?Chapter 158:
“So now you realize what’s at stake?” Thea’s lips curled into a scornful sneer, her eyes gleaming with contempt. “You have a family hanging by a thread, yet you still had the nerve to speak up for that tramp? The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, and you did this to yourself.”
Katie scoffed, crossing her arms. “What’s the use of crying now? You think we’re going to pity you? Dream on.”
Valerie’s voice broke as she pleaded, her face soaked with tears. “Miss Reed, please. Tell me what I have to do for you to take back what you said. I’ll do it—anything.”
“Oh, really?” Thea chuckled darkly, as though entertained by a private joke.
“Yes!” Valerie nodded desperately. “If it means keeping my job, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“That’s the spirit,” Thea said coolly, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “Then show me your sincerity. Kneel.”
Valerie froze. Her heart twisted with humiliation—but then her thoughts turned to her parents. All the years they had spent sacrificing for her. This was her turn to repay them. So, she drew a shaky breath, clenched her fists, and whispered, “Alright.”
Laughter erupted behind her—mocking, gleeful.
Katie smirked, tapping her wristwatch. “Well? We don’t have all day.”
With a deep breath and eyes brimming with silent pain and unbending resolve, Valerie slowly dropped to her knees. If enduring this humiliation meant keeping her job and helping her family survive the month—then so be it.
“Serves you right!” the senior sales assistant sneered with satisfaction. “That’s what happens when people like you speak out of turn.”
But just as Valerie’s knees hovered above the floor, Christina moved. She stepped forward and calmly ced her foot beneath Valerie’s knees, halting her descent without force—just quiet strength. Gasps swept through the store. Eyes widened. Even the sneering fell silent.
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Valerie looked up in shock. She hadn’t expected anyone, least of all Christina, to intervene. It might not change her fate, but in this moment, someone had chosen to step up for her.
“Christina!” Katie’s voice shrieked like nails on ss. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Are you seriously picking a fight with the Reed family?”
Thea’s expression turned to stone. Her voice wasced with warning. “Think carefully. People who go against me never walk away unscathed.”
Christina tilted her head and gave her a serene, razor-sharp smile. “Perfect. Then I guess I’ll be the first exception.”
Thea’s eyes zed with rage. “You’re really doing this?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” Christina replied, her tone a perfect blend of silk and steel. Since she was already seen as the enemy, she had no reason to tread lightly.
That was when ude stepped forward, trying to y peacemaker. “Ma’am, I strongly advise you to reconsider. This is Thea Reed—the cherished daughter of the Reed Group’s chairman. Offending her won’t end well. Just let her blow off some steam, apologize afterward, and everything will—”
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