The banquet hall was bustling, and themotion drew immediate attention. A wave of murmurs, whispers, and outrightughter swept through the crowd.


    "Am I seeing things? Is that acy thong?"


    “Who would''ve thought? Queena always acts like such a prim and properdy, but she''s clearly wild in private."


    "It''s always the ones who look the most innocent on the surface."


    "If she''s that bold, maybe we should ask her out..."


    The crudements from the men nearby reached Queena''s ears. A pot-bellied, middle-aged man was staring shamelessly at her. She had twisted her ankle in the fall, trapped by her five-inch heels, and couldn''t even get up. Her vision swam, and she wished she could just faint.


    “Queena!” Matthew strode over, whipping off his suit jacket and wrapping it around her. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the banquet hall.


    Throughout the entire spectacle, Bet remainedpletely detached. After finishing his call, he returned to Yvonne''s side. "Ready to go back?" he asked calmly.


    "Yes," Yvonne replied, schooling her triumphant expression into one of quiet obedience.


    Bet was known for being impably discreet, keeping all women except his girlfriend at a firm distance. Queena had yed with fire and gotten burned. She deserved it.


    ...


    rried


    Matthew carried Queena back to her room and called for a doctor. As the doctor examined her twisted ankle Queena sobbed hysterically. This time, her tears were real. Her ankle was swollen to the size of a


    grapefruit and the pain made her


    tremble. More than that, she had never been so thoroughly humiliated.


    "Ms. Jones has gone too far!" Queena''s assistant eximed, full of righteous indignation. "She bullies you all the time, but now she''s ganged up with Mr. Thompson to push you down and cause such a serious injury How can she be so vicious?"


    “Be quiet! I fell on my own. It had nothing to do with Yvonne," Queena snapped,


    ying the part of the kind, forgiving sister to perfection.


    "Queena, you''re just too good! You''re


    this injured, and you''re still


    defending her," the assistantmented, making sure to shoot nces at Matthew She thinks she Can do whatever she wants now that she''stched onto Mr. Thompson. You treat her like a sister but does she see you as one?"


    Matthew said nothing, but his face was a thunderous mask of rage. It was unclear whether he was angry because Yvonne had hurt Queena, or because the girl who had once orbited his entire world was now looking to climb a higher branch.


    Back in her hotel room, Yvonne was about to remove her makeup when her phone rang. It was Matthew, his voice cold and menacing.


    "Yvonne, I really underestimated you. To think you could get your ws into Bet. Is he the reason you want to break up with me?!" he sneered.


    Yvonne pressed her lips into a thin line, remaining silent.


    "The heir to the Thompson fortune? Even if he''s interested, he''s just ying with you! You''d rather be used and thrown away than marry me. Are you really that pathetic, Yvonne?" His words were like daggers.