Chapter 219
She just took a quick look upstairs to ensure Miranda was safe before heading back to the room. Both Elian and Sebastian had noticed the girl.
Sebastian didn’t ask any questions. But Elian spoke up, “Who’s she? Why is she living with you?”
Miranda glanced upstairs. “That’s my friend, Crystal. She had nowhere else to go, so I let her stay.”
Elian furrowed his brows slightly but didn’t say anything further, Sebastian glanced upstairs too and remarked dryly, “You’re quite the officious.”
Elian responded in the same chilly tone, “I like it that way.”
Sebastian wrinkled his nose in disdain. “Incorrigible.” Then he looked at Miranda, his lips pressed together as if he wanted to say something, but decided against it.
The whole exchange gave off the vibe of someone being bullied yet trying to keep their cool. Lavinia couldn’t help but whisper to William, “Honestly, doesn’t Sebastian seem a bit dramatic?”
Lavinia, though in her forties, was as lively as any twenty–something outside of work, where she was known for her no–nonsense attitude. Perhaps it was because she hadn’t been weighed down by marriage or time like many others, keeping both her spirit and appearance youthful. She was a pro at keeping up with the latest
trends.
William rubbed his nose and cleared a bit of his throat. “No way. Mr. Everhart isn’t like that.”
In William’s mind, Mr. Everhart and “dramatic” were worlds apart. The distinguished young Mr. Everhart was far too refined to be caught up in such theatrics.
But as a fellow man. He began to suspect there might be some truth to Lavinia’s words. Something about Mr. Everhart wasn’t quite right.
Lavinia whispered, “Who knows? Look at Mr. Ashcroft. If he’s trying to compete with him, would he even care about decorum? Probably not.”
William was rendered speechless. He started to wonder if President Lancaster had long seen through his occasional tendency to be a bit dramatic himself.
The back–and–forth between Elian and Sebastian continued almost non–stop. One was openly sharp–tongued, while the other was subtly snarky.
Neither ever fully gained the upper hand, trading barbs like a well–matched tennis match.
Seeing that the two had plenty to say, Miranda went about her own business. She went upstairs, took a shower, checked on the background of the people who had attacked her earlier, and even took the time to strengthen her own security measures.
When she came back downstairs, those two were still at it, trading verbal jabs with a frequency that was low but potent, each remark hitting home.
Miranda saw her godmom sitting at the bar, sipping on a drink and enjoying the show. She joined her, grabbing a drink and sitting down next to her.
“Are they still at it?”
“Yep.”
Lavinia tossed a handful of peanuts in front of Miranda, who picked one up and started munching on. “Are they mortal enemies or something?”
Lavinia gave Miranda an unreadable look and then shook her head. Miranda was doubtful. “Could it be some kind of betrayal?”
Otherwise, why would their relationship be so strained? Jasper had mentioned they knew each other since
1/2
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Chapter 219
childhood. But he never explained why they were so antagonistic.
Lavinia mused, “Could it be over a woman?”
Miranda was taken aback. “That’s juicy!”
Sebastian took a sip of his coffee and said coldly, “People like you are just possessive. You never consider
what your actions mean to others.”
Elian sneered, “Well, it sure beats being two–faced like you, doesn’t it?”
