Chapter 6
Chapter 6:
Mathew Patel, the middle-aged man, spun around, ready to report to his superior that Brinley didn’t have an invitation. But the newcomer’s cutting glare froze the words in his throat.
Without sparing Colin a glance, Ryan went straight to Brinley. He addressed her in a deferential tone. “Ms. Shaw, I deeply apologize for the disrespect you’ve endured. The fault lies entirely with me for failing to discipline my assistant. Please forgive this lapse p>
All color drained from Mathew’s face. “Ryan, I p>
His attempted explanation died under Ryan’s glacial stare, sharp enough to silence him completely.
Ryan’s voice dropped into a measured calm that carried more weight than a shout. “Who gave you the right to disrespect our guest in front of everyone?” he asked, each word edged with quiet authority. “How could you assume she walked in without an invitation p>
With every syllable, Mathew’s face drained further.
𝗥𝗲а𝖽 𝘰𝘯 𝗮𝘯𝗒 𝘥𝘦vi𝖼𝘦 о𝗻
The crowd held its breath, stunned by the unexpected turn.
Ryan was the Knight family’s butler, a man who had served Thalia Knight faithfully for three decades. His words carried weight in Bleron’s highest circles.
And yet here he was, treating Brinley with unmistakable deference.
Whispers rippled through the onlookers. Why was Ryan showing Brinley such respect? Hadn’t the Shaw family already severed ties with her?
“Ms. Shaw, please forgive what happened just now,” Ryan said again, respectful but threaded with nervous urgency. “I know Mathew upset you, and I’ll deal with him right away. Would you prefer to rest in the VIP lounge, or—” His words trailed off as anxiety sharpened his expression.
Thalia had instructed him to treat Brinley with care, yet in the few minutes he’d been away, everything had unraveled.
Brinley idly swirled the champagne in her glass, her face composed. “I’ll go along with whatever arrangements Mrs. Knight has made p>
“Understood,” Ryan said at once. He bowed and gestured for her to follow. “The lounge has been prepared with refreshments. Mrs. Knight was just speaking of you p>
A fresh gasp rippled through the crowd at his words.
Thalia was the undisputed queen of Bleron’s real estate world—a woman even the mayor deferred to.
For crying out loud, she was personally hosting Brinley.
Colin’s gaze locked on Brinley, his expression tangled with disbelief and unease. Words rose to his throat, only to die there as she moved past him, her poise unbroken, following Ryan toward the lounge.
Milly clutched Colin’s arm, sensing the rigid tension running through him.
As Ryan guided Brinley toward the grand spiral staircase leading to the second-floor VIP lounge, Mathew suddenly crashed to his knees in a desperate display.
“Ms. Shaw, please accept my apologies for my earlier rudeness,” he pleaded. “Please… grant me mercy just this once p>
Brinley didn’t so much as flinch. She didn’t even spare him a glance.
Ryan, however, stopped and fixed Mathew with an icy stare. “You broke the family rules. That’s why you’re fired—not because of Ms. Shaw p>
He lifted a hand, signaling to the nearby guards, then delivered his verdict with crisp authority. “Escort him out. Notify HR—his employment is terminated. Make it clear he will never be rehired p>
“Wait! Ryan, please—don’t do this!” Mathew’s desperate cries rang out for a moment before the guards dragged him away, swallowing the sound.
A heavy hush settled over the banquet hall. Guests stood frozen, stunned by how swiftly judgment had been passed.
Those who had sneered at Brinley only minutes earlier now felt cold dread creep down their spines, suddenly aware of how dangerous it was to stand on the wrong side of her.