Chapter 3
As soon as Xavier finished speaking, I couldn't help but retort, "Mr. Sullivan, are you blind or something? Your fiancée, Zara, is standing right here."
I pointed at Zara beside me. "You're holding another woman in front of your fiancée and accusing me of not knowing the rules? What? Have you no shame at all?"
System: [S-tier critical hit. Reward: 100 thousand dollars.]
Xavier's face darkened instantly.
He finally noticed Zara standing next to me, a flash of disgust in his eyes before he quickly slipped back into his aloof, superior demeanor.
"My engagement with Zara is a business deal. We each do our own thing and stay out of each other's way," he said, as if it were another transaction.
He looked at Zara with a patronizing tone. "Zara, I don't care what kind of life you've had these past twenty years. Since you've returned to the Jennings family, you'd better play by our rules.
"Don't go chasing after things that aren't yours. Behave yourself as Mrs. Sullivan, and I'll make sure you enjoy a lifetime of riches and privilege."
I rolled my eyes, thinking. 'What a classic clueless guy talk. It makes me want to punch him. Yeah, right, as if it's mutual, he's the only one messing around.
'And what's with "don't go chasing after things that aren't yours"? Everything in the Jennings family was supposed to be hers. The role of Mrs. Sullivan was hers, too.
'The victim gets robbed, and then the thief and his sidekick have the nerve to tell her not to get any ideas? Seriously, is there any justice left?'
I couldn't hold back and went off. "Mr. Sullivan, that's a pretty funny logic. So you and Lila get to 'do your own thing,' but what about Zara? Is she supposed to date the furniture or something?
"Or do you think she doesn't even deserve a name?
"And what do you mean by 'things that aren't hers'? Everything in the Jennings family and the role of Mrs. Sullivan were both snatched by Lila.
"Now you're standing with the thief, telling Zara not to reclaim her stuff? Are you hooked on robbery or playing security guard for the thief on the side?"
My outburst left Xavier totally speechless.
He probably never had a maid yell at him right to his face like this in his entire life.
His face went from pale to livid, and after a long pause, he finally managed to spit out, "How dare you? Do you really think I can't make sure you're finished in Silverlake?"
I thought, 'Wow, he's threatening me now? I'm shaking in my boots. A loser who only clings to his position thanks to a marriage deal, and he really thinks he's all that.'
I shot back, "Whether I believe you or not doesn't matter. What matters is whether Mr. Foster believes you."
Once again, I brought out my trump card.
Sure enough, the moment I mentioned Yael, Xavier's arrogance deflated instantly.
The Foster family's power totally dwarfs the Sullivans.
He gave me a dirty look, glanced at Vincent and Helen, and finally vented his frustration on Zara.
"Zara, get your people under control," he growled, his tone dripping with menace.
Zara, who had always kept quiet, didn't back down this time.
She stepped forward, standing in front of me, and looked Xavier straight in the eye. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear. "Yvonne isn't my subordinate. She's my friend.
"And about this engagement, I don't accept it. Marry whoever you want."
With that, she grabbed my hand and headed upstairs.
Everyone in the living room was frozen like statues.
No one ever expected Zara, who always took everything lying down, to actually call off the engagement right there in public.
Lila's face went pale with shock. After plotting relentlessly to take Xavier from Zara, she could not let Zara throw everything away so easily.
Helen was practically seeing stars from rage. "It's unbelievable. How dare you? Zara, stop right there."
Zara didn't even pause.
I could feel her hand trembling as she pulled me along, but she marched forward with total determination.
System: [Major plot twist detected. Host has successfully triggered NPC awakening. Reward: special item, Eye of Truth.]
System: [Eye of Truth: Allows you to uncover a chosen character's secrets or weaknesses. Usable once per day.]
I was momentarily stunned by the notification in my mind.
Was this for real? This was awesome.
I glanced back at the Jennings family, who were going ballistic, and a cold smirk played at my lips. 'Looks like the game got a whole lot more interesting,' I thought.