Before Nora could even begin to defend herself, an incredibly arrogant voice shattered the tension.
Everyone froze.
The crowd whipped their heads toward the source of the commotion. Striding purposefully toward them was a strikingly handsome young man dressed in a dark red tailored suit.
Nora immediately recognized him. Even though he was dressed to the nines tonight looking like a rebellious prince, to her, Nolan Devereaux was still just a reckless rich kid.
"You're usually so vicious when you're chewing me out. Why are you suddenly holding back against these snobs?"
Nolan closed the distance between them and slapped her lightly on the back. "Yell at them!"
He turned his sharp gaze onto the crowd. "When these pretentious old fossils finally drop dead, they'll be begging someone like her to figure out what killed them. Being a forensic doctor is a sacred job! Who gave you the right to act like she's dirt?"
While some of the guests didn't know Nora, absolutely everyone knew Nolan Devereaux.
Seeing the heir to the Devereaux empire fiercely defending the young woman left the entire courtyard in stunned silence.
Mia's fists clenched so tight her freshly manicured nails nearly broke the skin, a sickening wave of jealousy washing over her.
Leonard's eyes widened in sheer shock at how familiar Nolan was with his estranged daughter. But before his opportunistic mind could celebrate the connection, a cold spike of dread hit him. He had just publicly abandoned Nora.
He knew his daughter's personality too well. If he had stepped up and defended her a minute ago, she might have felt a shred of gratitude. He could have used that to coax her back into the family. Instead, he had thrown her under the bus. Knowing Nora, she was already adding this to a long list of grievances.
In that respect, she was exactly like him: fiercely vindictive and never one to let a grudge go. Just because she couldn't retaliate today didn't mean she wouldn't ruin him tomorrow.
Realizing his massive miscalculation, Leonard shot a venomous glare at Mia. If she hadn't opened her big mouth, none of this would have happened!
"Mr. Devereaux... you know this young woman?"
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