Chapter 289: She’s Only Digging a Deeper Hole

Julia found Vivienne’s pretentious demeanor unbearable, especially since she wasn’t as wealthy as she pretended, yet looked down on everyone.

“May I have a word with your mall manager before we close the bill?” Vivienne asked.

The calm in her voice hid a subtle threat, sending a wave of unease through Julia. Julia’s face quickly showed her disbelief. She believed Vivienne was merely attempting to intimidate her.

“People like you aren’t worth our manager’s time,” Julia retorted with scorn, eyeing Vivienne dismissively. “Even if he did come, what would change?”

Without a word, Vivienne offered a chilling smile. She then took out her phone and dialed a number.

As Vivienne began to walk away, Diana thought she was fleeing and moved to intercept her. “Where do you think you’re going, Vivienne? This bet isn’t settled yet.”

“Send your team down to the sixth floor now,” Vivienne instructed into the phone before ending the call.

Vivienne lifted her head, her gaze cold and distant. She gave Diana a quick glance before locking eyes with Julia. Stepping toward the cashier, she pulled a card from her purse and said, “Charge it to this.”

“Still playing the part, are we?” Julia scoffed. “You think snagging a wealthy man gives you the freedom to do as you please? If you truly have twelve million, I’ll eat dirt.”

Natalie, silent until now, suddenly sensed trouble brewing. Her fists were clenched tightly, her palms damp with sweat.

Noticing Natalie’s unease, Julia offered a reassuring smile. “Relax, Miss Chambers. She’s just bluffing. Didn’t you say she has no real connections in a city as big as Lyhaton? Where would she even get twelve million? Rich people aren’t that gullible. Money isn’t something you just hand over for nothing. She’s only digging a deeper hole for herself.”

Upon hearing her words, Natalie’s face relaxed a bit. Julia’s reasoning made sense to her. While Vivienne might have a certain charm that drew men, it seemed improbable that any would be reckless enough to squander twelve million on her whims.

Julia caught the cashier’s eye, who hadn’t budged, her gaze tinged with sarcasm. Rushing over, she couldn’t resist teasing, “What’s the matter? Did you hit your limit on that card and still can’t scrape together twelve million?”

The cashier’s expression turned to one of utter disbelief as she grasped the card Vivienne extended, her fingers shaking uncontrollably.

“What are you standing there for? Swipe the card already!” Julia demanded, her impatience evident as she nudged the cashier.

In her haste, the cashier fumbled and dropped the card. She snapped back to reality and stooped to retrieve it, just as a flurry of footsteps resonated from the onlooking crowd.

Turning toward the commotion, Julia noticed several top executives from the mall entering, their presence causing a stir. Her initial shock quickly turned into a forced smile as she greeted them, saying, “Mr. Blake, Mr. Diaz, Mr. Watts, to what do we owe this unexpected pleasure? Surely a phone call would have been enough. What’s the need for such a dramatic entrance?”

The three were top executives at the mall, rarely seen during inspections, let alone all together. Their presence gave Julia a vague sense of unease.