Chapter 97
25
97 Behind Her Back
97 Behind Her Back
The assistant leaned in, voice thick with sarcasm.
“Totally. She acted like even if she needed help, you should be the one chasing her. Unreal.”
Linda let out a soft sigh.
“I know… she still feels like I stole the life that was supposed to be hers.”,
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She sniffled and turned to Boston, voice gentle. “But Boston, we’re family. We can’t keep dragging this out . Let me talk to her. Maybe I can help fix it.”
“Oh, come on, Ms. Linda, you’re way too nice.” The assistant groaned. He clearly had no patience left.
Boston waved it off like it wasn’t worth discussing. “Don’t waste your breath. She’s just some backwoods nobody. Let the real world rough her up a bit–she’ll learn.”
Linda hesitated, or on the surface, she did. “But-”
“No buts.” Boston cut her off with a smile. “Come on. Let’s check out the set.”
Linda laughed lightly.
“Can I ask my favorite actress for a signature?”
“Obviously.”
The two of them stepped out of the booth–and ran straight into Alice and Eric across the hall.
Alice stopped short, her face stiff with disbelief. Of course. Just her luck.
Eric chuckled like he was watching a movie. “Well, that’s unlucky.”
Alice shot him a look. “That’s what happens when I leave the house with you.”
She rolled her eyes hard. “And Lady Luck just bade me adieu because she saw
face.”
Eric blinked, caught off guard.
That was a new kind of insult.
“Alice.”
Linda gave a bright smile and waved at her.
Alice really, really wanted to act like she hadn’t heard that. She prayed for it. She wanted to just slip by
But alas, Lady Luck did bid her/adieu.
She let out a short breath and turned, expression cool.
“ Please don’t try to buddy up to me. We’re not friends.”
10:40 Sat , 5 Jul A G
97 Behind Her Back
Boston’s face darkened instantly.
“Hey, that’s just rude! Linda’s trying to be nice! You should be thanking her.”
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Alice stayed calm. “Oh, don’t get your panties into a twist. Not like this the first day we met. You know the deal.”
Back when they’d gone up the mountain to bring her back, Boston had gone too.
He saw everything. He saw the feud, the argument.
But he chose a side the second they arrived. To him, Linda was the victim.
And Alice? She should’ve been thankful–for the house, the money, the name. She owed the family
And most of all? She owed Linda, since she was the reason Alice ever left the mountain.
Boston’s tone sharpened. “If you’ve got such a problem with our family, why not cut ties completely?”
He didn’t care about her fame or her titles. He just wanted her gone.
Alice didn’t blink.
“Oh, I’d love to. Would you like to help out? I’d really, really appreciate it. I’m dying to cut off every single tie I have to your family.”
Boston scoffed. “Wow. You really know how to play the game, huh?”
Alice kept her voice flat. “Don’t change the subject. Are you in or are you out?”
Linda choked through her tears. “Please … you don’t have to fight! Not for me. How am I supposed to live with myself?”
Boston’s whole face softened. “Linda, this isn’t about you. I just can’t stand her, You’re my princess. Your art show’s coming up. You can’t paint if you cry too much and ruin your eyes.”
Linda nodded gently. “But Boston … she’s your actual sister. You should try to get along with her.”
He didn’t even blink. “I don’t care about blood. I only care about energy.”
Then he stepped in front of Linda, blocking her like a wall.
“I’m warning you. Stay away from Linda. If you pull anything again, I’ll make you pay.”
Alice’s voice snapped like a whip. “Jesus Christ, are you actually dumber than a rock? I was already on my way back, but you just had to get in my way like a car salesman trying to sell me a used car repackaged as mint–condition vehicle. Get out of my way, loser!”
She stepped forward, sharp and calm, like she wasn’t asking she was done waiting.
Boston’s teeth ground together. “You’ve got some nerve,”
He yanked Linda along and stormed off.
10:40 Sat, 5 Jul
97 Behind Her Back
She kept sniffling, but as they passed Alice, she flashed a crooked little grin–mocking, smug ,
Someone else might’ve cracked.
Alice didn’t blink. What Linda thought was a brilliant scheme was nothing but a playground prank.
When Linda didn’t get the meltdown she was hoping for, the grin turned sour and mean.
A little later, Alice climbed into the car with Eric. They went straight to the office.
Paparazzi had swarmed the front doors, so they drove into the underground garage and took the private elevator up.
But things weren’t much calmer inside either.
Tension ran through every floor like a current. No one wanted to be the next disaster.
The fashion department was frying in its own panic.
And the IT department wasn’t far behind.
They were juggling two major fires–one was the upcoming tech conference, the other was the blowback from the fashion scandal. The Internet was turning nasty fast. Hate flooded their website nonstop.
The comment section had to be locked, but that didn’t stop the attacks.
The server was under siege, and the tech team had to shift into crisis mode.
Still, chaos slipped through. Alice’s firewall–the one she built herself–had held out until now.
Even Troy, who’d tried to break in from the inside, had failed.
That alone proved how strong the system really was.
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