<h4>Chapter 69 - Hostility</h4>


    As Mnie stepped into the showroom of LuxeArt, a meticulously assembled line of employees stood stiffly in wee. Their postures were textbook-perfect, rigid with discipline, but their expressions told a different story—nk, wary, as if they were bracing for something unpleasant. It reminded her of all those K-dramas where the employees were always waiting for the arrival of their most hated CEO.


    At the far end of the line, standing with her arms folded and a smug tilt to her chin, was none other than her dear ex-mother-inw—Madam Collins. Mnie''s steps faltered for just a second as an entirely unrted yet oddly amusing thought entered her mind.


    Technically, Madam Collins was probably still her mother-inw.


    But then she shrugged. Ex or not, whether the woman wanted to kill her, manipte her, or just make her life a living hell, Mnie had long outgrown any need for her approval. In fact, if anything, she''d rather antagonize her. The realization sent a flicker of something sharp through her chest.


    Yes, she wanted to antagonize her. More than anything, she wanted to see this woman humiliated the way she had been time and time again. In this moment, she realized just how bitter she was about thest three years. She''d thought that she was over it... but it seemed apparently not.


    Madam Collins had orchestrated her misery, pulling the strings behind the scenes while wearing that ever-so-pleasant mask of condescension. And now, here she stood, still believing she could control what Mnie did, what Mnie had, who Mnie was.


    She took a deep breath and then with a slow, deliberate smile, she took her time surveying the showroom. "Well, this is... underwhelming." She let the words hang in the air, watching as a flicker of annoyance crossed Madam Collins'' face.


    "Underwhelming?" Madam Collins scoffed, her voice dripping with scorn as she snarked, "Just another example to show that you have no taste or vision."


    Mnie''s smile didn''t waver, though she noticed the way a few employees hastily averted their gazes, some poorly suppressing their amusement. Ah, so Madam Collins had surrounded herself with the usual brown-nosers here as well. No surprise there.


    "Ahh! I see the results of your vision, Madam Collins," Mnie mused, her voice syrupy sweet as she took another slow nce around the room. "LuxeArt was once the most sought-after art and furniture store in the city. A ce of ss and culture. And now? Well... even those in desperate need of charity might turn their noses up at the gaudy knockoffs you''ve managed to shove into these walls."


    "How dare you, Mnie!" Madam Collins bristled, forgetting her n to humiliate Mnie as she marched down the line of employees and stood nose to nose with Mnie, almost screaming, "I came here out of goodwill, to help you take the reins of this ce, and instead of gratitude, you throw insults at me? Ungrateful and ill mannered as ever. Always biting the hand that feeds you. No wonder my Spencer could never fall for—"


    "Don''t," Mnie cut in, her tone ice-cold now, all traces of amusement gone. "Don''t even think about dragging him into this. We both know you''re the only one who ever fed off others, Madam Collins. As for Spencer, if you continue to connect his name with me... I will make sure that his name is dragged through the mud, right along with mine. Oh, and I don''t need your goodwill or your help."


    Madam Collins let out a sharpugh as she immediately mocked. "Of course you don''t. Because you think you can do everything on your own, don''t you? But let me remind you, the only reason you''re even standing here is because of me. This store, this legacy, in not like your fleeting sess as the chairwoman in ABC Industries which was already profitable. This ce is still standing here because I allowed it. And just as easily as I built it up, I can—"


    "I can have you thrown out?" Mnie interrupted her softly.


    The sudden shift in conversation caught Madam Collins off guard, and she blinked in confusion for a moment before she realized that Mnie was threatening her. "You wouldn''t dare."


    Mnie arched a brow. "Wouldn''t I?" She turned slightly, her gaze sweeping across the employees—her employees—who were still watching the exchange with thinly veiled interest.


    Madam Collinsughed then," Do you really think that anyone here would dare to take your orders and touch me?"


    Mnie swept her gaze across the still standing line, taking in the hesitant, uncertain faces of the employees. Their loyalty, it seemed, was still with Madam Collins—or at the very least, their fear of her outweighed any obligation they might feel toward her. They probably thought that Madam Collins still had some power.


    With a calm smile, she turned to the woman and whispered, "You are trespassing on my property, Madam Collins. I suggest you leave for your sake. Because trust me, I''d much rather watch you be dragged out than let you walk away with your dignity intact."


    Madam Collins let out a scoff, and stepped closer," You are nothing but a..."


    Before she could finish her threat, Mnie spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear," All of you know that I am the new owner here. And if you care to keep your jobs, then you will make Madam Collins leave... by hook or by crook."


    She let the words settle, let them press against the hesitance weighing down on them. "If she doesn''t leave, I will consider that you have submitted your resignations."


    The showroom was deathly silent. The employees exchanged uneasy nces, some shifting on their feet, others gripping their hands behind their backs as though debating whether to act or simply wait. They knew Madam Collins and their new boss was family. And if tomorrow, the feud between family was repaired, they would be cannon fodder...


    Thankfully, before Madam Collins could crow in triumph, a single voice cut through the silence. "Madam Collins... please leave."


    All heads turned toward the speaker. A young man, no older than his mid-twenties, stepped forward. He looked directly at Madam Collins, his expression caught somewhere between polite deference and quiet defiance.


    Madam Collins'' eyes red with disbelief. "What did you just say?"


    The young man swallowed nced at Mnie and gulped before speakin clearly, "You heard her, ma''am. She is the new owner. If she wants you gone... then you need to leave."


    Madam Collins stiffened, her fingers curling into fists at her sides. "You—" She turned her gaze back to Mnie. "You''ll regret this."


    Mnie gave a small smile and shook her head. "The only thing I regret is ever letting you walk over me. But I promise I won''t do it again..."