?Chapter 1689:
Before Alban had the chance to speak, Christina cut in. “I’m connected to the influential Jones family.”
“That’s impossible!” Violette screeched. “How could you have anything to do with that Jones family — one of the four main families here? You just share the same surname, that’s all!”
“She’s clearly just throwing around the name to scare us,” Irene added quickly, nodding along in agreement.
Christina steadied herself, fully expecting Alban to expose her true identity on the spot. Instead, she heard him say, “She is… indeed rted to the Jones family.”
He deliberately lingered on the word rted, pronouncing it slowly and clearly, as if savoring the effect. He was doing it on purpose. Christina didn’t react. From the moment she had waited for them to summon Alban as backup, she had known her real identity was bound to unravel. What she hadn’t anticipated was Alban choosing not to spell out the details of her connection in front of Violette. She had no idea what he was plotting — and honestly, she didn’t care enough to find out.
The crowd was thrown into another wave of shock. There was a vast difference between spection and confirmation, and when that confirmation came directly from Alban, it carried unquestionable authority. The manager and sales staff silently exhaled in relief, grateful they hadn’t crossed her. Angering a Jones meant courting disaster and being erased from the industry entirely.
Irene, remembering her earlier insolence, felt the blood drain from her face. If the Jones family decided to retaliate, even Violette wouldn’t be able to protect her. Fear tangled with sharp jealousy in her chest. Wasn’t it enough that this woman was breathtakingly beautiful — did she also have to be tied to the Jones family? Some people truly seemed blessed by fate. It was unbearably unfair. Irene clenched her fists so tightly her nails bit into her palms, envy threatening to swallow her whole.
“That can’t be true! There’s no way she’s connected to the Jones family!” Violette finally cried, her voice shrill with disbelief. “Alban, you’re joking, right? She can’t possibly have anything to do with them!”
Alban’s expression didn’t change as he gave her a pointed look. “She does. And the connection isn’t a trivial one.”
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“How… how is that even possible?” Violette murmured, her mind reeling. If her family discovered she had deliberately provoked someone tied to the Jones family, they would be furious beyond measure. Dragging Alban into it as well would push them from anger straight into rage.
Her grandmother hadn’t been connected to the Martel family by blood, and she had passed away years ago. The sole reasons the two families still maintained cordial ties were the continued presence of Alban’s grandfather, Henrik Martel — and their shared need to counter the overwhelming influence of the Jones family. If Henrik were gone and the Martels reconciled with the Joneses, the Hewitt-Martel alliance would copse overnight. That was precisely why her family was so desperate to pair her with Alban. Marriage into the Martel family would lock in the alliance and secure the Hewitts’ future.
“Even if she really is connected to the Jones family, that doesn’t give her permission to hit people! She—”
Irene’s outraged protest was cut short by Alban’s ice-cold stare. A chill raced down her spine, and she shut her mouth at once.
“You don’t get to speak,” he said, his voice edged with unmistakable authority.
Irene stumbled back a step, dropping her head to conceal the fury zing in her eyes as her fists tightened at her sides.
“Violette.” Alban’s gaze shifted to her, sharp and unforgiving. “Apologize to Miss Jones.”
Violette went rigid, her eyes widening in disbelief. After a long, suffocating pause, she spun around to re at Christina, her voice shrieking with defiance. “Why should I apologize to her?”
Alban looked at her coolly, his tone final. “You don’t have to. But whateveres next will be entirely your responsibility.”
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