A Journey from Bitterness to Truth

restaurant. Her gaze Up to Chlow, and upon recognizing her, she burst into laughter.

Well, look who we have here! If it isn’t our very own Chloe! Her tone shifted to one of mocking superiority. Oh wait, that’s right, Chloe’s been booted out by the company. A stray dog now, aren’t we?”

Chloe’s face drained of color, a sickly pale giving way to a deep flush of embarrassment.

Matilda, standing at her side, asked who the woman was.

“That’s Reese, Chloe said, her voice low. “An influencer. She’s the one who smashed Declan Yeager’s coffee machine last time”

Reese clearly hadn’t expected to run into Chloe here, and with the backup of Declan, her confidence was soaring. Snide and merciless, she taunted, “Oh, what’s this? Spot a good–looking chef and can’t help but try to catch his eye, Chloe? Haha, how pathetic. Without Mr. Yeager’s support, you actually think you matter?”

Chloe bit back a response, swallowing the humiliation as she steadied her friend. “Godfrey, are you okay?”

Reese mocked their interaction with an exaggerated smirk. “Oh, listen to that tone. It reeks of desperation from a mile away, Chloe, surely you’re not so starved for attention.*

Godfrey, his voice laced with anger, snapped back, “Miss, you can insult me all you want, and critique my cooking, but I won’t stand for you disrespecting my friend!”

when are men and women just friends without

Reese. Chloe and Matilda tensed

Declan and… Yvan.

a

out of here. Is

though half his face was swollen from the confrontation. It was the first time

tsk. What a scene. Like moths to a flame, each one of you,” Reese snickered, admiring her manicured nails, acting

the first to break the silence, “What’s going

to Declan and hooking her arm through his with an air

“Clinging to Declan so eagerly, and you have the nerve to criticize others? Did

lunged at Matilda, the latter deftly

commanding presence made Reese feel as though she was staring down a furious Yvan.

to do? Everyone’s watching, you want

your slander, I won’t hesitate to shut that mouth of yours

shove and moved to stand by Chloe, who was visibly