69

69
Kendall’s entire life flashed before her eyes the moment she saw Lucien.

It was like hearing the executioner's blade or hearing the tightening of the noose. She was so dead.

“Lucien,” Eliott said as casually as he could. “I didn’t know you’d be here tonight. Isn’t this an event far below your calibre?”

“I asked you what you’re doing,” Lucien repeated, tilting his head.

Eliott sighed. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with. Let’s not make a scene. All it’ll do is bring everyone out here, and I’m sure you don’t want them seeing you being your usual brusque self. You already know what they all think of you.”

“You talk too much,” Lucien muttered in disgust. “I asked you a question. What are you doing to them?”

“What, you know her?” Eliott asked, cocking his head toward Carmell. “Then get her out of my way. My secretary and I were having a misunderstanding when this… lady… got herself involved.” He looked at Kendall. “Come, Kendall. We’re leaving.”

“Your secretary?” Lucien questioned, raising a brow. “How is she your secretary?”

“I hired her?” Eliott irritably muttered.

“And how long has she worked for you? I’m only asking because she seems a little uncomfortable.”

“Five years,” Eliott spat with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Just go away. Come, Kendall.”

He took her wrist and dragged her out from behind Carmell.
In seconds, the situation exploded, and Eliott was snatched tightly by the neck. Lucien shoved him roughly against the wall.

“Sir!” Kendall gasped, rushing to stop him.

“Listen to me, Cross,” he growled inches from Eliott’s face.

Coughing as he tried to clear his swimming vision, Eliott forced himself to laugh. “Wow! I thought you left these low-class ways behind you.”

Lucien’s grip on the collar tightened until Eliott couldn’t speak anymore. “I warned you, didn’t I? Keep your filth out of my sight because, the day I witness your debauchery, I’ll snap your fucking neck. How dare you touch her?”

“Lucien,” Carmell whispered urgently. “People are—”

“What’s going on here?” someone asked.

There was a woman in a glimmering silver dress peeking at them from the hallway where the party venue was.

She gasped. “Lucien Sinclair? Eliott?”

“What’s going on?” someone else asked, rushing over to see.

Quickly, people started rushing over, eager to see the two infamous rivals go at it in public.

“Sinclair!” barked an older man, prominent white moustache twitching as he rushed over. “Stop this immediately. The press is here!”

Scowling, Lucien shoved Eliott away, releasing his neck.

“It’s alright!” Eliott said with a deliberately sad smile. “I apologize, everyone.”

“What is the meaning of this?” old Mrs Foster from JF Mining said, glaring disapprovingly at Lucien. “This isn’t the place for such uncivilized behaviour.”

Lucien scoffed, turning on her. “I’m the one being uncivilized? Me? Have you any idea what I caught this cankerworm doing?”

“Cankerworm,” Eliott murmured quietly, fixing his collar.

“Enough, Mr Sinclair!” Mrs Foster said, her cheeks shaking. “If you have any respect for your late father-in-law, you’ll stop disgracing his image this way.”

Lucien’s expression ticked with a flash of anger, making the woman gasp delicately.

“He was harassing these two women,” Lucien quietly muttered through clenched teeth, forcing himself to remain calm and ignore her statement, or they’d all just think he was the problematic one.

“Eliott was harassing two women?” Mrs Foster said with a scoff. “You expect us to believe that?”

Eliott sighed. “It’s a misunderstanding, everyone. My secretary and I just had a slight disagreement. Mr Sinclair only thought she needed his help, I applaud his chivalry—"

“Kendall,” Lucien said.

Her trembling hands were gripped tightly together. “Yes, Sir?”

Eliott stopped speaking, his brows forming a frown as he looked from Lucien to Kendall. A bad feeling started stirring his gut.
Did they know each other? Sonofa...

“Why don’t you tell the people exactly what happened with Mr Cross here?”

“Why are you giving her orders?” Eliott rushed to ask.

“Since she’s my secretary,” Lucien hissed. “I think I’m well within my rights to give her orders.”

The gentleman who’d separated them blinked. “Well, whose secretary is she?”

“I’m Mr Sinclair’s secretary,” Kendall quickly said. She stood closer to him. “I’m not certain what Mr Cross wanted from me, but I’m sure it was a misunderstanding. My boss was only trying to protect me.”

“Young women these days, Eliott dear,” Mrs Frost said. “Be careful with them! They'll ruin your reputation with a single lie.”

“Indeed,” Eliott muttered, avoiding Lucien’s gaze. “It’s my mistake.”

Lucien’s jaw was so tightly clenched, he could hardly speak. Not only did the fools not believe him, but Kendall was adding to it by refusing to tell them all what happened.

He stepped back and waved a hand in front of him, silently telling Kendall to walk past.
She hurried past him, her eyes wide like she was afraid of being scolded.

Despite all the accusatory eyes already on him, he looked at Eliott and took one step closer to him. “Let me warn you, Cross. I never want to see you around her ever again. The next time I see your slimy hands on her, I’ll break every finger.”

The crowd gasped in horror at such displays of barbaric violence. Curbing the urge to raise middle fingers to their hypocritical faces, Lucien pushed past people, grabbed Kendall’s hand, and led her out of the crowd.

Standing in the doorway of the venue, which was still filled with many clueless attendees, Hamza curiously watched Lucien Sinclair marching down the hallway toward him, holding hands with the girl he’d met earlier.

Suddenly, Lucien stopped before him, making him flinch.

“You.”

Hamza gulped. “Sinclair.”

“You have my number?”

He shook his head.

Lucien turned his head a degree to the side. “Kendall.”

Quickly digging into the right pocket of her suit dress, she brought out a card and handed it to Hamza.

“Call me tomorrow morning at nine,” Lucien said. “We’re going to make you a deal, and you're going to take it. Got that?”

Pursing his lips, Hamza nodded. “G… got it.”

With that sorted, Lucien continued marching out of the venue, Kendall in tow.

He needed to get her to his car, so he could sit her down and make her tell him exactly how she knew Eliott Cross.