Isabella Robinson's arrogant demeanor made the onlookers gasp.
"Is she insane? Acting so brazenly in public!"
"Carrying a limited-edition Chanel but behaving like trash—definitely new money."
"Don't glare at me, miss. Everyone saw you strike first!"
The instigator's words spurred the crowd into pointing fingers.
Isabella laughed bitterly. "None of your damn business!"
She wasn't one to swallow insults, especially not public accusations.
A middle-aged man flushed red, raising his phone. "I recorded everything! Try hitting someone again and I'll call the police!"
Isabella rolled her eyes. "Moron."
Sometimes absurdity was so extreme it became hilarious.
Chloe Evans cradled her stinging cheek, calculation flashing in her eyes. She tugged the man's sleeve pitifully. "Please don't get involved, sir. I don't want you to suffer because of me..."
Noticing his sympathy, she smirked inwardly.
"They outnumber us. There's no winning." Chloe turned teary eyes toward Mrs. Winston, fingers clutching the older woman's sleeve.
Mrs. Winston immediately played along, dabbing fake tears. "To think I'd live to see the day when my juniors bully me!"
She raised her voice deliberately. "First my son gets trapped in that casino, now this humiliation!"
Only Ethan Sullivan's presence kept her from direct accusations.
Isabella sneered. "Mrs. Winston, your audacity is truly unmatched among high society!"
Julian Roscente stepped between them. "So you blame Ms. Sullivan for failing to rescue your son from gambling debts?"
His mocking tone sharpened. "If your own family couldn't manage it, how dare you shift blame onto outsiders?"
He emphasized "outsiders," leaving Mrs. Winston no retreat.
Ethan's expression turned glacial. "Ms. Evans, instead of emotional blackmail, perhaps focus on raising the ransom."
He'd rather spend this rare alone time with Sophia than waste it on these nuisances.
Sophia Sullivan gave Chloe a dismissive glance. "Such moving acting. Though I recall you clinging to your ex-husband at a recent wedding?"
Her gaze shifted to Mrs. Winston. "Auntie, wasn't there some... closeness between you and a certain corporate executive?"
A clear reference to the scandal at Mr. Winston Sr.'s birthday banquet.
"That's slander!" Both women protested simultaneously.
Sophia scoffed. "Plenty of media caught it. Need me to refresh your memories?"
Her tone turned icy. "You ignored Liam Winston for years, yet now play the devoted mother?"
The revelation exploded like thunder.
Spectators whipped out phones to search for gossip.
"High society scandals are this juicy?"
"All prim and proper on the surface, but what filth underneath!"
"Poor Liam—cheating wife, promiscuous mother..."
Each whispered barb pierced Mrs. Winston. She snapped. "Sophia Sullivan, you're lying through your teeth!"
Julian added lazily, "Don't forget, Mrs. Winston, your escapades all happened at Roscente properties."
He waved his phone. "Security footage is just a tap away."
Mrs. Winston paled—the Roscentes indeed held damning evidence.
Isabella burst out laughing. "What a show! More drama, please!"
She clapped exaggeratedly. "Everyone sees through your money-grabbing scheme."
Mrs. Winston trembled with rage. "Sophia was married to my son for three years! Is helping too much to ask?"