Chapter 7
Lisette gave a small smirk, her teeth flashing bright. "Miss West, seriously? Never seen a man before? You've been staring at my husband like he's the last one on earth."
Amber was caught completely off-guard. Huh? Was this woman for real?
But as she took in Lisette's calm, sharp gaze, she realized - yep, definitely not kidding. Her expression shifted in a snap, from vengeful to pitiful.
With a soft sniffle, Amber said through trembling lips, "Lisette, I always thought of you as my dearest friend... how could you say something like that?"
Amber was still mentally reeling. Lisette had always treated her well - but now, this public slap in the face made her feel betrayed and humiliated.
Lisette let out a scoff, the disdain in her voice obvious. "Miss West, come on. I'm not so desperate for affection that I need to dumpster-dive for friends."
Plop.
The fake tears clinging to Amber's eyes finally broke free, streaming down theatrically. With her helpless, fragile look, any random guy on the street might've felt sorry for her.
But here? Only her agent, Eric, showed a hint of discomfort. Everyone else - Tobias standing next to Lisette, and Elliot a few steps behind - looked completely unmoved.
Amber felt like choking. Were these men made of stone? She was standing here crying her heart out, and not one of them had the decency to scold Lisette for being too harsh?
Lisette was clearly unimpressed by Amber's little drama. She casually twisted the knife: "Save the tears, sweetheart. You're not winning sympathy—just making everyone uncomfortable with that greasy little meltdown."
Then she turned to Elliot and said, "Remind me to grab some eye drops later. Got to wash off that visual pollution."
Trying to hold back a laugh, Elliot nodded. "Will do."
Amber's tears stopped - her fury short-circuited her tear ducts. She clenched her fists so tight her knuckles turned white.
Eric held back as long as he could. But when Amber shot him a burning glare, he finally squeezed out through gritted teeth, "Lisette, that's enough! Just because you're a Cavendish doesn't give you the right to treat people like crap!"
"Of course it doesn't."
A calm, low voice cut in.
Everyone turned in Tobias's direction.
One hand in his coat pocket, the other linked with Lisette's, Tobias stood tall and poised, impossible to ignore. He didn't need to raise his voice or posture aggressively - his mere presence commanded attention.
His tone was smooth but firm. "She also happens to be my wife. That's reason enough."
Elliot, holding back a grin, was silently screaming, 'Yesss!! Boss man protecting his wife like a total legend!'
Lisette blinked, not expecting Tobias - the man who normally seemed married to his work and emotionally absent - to actually step in and stand by her without hesitation.
She tilted her head, giving him a curious look.
Their eyes met. Tobias said simply, "Let's go home."
"Okay." Lisette beamed, walking off with him, leaving Amber standing there like a popped soda can.
Amber hurried into the VIP lounge, wiping away her tears before anyone else could see, and frantically called Maverick.
"Maverick, did you mess up? I just saw Lisette at the airport. She was hanging on Tobias's arm, all flirty and giggly - they were flirting in public like newlyweds! That does not look like a couple heading for divorce!
"Didn't you say if I sold my house, shops, and stocks to help you scrape together five billion for her, she'd definitely get divorced? What now? She took all that money and still hasn't filed for divorce? Maverick, she's playing you!"
Maverick's breathing on the other end got heavier with each second.
She'd lost money, lost face - and now thanks to Maverick, she had the full combo. Thinking about how all her money had been swindled by Lisette, Amber was fuming.
She gritted her teeth and snapped, "Maverick, I trusted you. That's why I gave you everything. I deserve an explanation!"
At this point, it wasn't even about whether Lisette was getting divorced or not. Her pride, her brain - everything had just been stomped on by Lisette, hard. She needed answers.
Click!
Maverick hung up without a word. No explanation, no comfort.
He'd tried reaching out to Lisette these past two days too, but it was like she'd ghosted him completely. Total radio silence.
The assistant he sent to trail her reported that she hadn't left the Cavendish estate, holed up inside the whole time. He even called the house. The butler said Lisette had been in her room, door shut the entire time. Who knew what she was up to.
Maverick assumed - she must be planning a divorce. But no! Not only was she with Tobias, they were acting all lovey-dovey?
From the moment he bumped into her briefly, Maverick had had a weird feeling something was off. But now? Confirmed. And it hit him like a punch in the gut.
'All this planning, all these years... and right before the finish line, I get played by a woman like this? Why the sudden switch?'
Maverick replayed every interaction in his head - there were no slip-ups. He hadn't shown any cracks in front of her. Then what the hell changed?
Too many loose ends, too many questions. He had to see her in person to figure this out.
Maverick glanced at the time and asked his assistant, "When's tomorrow's shoot wrapping up?"
The assistant, who knew his schedule back and forth, answered right away, "Three in the afternoon."
"Tell the production team I'm out. My stomach's acting up. I can't shoot tomorrow."
"What?" His assistant looked stunned. "Mr. Ramsey, if we pull out early, we'll have to pay damages. Plus we'll lose a chunk of the screen time."
Maverick shot him a hard look. "Just do it. Book the soonest flight to Veridia."
He wasn't waiting any longer. Tobias was headed to Veridia. By tomorrow morning, he'd definitely visit the Cavendish estate. Maverick needed to be there, to see for himself what was really going on between those two.
After leaving the airport, Lisette took her "backing" Tobias straight to Harvest Fields - the most hyped spot in Veridia for both foodies and influencers.
Elliot was practically drooling in the driver's seat. You could even hear him swallow as he gushed, "Harvest Fields comes from a long line of royal chefs - eighteen ancestral chefs, if I remember right. The owner, Clyde Fields, has an uncle - Connor Fields - who was a national banquet head chef. Their dishes? Legendary! There's only one Harvest Fields in the whole world!
"I once tagged along when the boss got invited to a meal by Chef Connor... I'm serious, that taste? Stuck with me ever since."
Elliot wasn't a man of many interests, but food? Food was his everything.
He rambled on with stars in his eyes: "They say Clyde's a total perfectionist. From picking ingredients to cooking, he's gotta do it all himself. The restaurant serves just one table per day. No menu, no choices - you eat whatever the chef feels like making. The price keeps going up, but people still wait months for a spot.
"Ma'am, when did you even book this? And it just so happens the owner's in town today? That's unreal!"
Lisette just smiled and said nothing.
Once inside the restaurant, the server, used to her antics, barely reacted as she waltzed straight into the kitchen like she owned the place.
With a playful wink, she offered, "One stunning, ethereal pic of Scarlett in exchange for one exclusive, reservation - free meal. Deal?"
Clyde, sleeves rolled up and wok in hand, tossed a spatula in the air and barked, "Get out!"
Lisette shrugged casually, as if she'd been wronged. "Too hungry. Can't move."
That teasing tone, those big puppy eyes - Tobias couldn't help it. The corners of his mouth twitched just a little. And deep in his gaze, a faint trace of amusement flickered.
