Chapter 29: Kneel down
Paige lounged lazily, casting a casual glance at Manager Cole.
Manager Cole immediately signaled the two security guards, who were about to press Molly down, when hurried footsteps were heard from outside.
Malik entered the venue with a group of people, exuding a threatening presence. When he saw Paige sitting there, he was shocked. His gaze locked onto Paige, his eyes widening in shock-she hadn’t died after all. How could she have survived under those conditions in the slums?This text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.
Paige looked back at him, thinking, Well… well… my former father, long time no see…
“Dad!” Molly cried out excitedly, seeing Malik as her savior. “Dad, save me! This bitch wants me to kneel!”
“Who are you calling a bitch? This is a great savior of our Lautners family!” Manager Cole stepped forward and kicked Molly’s shin, causing her to cry out in pain. He had Mr. Lautner’s orders to make sure Miss Lautner settled the score today. Moreover, he suspected Miss Lautner’s identity might be more than meets the eye-she could very well be the Lautners’ heiress, so he was especially careful.
“Ahh-” Molly screamed in agony, looking to Malik for help.
Malik finally tore his gaze away from Paige and turned to see Molly in her disheveled state. Frowning, he looked at Manager Cole and politely inquired, “Manager Cole? What has my daughter done to provoke your anger?”
“She provoked not me, but Miss Lautner.”
“Miss Lautner?” Malik looked at Paige suspiciously.
“Miss Lautner is the savior of our Lautners family head, Mr. Lautner. She has rendered a great service to our family, yet your daughter publicly humiliated her without even saying sorry,” Manager Cole asserted aggressively.
Malik stared directly at Paige, his gaze settling on her fair, delicate wrist, adorned with only a jade bracelet. He distinctly remembered seeing her fitted with an electronic bracelet by the authorities years ago-a device nearly impossible for an ordinary person to remove. Could she really not be Paige, but someone who just happened to look exactly like her? If so, it would be disastrous to offend the Lautners, a family with centuries-old heritage. He couldn’t afford to let things escalate.
With this thought, Malik immediately lowered his head towards Paige, sincerely stating, “Miss Lautner, I apologize for my daughter’s lack of discipline. Please forgive her indiscretion.”
Paige smiled.
Afterwards, Malik turned to Molly, who was still restrained nearby. “What nonsense are you causing? Apologize to Miss Lautner.”
“What?” Molly froze, looking at Malik in disbelief. “Are you crazy? You want me to apologize to this bitch?”
“Smack!” Without a moment’s hesitation, Malik delivered a hard slap across Molly’s face.
Molly screamed in pain, her head jerking to the side, leaving deep marks on her fair complexion. She glared back at Malik, but his stern gaze was even more terrifying. “Have you no remorse? Do you want to disgrace the entire Clarke family?”
“Dad-” Molly’s eyes welled up with frustration, her voice choked as she reluctantly glanced towards Paige. “I’m sorry.”
“Is that all?” Paige chuckled coldly. “I distinctly recall Miss Clarke promising to kneel and apologize if she misunderstood me.”
“You’re dreaming!” Molly shot back.
Malik, a prominent figure in the capital, couldn’t afford such a public scandal. “Miss Lautner, I…”
“Do you have any say in this?” Paige interrupted, her gaze contemptuous as she looked at him. “Or should Senator Clarke kneel in place of your daughter?”
Malik’s expression darkened. This person before him couldn’t be Paige-Paige would never dare speak to him like this.
“Miss Lautner…”
“If you insist on getting involved, then I’ll have Kevin handle it,” Paige retorted firmly, showing no signs of backing down.
As a senator, Malik needed to maintain good relations with all sides. Bringing the head of the Lautners into this would only lead to irreparable conflict.
Reluctantly, he turned to Molly, his tone firm. “I can’t help you anymore. You have to deal with the consequences of your own actions.”
“Dad?” Molly was shocked, unable to believe he was abandoning her like this.
“Still not kneeling?” Manager Cole glared at Molly.
Molly looked around at Nancy kneeling beside her, utterly humiliated, and at the wealthy youths who had once adored her, some of whom had even pursued her. Now, not a single one stood up to defend her.
She glanced at Malik, seeing his intense glare, clearly blaming her for causing him trouble.
Molly looked away and turned to see Paige sitting in her rightful place, glaring at her with contempt. Tears welled up in Molly’s eyes. She slowly knelt on the ground. Her voice trembled as she uttered, “I’m sorry, Miss Lautner.”
“Come on, Miss Clarke.” Paige chuckled softly, reaching out to take the slice of birthday cake Manager Cole had prepared for her. Molly knelt on the ground, feeling utterly humiliated, like a dog without dignity. She took a deep breath, spoke through her tears, “Miss Lautner, I’ve been blind. I’ve wronged you at my birthday banquet. I’m sorry, please forgive me.”
The room fell silent, not a sound except for Molly’s heartbreaking sobs echoing through the hall.
“Miss Lautner, is that satisfactory?” Manager Cole stood cautiously nearby, asking.
Paige tasted the cake in her mouth, looked up at him with a smile. “First, Miss Clarke accused me of being a fraud, then a thief, claimed I escaped from the slums, and she even wanted to strip me in front of everyone. Do you think an apology is enough?”
“What? Miss Clarke did all that?” Manager Cole glared at Molly. Malik hadn’t expected Molly to go this far, gesturing for her to continue apologizing.
Molly looked down, and was about to continue apologizing, and then a beautiful shoe with an inlaid diamond heel appeared in her line of sight.
The next second, the tip of that shoe hit her chin.
Molly shook all over, and her chin was slowly lifted by the shoe, and her face was lifted.
A familiar scene flashed through her mind. But she didn’t remember the specifics, only vaguely recalling that such scenes seemed to have occurred before.
Paige sat there, tapping her chin with the tip of her shoe, a cruel and contemptuous smile playing on her lips. “Miss Clarke, I came here sincerely for your birthday celebration, only to be humiliated by you. Since that’s the case, perhaps this birthday party shouldn’t continue.”
She said it casually.
Manager Cole understood immediately and directed the security team, “Dismantle the venue?”
“Boom!”
With a bang, the huge light box set up in the venue was directly knocked down, and the sound of broken glass echoed throughout the venue.
“Don’t-” Molly called out, trying to get up. This was her birthday banquet, and it was the birthday banquet she had been looking forward to for a long time. All the decorations here were designed by her personally!
“Where are you going?” Paige sat there, grabbing her hair and pulling her back.