Chapter 122
Harrison slid into the backseat, his expression perfectly composed, betraying almost no reaction at all.
Felicity’s actions had started with good intentions–she’d only meant to stand up for Dames–but things had quickly spiraled out of her control. Now, public opinion was running wild.
“Mr. Vaughn!” Secretary Burnett rapped anxiously on the car door. As the window rolled down, he thrust his phone inside.
“Sir, there’s a video of Miss Felicity going viral online. It’s… not good.”
Harrison took the phone. The screen showed a grainy, secretly–recorded clip.
Felicity sat sideways across a man’s lap, dressed in a tank top and black denim shorts, her pale legs stretched out. She dangled a wine glass between her lips, then tipped it toward the man’s mouth, feeding him a drink.
He fumbled, bumping his mouth on the rim. The glass slipped from his hand and fell, and for a split second, it looked as if Felicity’s lips brushed his.
“Holy hell!” Felicity’s voice rang out first, laughing as she smacked the man’s chest. “Simon, you loser! Can’t even hold your liquor?”
The man, Simon Waverly, puffed out his chest and nudged her back, grinning. “Wanna bet I can? I’ll prove it to you!”
Felicity shot back another teasing insult, while everyone around them cheered and egged them on.
Simon Waverly–three years ago, he’d chased after a girl from the wrong side of the -tracks, so fiercely in love that not even a broken leg from his disapproving family could stop him from marrying her. Their wedding had been the talk of the city, and even now, people online still gushed about their storybook romance.
But with this video, Simon’s reputation as the perfect husband was in shambles, and Felicity–caught on his lap–would be the next target for public outrage.
Before the video even finished, Secretary Burnett’s phone started to ring.
Harrison glanced at the screen: “Adrian.”
A heavy shadow settled over him as he pressed the answer button.
A man’s voice came through, lazy, and irreverent, practically mocking. “Secretary
Burnett, put Mr. Vaughn on for me, will you?”
“I’m here,” Harrison replied coolly.
Adrian let out a low, taunting laugh. “So, have you seen the little scandal everyone’s sharing online?”
Harrison turned his head slightly, his chiseled features catching the cold glint of the streetlights.
“You’re helping Selene get back at Felicity, ruining her reputation. Why tell me?”
His tone was detached, almost bored, as he offered Adrian a pointed suggestion. “Shouldn’t you be off bragging to Selene? Go ahead–be her knight in shining armor, her second chance at happiness. If she’s so moved, maybe she’ll bring the kids over to your place, cook you dinner, and do your laundry.”
By the end, Harrison’s words were icy enough to chill the air.
Adrian’s voice was light. “Of course I had to call you first–after all, I’m not just exposing Felicity for her sake. You know how the saying goes: if you want to get to the owner, you deal with the dog first.”
Standing outside the car, Secretary Burnett waited nervously as Harrison spoke to Adrian, the cold air inside seeming to seep right through the door. Burnett’s heart pounded as shadows stretched across Harrison’s face.
Adrian chuckled, nonchalant. “You’re not mad about the video, are you, Mr. Vaughn?”
Just like that, the tension seemed to vanish from Adrian’s tone–as if nothing had happened.
But no matter how hard Adrian tried, he couldn’t provoke the slightest reaction from
Harrison.
“Do whatever you want,” Harrison replied.
He had no intention of getting involved in Felicity’s internet scandal. If anything, he considered it a fitting lesson for her.
He ended the call and handed the phone back to Secretary Burnett.
The car rolled smoothly down the road. Harrison closed his eyes, resting, half his handsome face bathed in passing light, the other half lost in the inky shadows.
A soft jingling broke the silence.
1076
Chapter 12L
He opened his eyes and glanced at the red tassel swaying gently from the rearview
mirror.
“Hey! That’s the charm I got for you at Serenity Church!” Natalie’s cheerful voice echoed in his mind.
“I don’t need it,” he replied flatly, but Natalie had never been one to give up easily.
“Too bad! It’s for your own good! I hung it up, and no one’s taking it down–got it?”
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