The Unlucky Turn by Mark Twain 243
Leilani glanced down, her expression remaining indifferent. She bent over, methodically picking up the bags one by one and placing them back into the carrier. Her movements were composed, as if she were picking up ordinary groceries rather than luxury goods.
Clive, however, stood frozen, his face alternating between pale and flushed.
“This… this is impossible!” His voice trembled slightly. “How could you afford these?”
Leilani looked up, her eyes calm to the point of coldness. “Clive, have you forgotten? I have nothing to do with the Sloan family anymore. Where my money comes from is none of your business.”
The surrounding crowd began to whisper.
“Oh my god, those bags together must be worth millions, right?”
“Clive is being way too aggressive. He’s clearly in the wrong, yet he’s accusing her of stealing…”
“Exactly. Being a celebrity makes you special? Bullying a girl-what kind of man does that?”
Hearing the comments, Clive’s expression turned even uglier.
Just as the atmosphere hit a deadlock, a middle-aged man in a sharp suit walked quickly from the back of the store. His name tag read Store Manager: Corey.”
He first glanced at the limited edition bags that had been on the floor, then looked at the standoff between Leilani and Clive. Years of experience allowed the manager to understand the situation immediately. He frowned slightly, shooting a cold glare at the
sales asate.
The associate stiffened under his gaze, lowering her head in fear.
C
The manager quickly adjusted his expression, stepping forward to block Leilani from
Clive. He spoke politely but distantly. “Mr. Sloan, I apologize for the interruption. But this lady did indeed select this watch first. According to our store policy, we must prioritize serving her.”
Clive’s face darkened; he obviously hadn’t expected the manager to take her side. “Corey, I’m a VIP client here. I spend over a million annually. This is how you treat a loyal customer?”
Corey’s expression didn’t change as he maintained a professional smile. “Mr. Sloan, precisely because you are a VIP client, we must uphold principles of fairness to avoid affecting your reputation.”
He paused, then added, “Furthermore, the Lavelle Lux limited edition bag this young lady is
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holding is a model difficult to obtain even for our brand headquarters. Her status is surely not simple.”
These words gave Clive an out while hinting that he shouldn’t blow things out of proportion.
The murmurs around them grew louder. Some people were pointing directly at Clive. He stood there, seeing the raised phone cameras around him, and started to feel a bit of panic. He clenched his fists tightly but couldn’t say a word.
Ultimately, he was afraid of the incident blowing up. He prepared to leave.
Before going, he stared daggers at Leilani, grinding his molars. “Leilani, don’t get cocky! Wait until I get back. I’ll see how Mom and Dad deal with you!”
Then, he put his hat and sunglasses back on. He pushed through the crowd and stormed out of the store, disappearing from everyone’s sight.
Clive had fled in a panic, but Leilani showed no look of triumph. Seeing that the passersby were still recording with their phones, Leilani frowned slightly. She turned to the sales associate. “Can you give me the watch now?”
Too many people were filming; she didn’t want to linger.
The sales associate snapped out of her daze but still didn’t dare to respond immediately. She glanced nervously at the manager beside her.
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