Chapter 14 Embarrassment
Valentina watched the group walk out silently, and uncontrollable sourness welled up inside her.
Such reckless, unconditional favor was like a slap that shattered all the carefully constructed walls she had built. Everything she had
painstakingly maintained now seemed nothing more than a farcical joke.
It was not Valentina’s first time facing such blind partiality. Scenes like this had played out even more vividly in her so–called home, which was exactly why she fled from it without looking back.
***
Luciano, Duffy, and Serena continued to walk towards other high–end clothing stores. Unexpectedly, they were stopped by the security guards at the entrance and informed that the stores were no longer open for business.
After trying several shops in a row, they were met with the same response.
Outside a luxury brand store, a voice came.
“Sorry, we are closed for the day.”
A security guard in a black suit said coldly.
Luciano frowned, glancing at the customers still browsing inside. “But there are people shopping there right now.”
“We have stopped accepting new customers.”
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The security guard replied expressionlessly.
However, just as the security guard finished, another group of customers was warmly welcomed inside.
Even if Luciano had been slow to catch on, he understood that these
security guards were targeting him. Immediately, his face became extremely gloomy.
“What’s going on here? Why are they allowed in but not us?”
The security guard didn’t even blink as he said coldly, “We are just as surprised. The manager personally instructed that you aren’t qualified to enter. Maybe your behavior is unacceptable. That’s why we have been given these orders.”
As he spoke, his eyes on the group became more vigilant.
Duffy’s face twisted in displeasure. She bit her lip, about to speak, but Serena couldn’t hold back her fury any longer. “Are you blind? Do you even know who this is? This is Mr. Stanton, the president of Aurora Group. Many of the luxury brands in Starlight Street collaborate with Aurora Group. He’s practically your boss! How dare a nobody like you block us? Do you want to get fired?”
Serena fully embraced the haughty demeanor of a socialite.
“Mr. Stanton? Never heard of him! Step aside. You are disrupting our business!”
The security guard unfeelingly pushed them aside. The next moment, he showed a polite smile to other customers entering the store. “Welcome! Please come in!”
“What do you mean? Are you targeting us? Call your store manager. No, I
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want to see your general manager! What kind of business operation is this?”
Serena shrieked.
“Our manager doesn’t meet with people like you. Did you even look in the mirror before leaving the house? With attitudes like yours, you should be ashamed to appear in public!”
After saying that, the guard cast Duffy a cold glance, his disgust undisguised.
“Are you mistaken? What did we even do to deserve this? Why are you targeting us like this and making personal attacks?”
Serena was full of anger.
Duffy could clearly sense the contempt directed at her. The humiliation made her seethe inwardly, but with Luciano beside her, she had to suppress her anger and maintain her composure.
“How could this be? There must be some misunderstanding. We haven’t done anything wrong. Maybe someone else caused trouble, and you have
mistaken us for them.”
The moment Duffy said this, Serena thought of Valentina. “It’s that bitch Valentina, isn’t it?” Serena snarled. “She must have caused some mess, and now we are paying the price for it!”
Even when directly told that they were the problem, they still refused to accept it, stubbornly shifting the blame onto someone else. The security guard couldn’t help but scoff. “Don’t flatter yourselves. We are not targeting anyone else, just you. What does this have to do with anyone else? We just don’t like you. One glance is enough to make our eyes hurt. If we have to look at you any longer, we’ll need eye bleach. Stop making
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things difficult for us. Get lost!”
A security guard who dared to be this blunt, completely unafraid of repercussions, was a rare sight. It was obvious that someone powerful was pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Luciano’s face twisted in anger. He was about to say something when the mobile phone in his pocket rang. He took it out and saw that it was Jerome Poehler, the Deputy Manager of the company, calling, so he answered it.
Soon, Jerome’s anxious voice came. “Mr. Stanton, the three companies on Starlight Street have pulled all our products from their shelves. They called to terminate their contracts with us. And the retailers at Unity Plaza just notified us that they would end their partnerships with us as well…”
As Jerome finished, Luciano’s face paled. Immediately, he snapped, “Impossible!”
Those deals had taken months of meticulous negotiation. How could they collapse overnight?
“It’s true, Mr. Stanton! They are refusing to discuss it. They won’t even give us a reason! The board members are already on their way to the office. You need to return now!”
Luciano’s jaw tightened as he replied, “I’ll go back to the company right away.”
Confusion and dread churned in Luciano’s gut, but he shoved it aside. Tucking his phone away, he turned to the two women beside him.
“My apologies, Duffy. There’s an emergency at the company. Serena, stay with her.”
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Seeing Luciano’s anxious face, Duffy immediately asked with concern, “What’s wrong, Luciano?”
“Yes, Luciano. Look what they did to us! Those people practically humiliated me and Duffy.”
Serena complained.
Luciano’s gaze sharpened, a flicker of suspicion crossing his features, but he had no time to dwell.
“Just avoid this area for now. Rest if you need to.”
After saying that, he left in a hurry.
Duffy watched Luciano’s retreating figure, frustration boiling in her chest.
She had planned to paint Valentina as the mastermind, and then Luciano would teach Valentina a lesson. But Luciano was already gone.
“Aren’t you leaving? Do you want us to let the dogs out?”
The security guard said coldly.
Duffy’s face twisted in anger.
She thought, “It’s all Valentina’s fault!
“She makes me so embarrassed!”
***
Meanwhile, on a quiet street near Starlight Street, a sleek black Mercedes idled by the curb.
Tobias came to report, “Mr. Crawford, it has been done.”
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Osvaldo glanced up, his voice icy. “Handle the gown incident.”
“Yes, Mr. Crawford!”
“Mr. Crawford, Mr. Hayworth called to urge us over there.”
Tristian, the assistant in front, said in a low voice.
Osvaldo rolled up the window indifferently. “Let’s go.”
Soon, the car merged into the river of taillights, vanishing like a shadow.
The end.
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