it?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but just enough for everyone in the shop to hear clearly. Her gaze swept over the shop's interior, looking exactly like a spoiled rich girl looking for trouble.
Jasper had been looking down at his picture book, but hearing this, his little brow furrowed. He looked up at Rachel, his small mouth pressed tight, looking all puffed up with anger, but Lance gently pressed his shoulder, signaling him not to speak.
Lance leaned against the flower rack, arms crossed, his eyes full of mockery as he watched Rachel's performance. He wanted to see what game this woman was playing.
Aria's fingertips still rested lightly on the edge of the flower counter, her cool gaze falling on the bouquet in Rachel's hands.
That bouquet was made from imported flowers she had personally selected early that morning. The conditioning, trimming, and arrangement—every step had been done with extreme care. The petals were plump and dewy, and the wrapping used custom matte paper, simple yet refined. There was nothing wrong with it at all.
"Miss, these flowers are imported stock that just arrived this morning. They've been properly conditioned for four hours, and the wrapping follows high-end standards. If you think there's a problem, please point out specifically what doesn't meet your expectations."
Her voice was calm and steady, without a trace of anger at being criticized, which instead made Rachel's deliberate complaints seem somewhat awkward.
Rachel hadn't expected Aria to be so composed. She froze for a moment, then put on a regretful sigh and tugged at the bouquet's ribbon. "Look at this ribbon, the quality is so poor, and the flower arrangement—the colors are too mixed, not classy at all. I spent so much money and got this bouquet. People would laugh if they knew."
She deliberately raised her voice. Passersby outside heard the commotion and couldn't help but stop, peering through the glass door.
Arthur's face had already darkened like ink. How could he not see through Rachel's intentions? She was clearly here to cause trouble on purpose.
At first, he thought it was just a coincidence, but now it was clear it wasn't.
Rachel had come prepared.
He stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Aria, his gaze cold as he looked at Rachel, his tone so icy it could freeze someone. "Rachel, whether this bouquet is good or bad isn't for you to judge. Either take the flowers and get lost, or apologize for your words right now."
Rachel was startled by Arthur's look and instinctively stepped back half a step, but her eyes instantly reddened, looking as if she'd suffered a great injustice. "Mr. Grant, how can you treat me like this? I'm not deliberately causing trouble. I just want to get flowers that meet my expectations..."
Her voice carried a sob, and combined with that pitiful appearance, anyone who didn't know better might really think Aria was mistreating a customer and Arthur was bullying people with his power.
Aria gently tugged at Arthur's sleeve, signaling him to step aside. She walked out from behind Arthur, her gaze still cool but now with an added sharpness. "Since Ms. Morgan feels this bouquet doesn't meet your expectations, I can remake it for you or give you a full refund. However, there's one thing I need to clarify."
She looked up, her gaze sweeping over the onlookers outside, her voice clear and firm. "Every high-end custom bouquet from Serenity Blooms Studio, from flowers to wrapping, follows our standards. We never cut corners. Today, Ms. Morgan is being so critical—whether you genuinely think there's a problem with the flowers or have other motives, I'm sure everyone can judge for themselves."
Then she looked at Rachel. "So which would you like, Ms. Morgan—a remake or a refund?"
Rachel hadn't expected Aria to lay everything out so directly and bring the onlookers into it. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond.
Her original plan was to make a big fuss and damage Serenity Blooms Studio's reputation, but Aria's move instead made her look like the unreasonable one.
She gripped the bouquet tightly, her nails almost digging into her palm. The wronged expression on her face could no longer hold, but she didn't want to admit defeat, so she could only stubbornly say, "I want a remake. If I'm still not satisfied, I'll file a complaint against you!"
"Fine."
Aria agreed without hesitation. "Please wait. You can pick up the flowers in half an hour."
With that, she turned and walked to the flower rack, beginning to select flowers, her movements crisp and efficient.
Seeing this, Lance also stepped forward to help, while Jasper sat in the corner, his little eyes fixed on Rachel like a kitten protecting his mother.
Arthur stood in place, his gaze on Aria's back, his eyes full of complexity.
He wanted to help her, but knowing her personality, she definitely wouldn't accept his help. He could only stand to the side, coldly staring at Rachel. If she dared make any more moves, he definitely wouldn't let her off easy.
Rachel felt uncomfortable under Arthur's stare and could only stand there, watching Aria's busy figure. The hatred in her heart grew stronger. The calmer and more composed Aria was, the more jealous and unwilling she felt.
Half an hour later, Aria came out holding a brand new bouquet. This one was even more refined than the previous one.
Imported champagne roses paired with blue star flowers and white lisianthus, accented with a few sprigs of eucalyptus leaves. The wrapping used gold-patterned matte paper, tied with a velvet ribbon in matching tones. It looked extremely high-end, with plump and dewy petals that lifted one's spirits just looking at it.
"Ms. Morgan, your flowers."
Aria placed the bouquet on the counter.
Rachel looked at the bouquet and couldn't find a single flaw. She held back her frustration but had nowhere to vent it. She could only reach out to take the bouquet, then awkwardly pushed open the glass door and quickly left Serenity Blooms Studio without even daring to look back.
The onlookers outside, seeing there was no more drama to watch, also dispersed, and the shop finally returned to peace.
Lance watched Rachel's disappearing figure and snorted coldly. "That's got to be Mr. Grant's admirer deliberately causing trouble, right?"
From Rachel's expressions and behavior toward Arthur just now, it was really hard not to suspect this possibility.
Aria let out a soft breath and raised her hand to rub her temples. To say she wasn't tired from what just happened would be a lie.
Jasper ran over and hugged Aria's leg, looking up with his little face. "Mommy, that lady is bad. Jasper doesn't like her."
Aria crouched down and ruffled her son's head, a gentle smile playing at her lips. "It's okay, Jasper. Mommy's not scared."
Arthur watched this warm scene, his heart aching. He stepped forward to explain, his voice carrying a hint of caution. "Aria, that person just now is my company's assistant. She's not some admirer of mine..."