Shattered Vows: Call Me Auntie Now novel Chapter 52

Smack!

Smack!

Two sharp, echoing slaps landed squarely on the faces of Vivienne and her assistant.

Instantly, livid red handprints bloomed across their cheeks, swelling rapidly.

Quinn turned to look and realized her fiercely protective best friend had arrived.

Tara Moore tilted her chin up arrogantly. "Well, well, Vivienne. Bullying our Quinn every time I'm not around, huh? Do you think her best friend is dead?"

Vivienne clutched her stinging cheek. "Tara, why did you hit us?"

"You were acting like bitches, so you got treated like ones!"

Tara turned and looked Quinn up and down. "Quinn, are you okay? God, why would you try to hit them yourself?"

"You should have just called me! What if you hurt your hand?"

"Those hands are meant for designing clothes. You're going to be a superstar in the fashion world, we can't have you damaging them on trash!"

Maya, completely oblivious to Tara's background, shouted, "You can't just assault people! We can call the cops on you!"

Tara let out a dramatic gasp, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Vivienne, your assistant really doesn't know how things work. Go ahead, let her call."

Maya looked at Vivienne in confusion, only to receive a sharp, warning glare in return.

Tara was no ordinary socialite. With a corporate titan for a father, a fiercely protective brother, and a ruthless mother, her family was untouchable.

Furthermore, Tara was an absolute menace who feared nothing. Most of the elite women in their social circle went out of their way to avoid crossing her.

Vivienne shot Tara a resentful look, deciding to swallow her pride for now. She turned to leave, but Quinn's voice stopped her.

"Vivienne, throwing money around doesn't always guarantee a path to success. I believe Ms. Quincy values genuine design principles and can recognize real talent."

"You can buy investments and access, but you can't buy the soul in every stitch, nor the pure dedication carved into a designer's bones."

Vivienne's left cheek throbbed painfully. She wanted to fire back, but one glance at Tara kept her mouth shut.

If she dared to speak, Tara would absolutely slap her again.

Among all the hopeful apprentices, Isabella felt that Vivienne's resume and skills were arguably the strongest.

Plus, she had the massive backing of The Hayes Group.

Lillian remained noncommittal, keeping her thoughts veiled.

"She certainly has some ability."

Isabella nodded, assuming that meant Lillian had already chosen Vivienne as her protégé.

**

After Vivienne and Maya had slinked off, Tara turned to comfort Quinn.

"They just love to bark at you. The more they try to put you down, the more obvious it is that they're insanely jealous. Don't let them get in your head."

Quinn nodded. "Vivienne just said Dante is planning to invest in The Gossamer Atelier to pave the way for her."

"You can't stop an idiot from making bad choices. The ex-husband is just rushing to play the fool."

"Let him. When Vivienne drains him dry and he comes crawling back with regrets, we won't even spare him a glance!"