Chapter 20 Two ps


    Alina didn''t have the guts to mention the dead boy around James, but she could use it as a weapon


    to provoke Maria. So she said that recklessly, her eyes shing withcency.


    When Alina mentioned Arthur, Maria''s mood darkened. She red daggers at the woman.


    Alina also noticed what was going on. Knowing she hit a nerve, she added proudly, "Your son was


    just another brick in the wall that separates you and James!"


    ''Thank god that boy is dead. If he were alive, James and Maria would still be together. I can be


    James'' wife without having to worry about the kid he had with Maria.'' Alina was overjoyed.


    Before Ste and Alina could enjoy the moment, Maria stood up in anger. A loud p sounded as


    Maria pped Alina across the face.


    "Ouch!" Alina screamed. She literally had her gob smacked.


    Miracle Cafe went dead silent, its patrons turning their heads in that direction to see what was going


    on.


    Ste''s heart skipped a beat. She covered her mouth with one hand and touched her face with the


    other as if she were the one being hit. ''Oh my God! That p was so loud! Everyone in the cafe


    heard it too. That has to sting!'' She trembled with fear.


    Maria stared at the woman she pped. The waves of hate emanating from her were frightening.


    Clenching her fists, she said, "Alina Tang, I care about Arthur more than anything. Bring him up


    again and I''ll do worse than that."


    Alina covered her right cheek and murmured in disbelief, "You...you hit me!" She didn''t pay attention


    to Maria''s words at all.


    Until this moment, she was still taken aback by the sudden p. She couldn''t believe Maria would


    do that.


    Ste came back to her senses and shouted at Maria, "Are you crazy? Alina is going to get


    engaged to Mr. Xi. What were you thinking? You are so dead!"


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    Ignoring her shouts, Maria took a tissue and wiped her hands slowly. Nothing had changed.


    Everyone in H City still hated her and leveled threats at her. They wouldn''t give up. If she didn''t fight


    back, they''d just try harder.


    Alina wasn''t the only one who got pped. Ste also got pped. It sounded as loud as the one


    Maria gave Alina. She went silent, almost as though Maria hit her off-button.


    Maria massaged her aching hand. She sneered at the two women. "You''re testing my patience! You


    two are really something. Thanks for letting me polish my pping skills." Ste deserved to be


    beaten. Relying on Alina and the Qin Group behind her, she thought she was the Queen of H City.


    So a beating might teach her some humility.


    One of Alina''s friends took out her phone, hoping to quickly call the police. Maria''s fierce nce


    made her drop her phone. It ttered on the table. The girl tried to make herself as small as


    possible, abandoning the idea of calling the police.


    Ste was not cowed. She took her phone from her pocket and cried, "I''ll call Lorenzo. He''ll let Mr.


    Xi know. Then you''ll be in trouble!"


    Alina hadn''t been hit since she was a child. Maria was the first one to cross that line.


    It took Alina a bit to recover. Her ears stopped buzzing, finally.


    She took out her phone and dialed a number. She took a deep breath and asked in a trembling


    voice, "Hello, is this the police? There''s some crazy bitch at Miracle Cafe..." Just then, Maria


    grabbed her phone away from her and threw it against the wall.


    Her high-end phone, decorated with diamonds and worth tens of thousands of dors, was


    destroyed in the blink of an eye.


    Ste''s phone suffered the same fate. Before she could get hold of Lorenzo, Maria took her phone


    and stomped on it. None of Alina''s group had bodyguards with them, so they couldn''t do anything


    without phones.


    Ste crowed like a rooster, "Help! Security! Throw this madwoman out!"


    No one came to her aid. It was like they heard nothing. The baristas and busboys decided they


    didn''t want to be part of this. They left, or hid in the kitchen.


    Look at what was left of her phone, Alina stood up and strode forward, hand raised, intending to


    p Maria. However, before she couldy a finger on Maria, a p rang out again. Maria pped


    Alina across her left cheek.


    "Ah!" Feeling the burning pain again, Alina went crazy. She covered her face and looked at the


    woman with hatred. "You''re so dead, bitch!"


    Maria sneered, "You want to kill me? Go ahead and try! I don''t think you can!"


    Neither of Alina nor Ste had any martial arts training. They couldn''t fight, or fight back.


    Other customers of the coffee shop paid their bill and left, not wanting to get involved.


    Maria was caught up in the mood. She picked up her coffee and poured it on Ste''s head.


    "Ah!" Ste looked at the coffee dripping from her head and running all over her body, screaming


    uncontrobly. "Consider yourself lucky, Alina. You don''t fit into my ns at all. This is just for fun.


    There''s someone else I''m gunning for." Although Alina and her sidekicks were annoying, there was


    one person even more hateful than them! Maria nned to take revenge on her after rolling back


    into town, but she had to find her first. Word was, she had left H City.


    The enraged Alina was astonished by her words. "And who might that be?"


    She really couldn''t figure it out. ''Maybe... James'' stepmother?''


    Maria didn''t want to talk to her anymore. "None of your business. But I wouldn''t get engaged to


    James if I were you. This is just a taste of what''sing to you if you do."


    Brakes screeching, several cars pulled up to the Miracle Cafe one after the other. More than a


    dozen bodyguards left their vehicles and rushed into the coffee shop aggressively.


    These were the bodyguards of the Tang family. One of Alina''s friends did manage to contact them,


    and they were deployed.


    Seeing reinforcements arrive, Alina grew much more confident. Heedless of how much of a mess


    she was, she pointed at Maria and ordered, "Tie her up! Beat her!" She was totally losing control.


    "Yes, Ms. Tang!" The bodyguards rushed over to Maria, ready to grab her.


    Just then, a second group of people appeared on the stairs of the second floor in the cafe. "Stop!"


    the man in the lead said in a gentle tone. Something in his voice said that he didn''t expect to be


    disobeyed.


    Wearing a gray suit and gold-rimmed sses, he slowly walked downstairs, hands in his pockets.


    His every move was full of nobility, and everyone there knew him. They greeted him in unison.


    "Good day, Mr. Shen!"


    "Hi, Mr. Shen. I didn''t know you were here," said Alina, trying her best to maintain herposure,


    although she looked funny with red handprints on both cheeks.


    And now she got her answer as to why Maria was throwing her weight around. ''It turns out Norman


    Shen is here!''


    She was well-protected. No one dared mess with Maria for fear of angering Norman. She could do


    whatever she wanted.


    When Norman had descended the stairs, he came to Maria''s side. "Laides, please forget what


    happened today, for my sake. Go ahead and get a doctor to check you out, if you want. Send the bill


    to me."


    This didn''t help anything. Alina became even angrier, her fists clenched. But she kept quiet.


    Although he looked gentle and elegant on the surface, Norman had a reputation for ruthlessness


    and violence.


    SL


    Ophelia QSEB