Chapter 176: Playing with Fire

Use others to your advantage; stay centered in yourself; never see marriage as turning into someone else’s accessory—that’s what a strong, independent woman was supposed to do.

Yunice’s eyes lit up with admiration, her voice burning with excitement. “Then you should marry Wyatt!”

Taylor nearly spat out her coffee.

When Taylor gave her a look like she’d completely lost her mind, Yunice quickly explained, “I’m serious! Wyatt may not come from a great background, but his capabilities are on par with the Powells. You and him together—that’s a real power couple!”

Taylor laughed, a little mischievously, then glanced behind Yunice and tilted her chin in that direction. “Why don’t you take a look behind you first.”

Yunice turned around—and froze. Jordan stood there, wearing an earpiece, giving her a polite but awkward nod.

She stared at the earpiece, and her mind went blank. Don’t tell me…Wyatt’s on the other end of that.

Taylor said, “Hey, this wasn’t me setting you up. I just saw him, too.”

There was definite amusement in her voice. She hadn’t expected Yunice to say something that wild, either.

“Looks like Ms. Saunders has something to handle,” Taylor said with a laugh, picking up her purse in an entirely unapologetic tone. “I’ll leave you to it, then.”

Even after stepping out of the café, Taylor was still laughing to herself.

“Ms. Taylor,” Alan said as he opened the car door for her.

Taylor crossed her arms, still amused. “Can you believe it? Yunice actually told me I should marry Wyatt.”

Alan smiled and said, “And what did you say, Ms. Taylor?”

Taylor replied, “I know myself. If I chose Wyatt, I’d lose control of the narrative.”

She wanted to build an empire for herself, not someone else. She couldn’t handle Wyatt. That man is unhinged.

She tilted her head and looked toward the café, where Yunice had just stepped out.

Alan followed her gaze and said, “If even you can’t handle him, then she definitely doesn’t stand a chance.”

3:03 PM ₫S

Chapter 176: Playing with Fire

At the Powell family dinner the other day, even though the encounters had been brief, she could tell—Wyatt treated Yunice differently.

Yunice got into Jordan’s car. Wyatt wasn’t in it, though. Jordan drove her to a banquet hall.

It was a seaside hotel; the event space covered over five thousand square feet. Inside the hall, glasses clinked and conversations overlapped; elite guests filled the space shoulder to shoulder.

Yunice walked through the VIP entrance, which led straight to the wraparound terrace. Wyatt was out there, leaning against the railing with the wind in his hair.

Like he had eyes in the back of his head, Wyatt spoke. “Well, if it isn’t my fiancée, out and about…recruiting new concubines for me.”

Yunice didn’t respond. She didn’t think she was in the wrong. The two of them had been forced into this arrangement from the beginning. He hadn’t really wanted to marry her; she hadn’t really wanted to marry him.

In fact, Taylor and Wyatt were the ones who were more aligned. Both were career-obsessed and matched in every way…

Wyatt turned around and kept poking at her. “My fiancée’s so considerate. How lucky am I?”

No matter how sarcastic he got, Yunice just stood there and listened, as if nothing could get through to her—like a bad student tuning out the teacher.

Fine.

Wyatt slid something off his wrist and held his hand out over the railing, using the item to tease the decorative fish in the artificial sea below.

The fish must have been used to being fed; as soon as they noticed the shadow dancing on the surface, they swam up with wide-open mouths, trying to snatch it away.

Yunice finally tilted her head to take a look, intrigued. A string of worry beads. Wyatt was teasing with the bracelet her father had given her!

“The bracelet can’t get wet…” Yunice ran over and reached for the bracelet. “Give it back…”

But Wyatt had long arms, and she had to climb up on the railing to try and grab it. He kept messing with her, swinging the bracelet around like he was teasing a cat.

“Can’t get wet?” Wyatt raised a brow. “I don’t buy it. Let’s see what happens if it does.”

“Seawater’s full of corrosive substances. It’ll ruin the natural oils on the surface, destroy the scent, and damage the wood’s quality…”

3:00 PM ctc

Chapter 176: Playing with Fire

“I didn’t go to college, no idea what you’re saying.”

Yunice gritted her teeth and gave in. “I’m sorry. Please don’t feed my bracelet to the fish.”

Wyatt turned his wrist and finally gripped the bracelet in his hand.

Yunice let out a sigh of relief and asked, “You’ve had my bracelet for a while now. Should be tired of playing with it, right? Can I have it back?”

“Had it?” Wyatt said, not letting it go. “Is your whole family this good at twisting the truth? I paid for this thing. What’s it got to do with you?”

He kind of had a point.

Yunice said, “Then I’ll buy it back. How much do you want?”

Wyatt replied, “Not for sale.”

Yunice went silent.

“Forget it. It’s just a material possession anyway.” Her expression darkened as she stepped down from the railing.