Chapter 5
Harper stayed calm and agile, easily dodging Leonardo’s lunge. He missed her completely and ended up slipping on the spilled juice, landing flat on his face.
Enraged and nearly insane with fury, Leonardo got up and hissed through clenched teeth, "You ungrateful bitch, I'll make you pay!"
"What's going on here?"
Molly had come looking for them, not expecting to stumble upon this scene.
Harper was about to speak when Leonardo cut her off with, "Molly."
Attempting to regain his composure and with a look of feigned hurt, he said, "Miss Harper wanted to connect with me on social media. I refused because I didn’t want to betray you, and she just lost it and drenched me in juice..."
Harper stood flabbergasted.
She didn’t expect that a guy could excel in the art of playing victim like this.
Leonardo dropped his gaze, the picture of heartfelt anguish, "Molly, I didn't want to wrong you. That's why I had to reject Miss Harper."
Barf! Barf!
His speech was interrupted by a wave of retching sound.
"It's not intentional. Please, continue," Harper said, covering her mouth, the picture of innocence. She was feeling sick.
Frustrated that he'd been interrupted and unable to recapture the moment, Leonardo could only say dryly, "Molly, you have to believe me."
"Oh, Leo," Molly affectionately used their pet names, laughing lightly, "you're such a fool."
Leonardo flashed a smug grin, confident in the tactic that had never failed him before. He believed even the tightest bonds between girls could crumble in the face of his tricks.
To him, Molly was just another naive woman.
As Leonardo reached out to embrace her, a sharp pain suddenly erupted below his belt. Molly, her knees bent, had delivered a swift and fierce blow to his groin.
He doubled over, curling up like a shrimp thrown into a hot pan, his face warped in agony, unable to utter a single word.
“You know why you’re a fool?” Molly towered over him, her gaze dripping with disdain. “You expect me to believe Harper wanted to connect with you?”
“Oh, my dear Molly, you said we were destined for each other, and now you don’t believe me. You’re breaking my heart,” Leonardo whimpered, fighting through excruciating pain. He wasn’t ready to give up, not when Molly was the best he'd ever dated—young, beautiful, and wealthy. And to top it off, she was still a thrill he hadn't enjoyed.
Molly narrowed her eyes and stomped down hard on his shiny shoe.
“All you've managed in a month is trying to sabotage what's taken us seven years to build!” she declared, “Dream on!”
After dusting off the jerk, Molly had no appetite to stay. She wrapped her arm around Harper’s shoulder and said, “Let’s ditch this place, honey. The air’s tainted by that scumbag.”
Behind them, Leonardo’s twisted expression was venomous. He thought bitterly, "You'll regret crossing me. If you ever fall into my hands again, I'll make your lives a living hell."
Molly and Harper made their way to a new restaurant—Northfield's esteemed high-end bistro.
After placing their orders, Harper began, “Molly, I heard that guy was about to—”
She cut him off, “You don’t need to explain. I know. For someone as easygoing as you to get physical, he must’ve crossed a line. It's good you caught him.”
They shared a meal, and after a hesitant pause, Molly asked, “Harper, what are you planning to do now?”
Harper stirred her soup, a faint smile playing on her lips. “I’m leaving Getty Group.”
“You sure about that? What will you do next?” Molly asked, concern evident as she looked at Harper's somewhat pale face.
“Yeah, I’ve thought it through. I want to get into design work,” Harper declared. Her profile looked delicate and soft, illuminated by the dim restaurant light.
Now that Francis's favorite woman had returned, she knew she was worthless to him. It was high time for her to step aside, slip away from the spotlight, and stop being an annoyance.
Molly was relieved that Harper had finally made up her mind. She knew too well the complicated entanglements Francis left in his wake and feared that Harper would get hurt.
"It's high time you woke up and stopped waiting on Francis hand and foot — what a dead-end gig! Just look at you, stunning and talented. Your design projects in college even won awards. Your future is so bright once you break away from Getty Group."
When Harper was head-over-heels for Francis, there were many things Molly held back, afraid of hurting her. But now that her best friend had come to her senses, Molly couldn't be happier for her.
"Did you know? Keith Bolton is back in town. He was quite the catch in college, remember? Everyone thought you two were the perfect couple."
Harper was surprised. "Keith's back?"
"Yeah, haven't you seen his tweets? He's the rising star in investment banking now. Big deal around here."
Harper shook her head. After graduation, she devoted herself entirely to Francis, losing touch with most of her classmates, except for Molly.
"I always thought you and Keith would make a great pair. He may have been a couple of years ahead, but he always treated you so well. I was a bit jealous, to be honest."
"Don't be silly. Keith Bolton has always been a gentle soul, kind to everyone."
It was understandable that Harper never considered Keith's affection as more than the care of a senior student for a newcomer.
Knowing her friend was sometimes too dense to get a hint, Molly teased, "You can be such a goofball."
"Have you heard that Robert Perot is back too?" Harper couldn't help but ask.
Robert was once engaged to Molly, but certain complications arose in his family — problems introduced by Harrison, Molly’s father — that tore them apart.
Francis had always been on good terms with Robert, so now that Robert was back, the collaboration between their families was closer than ever.
Molly's smile froze for a moment, uneasy. "I know."
"Forget the past, Molly. Move on. Robert's about to get married."
Harper was trying to console her friend. She knew all too well that Molly had been dating around just to forget about Robert.
She hated seeing her friend hurt herself.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Molly raised her glass with a smile. "Let's not overthink. Cheers!"
After finishing the meal, Molly went to the parking lot to get her car while Harper waited by the entrance.
"Harper?!"
Someone called from behind, and Harper turned. Seething with anger, she was met with furious glares from Amelia, whose presence was unmistakable.
After being ousted by Francis, the few remaining investors of her fashion company had fled upon hearing the news.
Amelia blamed Harper for everything and hated her to the bones!
Thankfully, Chloe was back.
Everyone knew that Chloe was the love of Francis's life. All she had to do was get on Chloe's good side, and surely Francis would cut her some slack.
With her head held high, she sneered, "Where's your escort today, Harper? With all these people around, don't you need to work your magic?"
Harper remained calm, a slight smile on her face. "How's your face feeling, Amelia?"
Amelia nearly exploded.
That wretched woman had the audacity to poke at her sore spot right off the bat—she hadn't even settled the score for the last time she was humiliated in Getty Group.
She wanted to tear Harper apart right then and there!
"You little s—!"
"Amelia!"
A gentle voice cut off Amelia's outburst.
Harper turned to see Chloe sitting in a wheelchair behind Amelia.
She wore a confident and beautiful smile, her demeanor that of a well-educated woman raised in a life of affluence.
The only downside was her frail health, which confined her to a wheelchair.
Harper had read about Chloe's condition, a blood disorder that had sent her abroad for treatment.
Amelia, seeing Chloe, pressed down her rage and said mockingly, "Chloe, let me introduce you—this is Harper, Francis's secretary. She's been so diligent in taking care of Francis night and day while you were away!"
The insinuation was clear to anyone listening.
Chloe's complexion briefly turned pale.