Titan 160

Yolanda paused mid–apply, her brow furrowing.

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Joelle had quite the reputation in Beloris back in the day, especially with Charles backing her. She was gorgeous, and now that she’s a dazzling star, all that shyness and insecurity are long gone–she’s probably even more irresistible now.

Back then, she never lacked suitors.

Seeing her fall silent, Leo scoffed, “Wow, so you really are here for him. Too bad Charles, even with his health in shambles, made the effort to come over–went up half an hour ago, and even thoughtfully picked out some extravagant gift. Honestly, you should just give up already. Fifteen years, and you still couldn’t win his heart. What he and Joelle have–that’s the real thing.”

Everyone knew Charles had been in the hospital lately.

And everyone was aware of the real estate deal he was about to cut, too.

Yolanda slipped her lipstick into her pocket, shooting Leo a glare. “You’re always giving me a hard time. Don’t tell me you’re secretly into Joelle?”

Leo’s smirk instantly vanished–he jumped to his feet and snapped, “Bullshit!”

She couldn’t think of any other reason for how he acted.

Leo had always seemed to have it out for her, always throwing nasty remarks her way.

The elevator was about to arrive. As soon as the doors slid open, Yolanda was about to step in, but Leo snatched her wrist.

Yolanda didn’t want to start a fight in a spot where anyone could walk by, but Leo yanked her behind the big potted plant Ian had just been hiding near.

It was pitch–dark back here, with the courtyard just beyond.

“Leo, you say you don’t have a thing for Joelle, so why are you so desperate to block me tonight? Are you afraid I’m gonna crash your precious Joelle’s date with Charles?” Yolanda shot back.

Leo’s eyes went red with rage, but he was hopeless at arguing–he just kept throwing out the same tired insults.

‘I must’ve really hit a nerve, Yolanda thought to herself. Back when Charles had married her out of spite, rumor had it she looked a lot like Joelle, and he was just using her as a stand–in. Even Leo once told her he’d mixed up their faces. ‘Guess Leo really is Charles’s rival for Joelle,‘ she mused.

Yolanda gave a sudden laugh, and to Leo, it was painfully sharp–like a thorn in his side.

“What’s so funny?” he snapped.

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90

“I’m laughing at you, you dumbass. You’re nothing but somebody’s backup, and they don’t even want you,‘ she

shot back.

Every word out of her mouth struck a raw nerve.

Leo, seething, pinned her against the wall, his voice tight through gritted teeth. “What did you just say?”

“You-” Before she could get another word out, he caught her lips in a sudden, fierce kiss.

The rest of her protest was swallowed by his kiss.

Yolanda’s eyes burned with anger. ‘Me, as Joelle’s substitute? That’s ridiculous–Is Joelle even worthy of having me as her stand–in?‘

She viciously sank her teeth into Leo’s tongue, making him recoil as a sharp surge of blood filled his mouth.

Yolanda shoved him off, flashing her teeth. “Try that again and I’ll bite you to death.”

Leo wiped the blood off his mouth, shooting her a glare when he saw those bared teeth and fierce little attitude. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he awkwardly looked away. “No shame, huh? Always trying to hook guys in. Well, I’m not stupid enough to fall for your act.”

Yolanda just stared at him, speechless, ‘Does this guy ever hear himself? Ridiculous.’

He stomped off in a fury, but after a few steps, spun back around and shouted, “Whore!”

Yolanda stayed put, chest heaving with rage. ‘Should’ve bitten him harder–that was way too soft,’ she fumed.

Yolanda took a deep breath, forcing herself to focus on why she’d come here tonight. She was just about to leave when, not far off behind the line of flowers, a tiny ember blinked twice in the dark–like some firefly flirting with the shadows.

‘Who the hell is out there?‘ Her heart thudded in her chest. ‘And how long have they been lurking?‘

Unease prickled down her scalp as the faint glow vanished, and then Samuel Grant slowly emerged from the gloom.

Yolanda stiffened, dropping her head so fast it was like her brain just blew a fuse.

Ever since that kiss with Ian in Samuel’s car, she hadn’t dared go back to the Grant place, or even answer a single message from her brother.

She was just way too ashamed and guilty about it.

Samuel lit another cigarette, silent–he simply had no words for her.

He watched as she stood there, head bowed, awkward and ill at ease.

‘So she gets scared too,’ he mused.

He inhaled deeply, mind replaying the past and wondering just where the Grant family had screwed up

11:20 Sat, Oct 4

Chapter 160.

raising her.

D:

Her lips had just been kissed by lan, then by Leo–what next, was Charles going to have a go too? Samuel couldn’t help but wonder, his mind swirling with exasperation.

Samuel smoked through his cigarette in just a few quick pulls.

He didn’t say a word, and Yolanda kept her head down, too embarrassed to speak, her skin burning hot with shame.

All she could think about was how Samuel was always so composed, so proper, so distant. He was never the type to smoke this much–this just wasn’t like him.

Samuel started to take out another cigarette, but something made him pause. He put it back instead.

“Yolanda, you…” Samuel began, but for once, he couldn’t get the words out.

He was almost never like this–everyone said he was a total machine when it came to business deals.

After what felt like ages, he put the cigarette pack away and rested his hands on her shoulders. “Just make sure you keep your lovers well hidden, got it?”

Yolanda didn’t get what he meant at first.

He sighed and ruffled her hair. “Don’t let the Grant family catch wind of any of this, either. Charles and Ian- they’re both trouble, you know that. And as for Leo–he’s calm now because nothing’s on the line for him. The moment he actually wants something, everything changes.”

He gave her a look she couldn’t read. “Just… make sure nobody sees anything, alright?”

Yolanda’s cheeks instantly flared red. ‘Of course, he saw the whole thing,’ she thought, mortified–she wished she could just sink straight into the ground and disappear.

But Samuel’s expression turned a bit guilty. “It’s the Grant family that’s been pushing you way too hard. Growing up in a messed–up family like ours, it’s rough–no one really gets to choose. Your brother gets it, you know?”

Right after he said that, it hit him–wait, did that sound like he was actually telling her to keep doing these crazy things?

“Anyway, once you’ve had your fun, just know when to call it quits,” he said, trying to wrap things up.

“Samuel, I…” Yolanda hesitated, voice trailing off.

Samuel rubbed at his brow, looking exasperated. “Try not to mess around in places like this. I stumbled on you tonight, but next time, who knows who’ll be watching.”

Yolanda’s cheeks flushed again, feeling completely humiliated.

Samuel stared at her downturned head, then gave her a light pat. “Triangles are nice and stable–so please, don’t go turning it into some kind of tangled quadrangle, okay?”

11:20 Sat, Oct 4