Chapter 127
Olivia put down the documents in her hand and looked at Victoria, her eyes clearly protective, "If Elysia dares to act like before, badmouthing you or deliberately stirring up trouble, don't be polite to her. If you just keep putting up with it, she'll only think you're a pushover."
Hearing this, Victoria's face broke into a slightly wicked smile, though her eyes were very determined, "Don't worry! I've never put up with her. I'll scold her when she deserves it, hit her when she deserves it. Anyway, in that family, my reputation for being 'inconsiderate' and 'unaccommodating' has long been set in stone by them. I don't care about adding one more thing to the list."
Watching Victoria's forced casual manner, Olivia felt a subtle ache in her heart.
She understood Victoria too well. This person, who appeared carefree and unrestrained on the outside, actually craved family warmth and her mother's approval more than anyone.
What truly made Victoria feel hurt and powerless was never Elysia's petty tricks that couldn't see the light of day, but rather Quinn's obvious favoritism toward Elysia, and sometimes her inability to distinguish right from wrong.
That malice from close family hurt more than malice from outsiders.
At noon, Christopher showed up right on time downstairs at the Smith Group to pick up Olivia for lunch.
He chose a restaurant known for its refinement, with an elegant and quiet atmosphere.
The two followed the waiter's guidance toward their reserved table. Just as they passed through the corridor, they heard the sound of an argument ahead.
A private room door was suddenly pulled open, and a woman in a business suit with delicate features but a pale face stumbled out. It was Elodie.
Immediately after, a pot-bellied middle-aged man chased out, his face twisted with humiliated rage. He grabbed Elodie's wrist, cursing crudely, "You bitch! Too good for your own good! It's just opening an art gallery, what are you acting so high and mighty for! You should be grateful I'm touching you!"
As he spoke, his other hand raised up, about to slap Elodie across the face!
"Stop!"
A cold, low shout rang out from behind, carrying undeniable authority.
Christopher's brows were tightly furrowed. He stepped forward quickly and precisely caught the middle-aged man's wrist before it could come down, with such force that the man immediately cried out in pain, sobering up considerably.
The moment Elodie heard Christopher's voice, her eyes lit up sharply, as if seeing her savior.
She immediately broke free from the man's grip and quickly hid behind Christopher's broad, upright figure. Clutching tightly at the hem of his suit jacket, she peeked out half her face and called out in a trembling voice on the verge of tears, "Christopher! Save me!"
Her voice was delicate, filled with endless grievance and fear, but the look in her eyes as she gazed at Christopher's back was mixed with undisguised dependence and adoration.
The middle-aged man was about to lose his temper, but when he looked up and saw clearly that the person blocking him was Christopher, the anger on his face instantly froze, turning into shock and panic. Cold sweat even broke out on his forehead.
He stammered, "Mr. Taylor? You. Why are you here? This Ms. Turner, you know her?"
Christopher released his wrist, his expression calm as still water, but his eyes were cold and sharp. He didn't answer immediately.
But Elodie, hiding behind Christopher, spoke up first, her tone carrying a deliberately created intimacy and confidence, "Now you're scared? Christopher is my childhood friend. We've been neighbors since we were kids!"
She cleverly only mentioned "neighbors," blurring the fact that it was just a brief childhood connection, deliberately creating the illusion that they had a deep relationship.
Hearing this, the man's face turned even paler.
How could he have known that this seemingly background-less Elodie, whose family had fallen on hard times, actually had this kind of connection with Christopher?
He immediately broke out in cold sweat, hurriedly bowing and apologizing to Elodie, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Ms. Turner! I was blind and offended by you! I deserve to die! I drank too much and was confused! Please don't hold it against me!"
Watching the man who had been so arrogant just moments ago now groveling, a flash of satisfaction and pride crossed Elodie's eyes.
She even wanted to take the opportunity to make him kowtow and kneel, to really vent her anger.
However, Christopher clearly had no interest in watching this farce.
He didn't even bother to look at the man, only coldly spitting out one word from his thin lips, "Get lost."
A simple word, yet carrying tremendous pressure. The man, as if granted amnesty, didn't dare stay any longer and quickly disappeared down the corridor, nodding and bowing.
With the crisis resolved, Elodie immediately moved from behind Christopher to in front of him, lifting her face to look at him. Her beautiful eyes were full of gratitude and undisguised deep affection, her voice so soft and sweet it could drip water, "Christopher, thank you for saving me! I knew you wouldn't ignore me!"
Her sincere appearance, as if she and Christopher had an extraordinary relationship, was skin-crawling to watch.
Olivia, who had been completely ignored on the side as Christopher's official girlfriend, now just felt nauseated.
Was this Elodie really treating her as if she were invisible?
Olivia crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow leisurely, her cool voice carrying a hint of mockery, breaking the "world for two" that Elodie had deliberately created, "Ms. Turner, are your eyes on top of your head? Didn't you see another living person is standing right here?"
Elodie seemed to only now notice Olivia's presence. The deep affection on her face instantly withdrew, replaced by a distant and cold expression. She glanced at Olivia, her tone indifferent, "Oh, Ms. Smith is here too."
Olivia was amused by her attitude and shot back without courtesy, "Obviously. I'm Christopher's girlfriend. If he's here, of course I'm here too."
She deliberately emphasized "girlfriend."
Sure enough, Elodie's brows immediately furrowed, a flash of clear disgust and displeasure crossing her face.
She deliberately ignored Olivia's words, as if she hadn't heard them at all, and once again put all her attention back on Christopher, her face-changing speed astonishingly fast.
"Christopher," her voice was still soft and sweet, full of expectation, "thank you for saving me just now. Let me treat you to lunch as thanks, okay?"
She looked up at Christopher, her carefully made-up eyes full of hope, as if his agreement would be her greatest happiness.
Christopher's brows were already furrowed, the impatience in his eyes like frozen frost. His thin lips parted slightly, the cold word "no" about to escape.
However, Olivia, on the side spoke up first, her voice clear and firm, cutting off his unspoken refusal, "That won't be necessary, Elodie. Christopher came specifically to have lunch with me at noon, so I'm afraid it's not convenient for him to accept your invitation."