Chapter 5 Disgusting Words Whispered in Her Ear

Everyone watching had a pretty clear idea of what was going on: Simon was deliberately making things difficult, pushing his demands far beyond reason to intimidate a woman he saw as easy prey. After all, Xena was dressed in a plain, simple long dress, without any designer labels. Her modest attire clashed with the upscale atmosphere of the place, making her look like an easy target at first glance. "What's going on here, Xena?" Samantha's voice cut through the crowd as she pushed her way forward. On her way back from a phone call, she had overheard snippets of gossip. Words like "mistress" and "money" floated around in whispered tones, and she felt a creeping suspicion grow that something might have happened to Xena. Her instincts were right. The moment she reached the scene, she saw Xena standing there, her clothes disheveled and out of place, while Simon continued to carry on, putting on an exaggerated show of anger. But that wasn't all. Her gaze drifted to the side and spotted Philip and Zena seated not far away, watching the scene unfold with complete detachment. She couldn't help but curse silently in her heart, Sc*mbag. Xena stuck by you for three years, and now, when something happens, you just sit there and watch? Remaining composed, Xena turned to Samantha. "Sam, please contact our legal team and have them come over." Simon burst out laughing. "A legal team? You're calling a legal team on me? For what? To sue me for saying you hit me?" Xena, however, remained calm, her gaze cool as she pointed up at the surveillance camera mounted in the corner. "I think you misspoke. They'll be suing you for assaulting me first and then trying to extort money from me." For a moment, Simon froze. He had even completely forgotten about the camera above them. The smugness faded from his face and was replaced by a hint of unease. Then, he turned his eyes toward Xena, but his words were directed at Jason. "Jason, didn't you say you were going to cover my tab earlier?" Jason, clearly unsettled and unsure of Simon's intentions, nodded hesitantly. "Consider that unsaid," Simon announced, his voice dripping with authority. "I want to reserve ten bottles of Armand de Brignac and book three champagne towers for tomorrow. Why don't you check if the surveillance cameras are working properly?" In a surprising twist, Jason's face lit up with sudden realization and relief as he nodded with an almost servile enthusiasm. "Mr. Simon, you're truly sharp! How could you have known that today's surveillance cameras just happened to be down for maintenance?" "You—" Samantha felt a surge of anger and wanted to confront Jason right then and there. Simon only smirked, the smug smile of a victor. "Be careful not to lose your temper," he taunted. "A slap will cost you 75,000. Another, and that's a full 150,000 you'll owe." Watching this spectacle with an amused grin, Samson clicked his tongue and shook his head. "75,000 for one slap? Now, that's a pretty good deal. Makes me almost wish a woman would slap me too, just for some easy pocket money." "If you're gonna pull that off, you'd better find yourself a woman who's got 75,000 to spare! Imagine getting slapped and ending up with empty pockets instead. Wouldn't that be a shame?" The social media beauty, Lucy, with her doll-like features, laughed so hard that she was practically doubled over. In the midst of her laughter, she took the opportunity to mock Xena's outfit, implying it looked cheap and shabby. Her words triggered a round of laughter from the crowd around them, who were clearly entertained by the banter. Zena didn't join in. Instead, she leaned close to Philip and said, "Phil, should we go over and help Miss Wheeler? She looks so pitiful standing there all alone." Catching onto Zena's hint, Lucy quickly smoothed out her expression and flashed a bright smile at her, eager to please. "You're so kind, Zena!" With her long lashes fluttering softly, Zena shook her head modestly. "Oh, it's nothing really. I've met Miss Wheeler once. Watching her get treated like this, it doesn't sit right with me." Lucy's eyes sparkled with admiration as she gazed up at Zena, practically in awe. To think someone like Zena, an heiress born into a life of wealth and privilege, could still be so kind-hearted. Zena was truly on a different level than influencers like her. "Samson, why don't you go?" Seeing that Philip didn't say anything, Zena spoke to Samson. Her gentle voice pulled him out of his amusement, and he straightened, slightly surprised. On the surface, he appeared to be a carefree playboy, but in reality, he had secretly harbored feelings for her all along. His flirtatious persona was merely a mask to hide the fact that both he and his close friend had fallen for the same woman. With a soft sigh, he looked at her and murmured, "Zena, you're just too kind." Then, turning to Philip, he asked, "Phil?" Philip didn't show much reaction. He replied with a cool, indifferent tone, "Do as you wish." Samson stood up, straightened his clothes, and strode toward the commotion at the center of the crowd. "Move aside," he commanded. "Who the hell do you think you…" The man Samson pushed was about to curse but froze mid-sentence. Turning to look, he realized that standing before him was none other than Samson of the Ownes Construction Group. Without a word, he stepped aside, his earlier bravado vanishing. "Simon, don't you think you've caused enough trouble?" With barely any effort, Samson grabbed Simon by the collar and hauled him aside like he was lifting a kitten. Simon's eyes widened in shock, his legs practically turning to jelly. "M-Mr. Ownes… W-what are you…doing here?" The moment he saw Samson, all defiance drained from Simon. The Knight Construction Group was nothing more than a minor subsidiary of Ownes Construction Group. Besides, everyone knew that Fenwick of the Yull Financial Group, Samson of the Ownes Construction Group, and Philip of the Barnum Estate Group were the three giants in the business world of Ariville. Especially at the forefront was the Barnum Real Estate Group, which essentially controlled the entire GDP of Ariville. Seeing Samson appear here left Xena momentarily speechless. She stared at him, puzzled. He has always disliked me, so why would he go out of his way to help me out of a sticky situation? Could it be that Philip put him up to this? She glanced over at Philip, hoping for some sign. But he casually sipped his drink, his expression calm and disinterested as if none of this had anything to do with him. "I'm so sorry! Mr. Ownes, I… I had no idea she was connected to you. I didn't recognize her—I was blind to have offended her!" Simon stammered, his voice filled with desperation. "Get lost," Samson muttered, barely looking his way. No sooner had the word left Samson's mouth than Simon turned and fled. As the dispute settled, the crowd began to disperse. Xena hesitated for a few seconds before finally murmuring a quiet "Thank you" to him. "Don't thank me," he replied coldly. "If it weren't for Zena's sake, I wouldn't have bothered." Xena froze. All along, she had foolishly thought that it was Philip who had asked him to help her, but it turned out it was Zena who had convinced Samson to step in? A complex swirl of emotions rose within her, a mix of confusion, bitterness, and disbelief. He leaned down, his voice dropping as he spoke close to her ear, "By the way, why didn't you use the breakup money Phil gave you to deal with that Simon? From what I understand, you demanded quite a sum. So, what's the deal? You'd rather have your pride trampled than part with a measly 75,000?" He watched with satisfaction as her face flushed red, then turned pale. He let out a mocking snort. "Or is it that you're hoping to win him back through pity? Women like you, I've seen them all before. Since you took the money, do us all a favor and keep your distance." Samson glanced disdainfully at her, then down at Xander, who lay sprawled at her feet. The cause of all this drama was asleep the entire time, like a dead weight, blissfully unaware. "Useless. Birds of a feather, really." With that final, cutting remark, he turned and strode away without a backward glance, leaving Xena rooted to the spot, stunned. She could hardly believe it. Philip had told his friends everything. Was this his way of showing just how "generous" he had been? A twisted attempt to prove that he hadn't treated her poorly over the years? Or was he hoping that, by putting it in his friends' mouths, he could mock her for accepting the breakup money, as if it had somehow devalued her? Or was it that he had purposely sent Samson to remind her that his true love had returned, and it was time for her to disappear from his life entirely? A wave of regret washed over her. She wished she hadn't thanked Simon and wished she hadn't come here at all. Her teeth clenched as she fought to keep her composure, refusing to let her emotions get the better of her. She didn't even hear Samantha calling her name until she repeated it several times. "Xena, what did that guy from the Ownes Group say to you?" Samantha knew that Samson was close friends with Philip, but she had no idea that he harbored such disdain for Xena. She had seen him lean down after helping her, whispering something in her ear, and then her friend's face had turned ashen. Xena forced herself to manage her composure and offered a strained smile. "Nothing. Is the client not coming today?"