Chapter 96


    Everyone at the table burst intoughter.Serena glowered at Nancy icily as a murderous look


    registered on her features.Meanwhile, Kingsley reached for her hand under the table and regarded


    Nancy impassively as he pointed out, “With a face like yours, it’s no wonder you try to put Serena


    down.”“Excuse me?” Nancy shrieked. She grimaced menacingly at him and demanded, “Who the hell


    are you to speak to me that way?”“He came as Serena’s plus-one, didn’t he? Maybe he’s her


    boyfriend.”The guests had all brought along their own plus-ones, so they naturally overlooked


    Kingsley’s presence at first, especially while he was inly-dressed.Emory assessed Kingsley


    contemptuously and drawled, “Of course he’s her boyfriend. Will you look at the cheap counterfeits he’s


    wearing? He and Serena-the-orphan are a perfect match, if you ask me!”Once again, everyone


    laughed in disdain. Nancy, in particr, was on a vicarious thrill when she saw that Serena was being


    made fun of. The crows’ feet near the ends of her eyes crinkled as she beamed. This was finally her


    chance to trounce Serena.“Who would’ve thought you’d find yourself a boyfriend, Serena? I ought to go


    out and see if pigs are flying,” she mocked, clutching onto Tyler’s arm. “But I must say you have


    horrible taste in men. Why would you go out with someone dirt poor like him? I mean, there’s nothing


    wrong with being poor, but what’s with all that fake-nouveau riche get-up? I’m embarrassed for


    you!”Serena stared at her witheringly. “I can date whoever I want, so keep your nose out of my


    business.”“Now that you mention it,” Nancy began, smirking triumphantly as shey her head on


    Tyler’s shoulder. “I’m perfectly happy with this man right here.”She had only just said this when


    everyone else started to shower her with shameless ttery. “Nancy and Tyler are the real deal here.


    Look at how perfect they look together!”“Yeah, and then there’s Serena who is way out of her


    boyfriend’s league. She’s just dragging her self-worth through the mud by settling for less.”Tyler was


    practically glowing from all the praises, but he was secretly appraising Serena, his gaze flickering from


    one part of her body to the next as if deciding which he liked best. He had been drawn to her beauty


    since she walked through the door earlier, and Nancy, for all she was worth, suddenly felt like a sack of


    potatoes in his arms.He was still eyeing Serena predatorily as he said with implication, “Nancy’s right.


    It’s crucial for women to choose men thatplement their worth. Surely you wouldn’t want to be


    saddled with some pathetic deadbeat guy forever, knowing that he would never be able to make


    something of himself.” He had as good as told her that she ought to be with someone like him. Then,


    he nced at Kingsley with a demoralizing air and asked, “What line of work are you in, anyway? Bet


    you can’t even afford to buy Serena her favorite cosmetics, can you?”Kingsley leaned into his seat


    casually and replied, “I just retired from the army, so I’m still looking for a job.”“Oh, you’re unemployed,”


    Nancy concluded snidely, sputtering.“I don’t know why Serena has to stoop so low. Must be some


    serious self-esteem issues there.” “Who would’ve thought that the ice princess herself is just a bargain


    bin-lover?”At this point, Tyler’s ego was so inted that it was a wonder at all he did not burst at the


    seams. “Hey, kid, if you need a job, ourpany’s still hiring security. Sure, the pay isn’t much, but at


    least you wouldn’t have to get an allowance from your girlfriend.”“Hah!” Nancy squealed in amusement.


    “Being a guard dog is better than starving, right, guys?”She was beyond happy to know that she could


    finally walk all over Serena, and satisfaction swelled up in her. The crowd, on the other hand, were


    picking on Kingsley for hisck of aplishments while kissing up to Tyler for his caliber.Just then,


    Noah sauntered into the private dining room and asked in a voice that cut above the others’


    rambunctiousughter. “What’s so funny, guys? Did I miss anything? I could hear the lot of you


    laughing from down the hall.”Nancy wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes as she caught her breath


    and said, “We were talking about how Serena’s boyfriend should be a security guard at my


    fiancé’spany!” She had only managed to get these out before she started cackling again.Upon


    noticing that one side of Noah’s face was swollen, Emory asked, “What’s up with your face? Did you


    get beaten up or something?”Noah shot a re in Kingsley’s direction. “Some rabid dog attacked me


    on the way here, but I’m fine.” He would rather bury himself alive than have anyone here find out he


    was roughed up by Kingsley, which was humiliating.Presently, Nancy beckoned for him to take a seat


    as she asked enthusiastically, “You used to like Serena, didn’t you, Noah?”“Yeah, I must have been


    blind or something,” he bit out glumly while massaging his sore cheek. “If I had known what a sl*t she


    was, I’d never have bothered pursuing her!”The other guests exchanged astonished looks when they


    heard this. What’s going on between them? They wondered at his brutal use ofnguage.Kingsley was


    staring daggers at him as he warned grimly, “Say that again, Noah.”Noah drew in a sharp breath. He


    parted his lips, then closed them again when he realized words had deserted him.However, Nancy had


    no qualms with stirring up drama, and she wanted nothing more than to see Serena be the butt of


    the joke.“Come on, Noah,” she encouraged viciously. “Just say that again. I highly doubt someone like


    him could do anything to hurt you!”“That’s right,” Tyler chimed in, nodding. “Go ahead and say


    whatever is on your mind, Noah. He can’t do anything to you while I’m here.”Now that Tyler had spoken


    up in his favor, Noah regained all his bravado and pointed an using finger at Kingsley as he


    snapped, “Fine, I’ll say it again! You are a lowlife phnderer, and only wh*res like Serena would ever


    —”He had barely gotten his words out when Kingsley picked up the heavy porcin teapot in front of


    him and hurled it toward Noah’s face.There was a loud and crisp crack that resounded in the room.


    Everyone held their breaths, and in the deathly silence, they saw Noah’s front teeth fall onto the ground


    alongside the teapot.He let out a groan as he pped a hand over the lower half of his face. He


    doubled over in excruciating pain, and blood started to seep out from between his fingers, then dripped


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