Chapter 297 I Offered It, You Didn’t Take It

Chapter 297 I Offered It, You Didn’t Take It

Stripping her clothes off?

Not just Sophia—half the people around them went pale.

This kind of thing was crossing a line.

Besides, the news about Brielle and Lancelot dating had only been hinted at through her Instagram. No one had seen any real proof.

And now Brielle's boyfriend had supposedly been stolen, and she was going after this woman so viciously.

More than a few people looked uncomfortable.

But no one spoke up for Sophia.

Between a woman with no connections and the Medici family's heiress, the choice was obvious. No one would pick wrong.

Sophia could barely control the trembling inside her. She never would have guessed that gentle-looking Brielle could be this vicious.

She struggled against the security guards' grip, her voice losing its earlier composure. "Brielle, what you're doing is illegal!"

Brielle didn't answer. Her eyes gleamed with anticipation—clearly, she wanted to destroy Sophia this way.

Were they all crazy?

A thousand thoughts raced through Sophia's mind.

She couldn't understand why she kept attracting people like this.

She'd barely dealt with Delta, and now Brielle had appeared. Was she just unlucky?

Anxiety made her heart pound. She desperately wanted to call Lancelot.

But her hands were pinned. She couldn't reach her phone in her bag.

When she felt someone tugging at her clothes, she couldn't hold back a scream.

But the moment the sound left her lips, a sharp crack rang out.

The security guard who'd been restraining her flew backward, and she was pulled into a familiar embrace.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you alone here."

Lancelot's low voice rumbled above her, laced with both tenderness and obvious fury.

Sophia's panic vanished in an instant. Her hands clutched his shirt like a lifeline, as if afraid he'd let her go.

The sudden turn of events shocked everyone around them.

Lancelot.

Though he rarely appeared in public, plenty of people here recognized him.

The murmurs around them exploded into a roar.

"What's going on? Lancelot's protecting her? Did she really steal Brielle's boyfriend?"

"Who would've thought? That woman's got some serious game."

"Poor Brielle. Her boyfriend gets stolen, and he doesn't care about her feelings at all."

"Even if he doesn't care about her, he can't ignore the Medici family, right? This is getting messy."

"..."

The gossip swirled around them as frost settled over Lancelot's handsome face.

His icy gaze locked onto Brielle.

Brielle was too shocked to speak.

The first time she'd met him, he'd been polite and refined—enough to make her heart flutter.

The second time, though his attitude had been cold and dismissive, he hadn't been like this.

This Lancelot radiated a bone-deep chill. Brielle felt afraid.

Still, she was the Medici family's golden daughter, raised in luxury. She knew how tangled the interests between these families could be.

She didn't believe Lancelot would truly antagonize the Medicis over a divorced woman.

Once she'd thought it through, Brielle spoke up. "What do you think you're doing? I've already let everything before this go. And now you're going to let her ruin the Medici family's jewelry exhibition?"

Brielle conveniently left out what had actually happened earlier, only saying she'd "let it go"—leaving plenty of room for people's imaginations.

Unfortunately for her, Lancelot hadn't come here to save her face.

He gently patted Sophia's back, his movements tender—a stark contrast to the tone he used when he spoke.

"Ms. Medici has let it go? Did anyone ask what I think?"

Lancelot's cold tone made his position crystal clear.

Panic flashed in Brielle's eyes.

If he exposed the truth right here—that they'd never successfully gone on a date, that she'd forced herself on him—where would that leave her dignity?

Her hands clenched into fists, wrinkling her dress.

"Today is the Medici family's jewelry exhibition. Have you thought about the consequences of doing this?"

"Consequences?" Lancelot laughed, but it sent chills down everyone's spines. "I'd like to ask Ms. Medici—when you were spreading rumors, did you think about the consequences?"

Lancelot glanced at the people emerging from the exhibition hall, his tone casual as he continued.

"The blind date with Ms. Medici was arranged by my mother. But I don't recall it being successful."

One sentence shattered Brielle's lie, pulling the foundation out from under everything she'd said.

Everyone here was smart enough to read between the lines.

Obviously Lancelot had fallen for another woman. His family had arranged a blind date, which happened to be with Brielle.

Brielle had desperately thrown herself at him and still been rejected.

So she'd painted innocent Sophia as the 'other woman' who'd stolen her boyfriend.

Brielle could feel eyes on her from every direction. Her face burned with humiliation.

She'd been pampered and praised her whole life. And now she'd been rejected for a woman with no background?

Tears rolled down her cheeks, making her look pitiful and helpless.

"Lancelot, I know you're protecting her, but do you know how much damage you're doing to me by saying this?"

Her words caused another uproar.

Could it be that Sophia really had come between them, and Lancelot was denying Brielle's version to protect her?

For a moment, people's expressions were complicated. No one dared say a word.

Brielle's father Lawrence approached, wearing a smile.

"Mr. Clifford, you young people's business is beyond me."

"But whatever the issue, we can discuss it. Let's not make a spectacle here."

He waved his hand. "Take Mr. Clifford to the lounge. Whatever needs to be discussed, we can sit down and talk it through."

His attitude screamed damage control.

Lancelot's lips curved into a smile without warmth. "Mr. Medici, it's precisely your 'staying out of it' that caused this situation. After all, I gave you advance warning."

Lawrence's smile twitched noticeably.

After receiving Lancelot's message that afternoon, he'd immediately called Brielle.

But the jewelry exhibition had been about to start, and Brielle had downplayed everything, making him think it was just typical romantic drama—nothing serious.

He hadn't dealt with it promptly. Who knew Lancelot would go scorched earth?

Lawrence's smile stiffened. He lowered his voice. "Mr. Clifford, our families have cooperated for years. Plus, I'm practically your elder. You should show me some respect, shouldn't you?"

"I did. You didn't take it."

Lancelot didn't bother lowering his voice. "If you'd properly disciplined your daughter this afternoon, none of this would have happened. But now..."

His gaze swept over Brielle, cold and contemptuous to the core.

"With such a foolish daughter, all your ancestors' hard work will probably go to waste."

Brielle's whole body trembled.

So his behavior last time had been nothing. This was what it looked like when he truly ground her dignity into the dirt.

Brielle couldn't control her emotions anymore. She demanded loudly, "How can you treat me like this just because of her!"