Betrayed and Dumped: She Rose Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 130

Austin snapped out of it and jumped to his feet. “Mr. Duncan! What brings you here?”

Stephen smiled. “I was meeting someone next door and heard your voice, so I thought I’d stop by and say hello.”

Austin felt flattered in a way he hadn’t expected. Stephen was a big name in Coralbridge and he’d come over just to greet him. It felt unreal, a little like winning the lottery.

“Mr. Duncan, let me toast to you.” Austin grabbed his glass and handed it to Stephen without a second thought.

Austin drank his first, then Stephen smiled and tipped his own glass back. But Stephen didn’t stop there. He reached over, picked up the liquor bottle, and poured two more shots.

“I’ll have these as well,” he said. He downed both, set the glass down with a smile, and looked at Austin. “My employees shouldn’t have to drink anymore, right?”

Rebecca froze. Employees? Was he taking the drinks for her? She squeezed her hands together under the table, feeling awkward.

Austin paused, glanced from Rebecca to Stephen, and suddenly caught on. He gave Stephen a knowing look, like he’d just cracked some secret code. Apparently, everyone was bringing their partners on business trips these days.

“Of course, Mr. Duncan. Say no more.” Austin grinned like he was in on the joke.

Rebecca’s heart was pounding. She realized Austin had jumped to the wrong conclusion, but she couldn’t say anything. If she tried to explain, she’d just embarrass Stephen and probably end up getting pushed to drink even more. So she played dumb, letting her cheeks grow warmer and warmer.

“Whoa, Ms. Harper, your face is so red.” Cindy reached over and touched Rebecca’s cheek, making her jump.

By the time Rebecca snapped out of it, Stephen had already left. She took a deep breath, trying to settle her nerves.

Cindy gave her a sneaky wink. Rebecca caught on and said, “I always get flushed when I drink.”

Cindy gasped. “I heard that turning red when you drink is a sign your liver isn’t detoxing right. If it’s serious, you could even go into shock.”

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