Chapter 166: A Slap in the Face
Paul was too busy checking himself out in the mirror to notice Yunice. The moment he did, however, his heart started racing like a drum. He tried to play it cool. “Just a mosquito bite,” he said, brushing it off.
Taylor didn’t say whether she believed him; her gaze stayed lowered, the corners of her lips curling into a cold smile.
Inside, Paul was a mess. He was furious at Elsie for being so clueless. He’d let her stay the night in his room, and she’d gone and left hickey marks on him when he wasn’t paying attention. Jackson had made it clear: if he couldn’t win Taylor back, he could forget about returning to the Powell family. Now Elsie was making things worse.
Just as the tension peaked, a man dressed like a corporate hotshot walked up to Taylor and whispered something in her ear. Taylor let out a chilly laugh. “Perfect timing.”
Yunice and Paul both looked at her, wondering who had just arrived. “Elsie…” Paul almost stood up when he saw her walk in. Elsie was just as surprised to see Paul there. Taylor, meanwhile, had no idea what kind of relationship the two shared. Only Yunice caught onto the tension in the room and smirked quietly to herself. This is about to get good.
Taylor sneered at Elsie. “Stunned?” Only then did Elsie realize she’d been staring at Paul the whole time. His expression was sharp and commanding, silently warning her not to give away anything about their relationship.
Taylor added, “This is Mr. Paul. Not someone you’d normally get to meet. No wonder you’re so starstruck.” There was a hint of smugness in her tone. It didn’t sit right with Elsie, but with Paul’s silent cue hanging over her, she only dared to argue in her mind. I’ve done more than just meet Paul. We did something bad last night…
But why was Paul even at the Kendall mansion? Was he here for business? Since Taylor already had someone, the thought of marriage didn’t even cross Elsie’s mind.
Taylor reached out and motioned for Elsie to sit next to her. Elsie assumed Taylor still saw her as a close friend, so she didn’t think twice. She sat down and was just about to make small talk. “Taylor, my brother has been—"
“Elsie, what do you think are my best qualities?” Taylor cut her off with a smile. Elsie froze for a second; something about Taylor felt off today.
Still, she didn’t want to seem out of place, so she kept up her usual persona. “Do I even need to list them? Anyone with eyes can see them.”
Taylor glanced at Paul deliberately and said with biting sarcasm, “Funny how some people out there have eyes but no taste.”
Paul caught the jab and looked at Elsie. He’d always thought she was honest and kind, but now she was shamelessly flattering Taylor of all people. Taylor clearly wasn’t done. “Be specific.”
Elsie’s smile stiffened. An odd sense of dread started creeping in. She hesitated before saying, “You’ve got a great family background, a nice personality, and really good taste!”
“You think I’m pretty?” Taylor asked next.
“Of course you are.”
“So, between you and me, who’s prettier?”
Elsie paused, reluctant. “Looks are subjective, everyone has their own standards. But in my eyes, of course you’re prettier, Taylor…”
Paul frowned at the exchange, growing more and more annoyed with Taylor. How narcissistic can she be? Forcing Elsie to praise her beauty like this?
But Taylor wasn’t satisfied with the answer. She grabbed Elsie’s chin, turned her face up, and examined it carefully. Her voice dropped, cold and slow.
“So you think that just because I’m prettier than you, you switched my meds on purpose—so I’d get ugly and no one could compare to you. Is that it?”
Elsie’s eyes widened in horror. With Taylor gripping her jaw, the fear crawled over her like maggots gnawing at her nerves.
Paul was stunned. He turned toward the two women. There was bad blood between them? That didn’t sound like the Elsie he knew. He was just about to speak up and tell Taylor not to throw her weight around when—smack! A crisp slap rang out. Taylor’s hand came down fast and sharp, sending the delicate Elsie flying off her stool. She landed at Paul’s feet, her cheek swelling almost instantly.
Something snapped in Paul. He shot up and yelled, “Just hitting people like that—is that what the Kendall family calls proper manners?”
Paul’s face darkened. He hadn’t expected them to show up just then. Remembering Jackson’s warning, he stood and bowed slightly. “Mr. Gerardo. Madam Kyla didn’t mean it that way. But hitting someone like that—Taylor was out of line!”
Yunice curled her lips in a smirk. Did Paul seriously think the same lines he used on me would work on the Kendall family?
Sure enough, Gerardo gave Paul a sidelong glance like he was looking at an idiot. “You’ve never hit anyone?”