?Chapter 1074:


    Elena remained unfazed. “You might refuse to ept it, but you’re actually the root cause of the divorce. And spare me the karma talk. Focus on your own business.”


    Jolie’s shoulders sagged with disappointment. “Believe what you like, Evelyn. But I never once wanted your marriage to end…” A gentle pause gave weight to her words. “Still, what’s done is done. Now that you’re divorced, it’s time to start anew instead of looking back.”


    Just as Jolie turned to lead Elena away, the quiet of the shop was broken by a door swinging open—Ste emerged from the fitting room.


    Eyes sparkling with anticipation, Ste twirled for Evelyn. “What do you think? Will this dress turn heads at the banquet?”


    Her excitementsted only a moment. Catching sight of Elena, her mood instantly turned sour. Fury red in her voice. “What the hell is she doing here?”


    Whatever joy Ste felt vanished in a sh, reced by a fierce edge. She bristled, her voice crackling with challenge. “Where’s the store manager? What kind of ce are you running? Why are you letting people like that wander in?”


    Before long, the manager hustled over, his face stretched into a mask of apologies. “Please forgive us, Miss Russell. We’ll resolve this right away.”


    A tilt of her chin made her look every inch the queen, and her reply was sharp. “Resolve it? Throw them out! I don’t want them to ruin my day.”


    The manager hesitated. After all, every shopper was a potential sale, and tossing out guests without reason wasn’t store policy. Yet displeasing Ste, a VIP, could spell disaster for his career. Lost in indecision, he faltered—until Ste’s voice sliced through the tension. “What’s wrong with you? Are you deaf, or just clueless? If you can’t do your job, maybe this store needs a new manager!”


    A deep flush crept across the manager’s cheeks. He bowed repeatedly, his voice trembling. “I’m very sorry, Miss Russell. Truly. But those women are also customers, and we can’t just kick them out. How about I move you to a private fitting suite upstairs? It’s all yours.”


    But no amount of groveling pleased Ste. She was deliberately targeting Elena. Lounging in her chair with her arms folded, she carried herself like a spoiled princess. “Get your superior. I want to discuss your hiring choices. Now.”


    A ghostly pallor settled on the manager’s face. “Miss Russell, please…”


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    “Enough excuses. Go, or I’ll call your superior myself!” she yelled.


    Terrified of making things worse, the manager rushed off to fetch his superior. It wasn’t long before the branch manager entered, showering Ste withpliments. “Miss Russell! If only you’d called ahead, I would have been here to greet you personally.”


    Knowing Ste was the mayor’s daughter, the branch manager went out of his way to butter her up.


    Ste curled her lip in a mocking smirk. “Wouldn’t dream of it. Seems no one listens to me in this store—not your manager, not even you.”


    Anger shed in the branch manager’s eyes as he red at the manager, but he quickly turned back to Ste with a fawning grin. “That’s not true at all! It’s just that…”


    the new manager is inexperienced. Tell me what caught your eye, and I’ll fetch it for you right away.”


    With a dismissive flick of her wrist, Ste dered, “Never mind the clothes. Someone’s ruining my shopping experience. How do you n to fix that?”


    Without missing a beat, the branch manager jumped in. “Who are they? I’ll see them out right away.”


    Triumph flickered across Ste’s face. She pointed toward the door, where Elena and Jolie lingered. “The two over there.”


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