Free Web NovelChapter 181: Conversation Between Them All
Cassandra took off her VR headset in her office and set it on the desk.
She stayed in her chair for a moment, hands resting near the headset while the glass walls reflected the neat lines of the room. Her desk was polished, the lighting was soft, and the city stretched beyond the windows in a way that made everything around her look calm and expensive.
Her mood did not match the room at all.
She had meant to take a short break before the call, mainly because she still needed to message everyone first. With her phone in hand, she walked toward the office door, then stopped with her thumb hovering over the screen.
I’ll just call it off for today.
The decision came easier than expected.
Her assistants were more than happy to handle the rest of her work, and when Cassandra gave them instructions, two of them looked almost thrilled. To them, being trusted with more responsibility by Cassandra Selfmore seemed to feel like a reward rather than overtime.
After packing her things and calling her chauffeur, she returned home.
By the time Cassandra arrived, the group call between famous actresses, a singer, and the Businesswoman of the Year had already begun. The sight waiting on her screen was strange enough to make her pause.
These women belonged on red carpets, concert stages, magazine covers, movie posters, and business articles written by people who treated their every choice like a public statement. People studied their clothes, their smiles, their rumors, their interviews, and even the way they carried themselves in front of cameras.
Almost no one saw them like this, sitting in their own rooms in casual clothes, holding snacks and cups of coffee while talking like ordinary friends after work.
On Cassandra’s screen, a cream silk blouse had replaced her usual executive armor.
The top button was undone, and her dark hair fell over one shoulder instead of being pinned into its flawless work shape. Even at home, she looked expensive. The blouse was simple, but the fabric moved softly whenever she shifted, and the low angle of her camera caught just enough of her seated posture to remind anyone watching that Cassandra’s plump ass was just as unfair as her money and power.
She did not flaunt herself, which made the whole thing more irritating.
Katherine had chosen a soft gray knit sweater that hung loose in some places and hugged her in others. It softened her mature figure without hiding it, especially when she leaned back with her mug in hand and let the wide curve of her hips fill the frame.
Katherine had the kind of mommy hips that made even lazy home clothes look sinful. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, but it still looked stylish, and she carried herself with the relaxed confidence of a woman who could tease everyone in the room, take care of them, and still leave them feeling outmatched.
Alexandra wore a fitted black sleeveless top under an open white shirt, giving her a sharp, careless look that fit her too well. Her hair was tied high behind her head, and the lighting in her room was too good to be accidental.
When she leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, the frame briefly showed off her thick thighs before she adjusted her position. That one glimpse pulled attention away from her face, and considering how beautiful her face was, that was almost rude.
Elisebeth, of course, had turned casual into performance. She wore an oversized designer hoodie that slipped off one shoulder, short black lounge shorts, and fluffy socks.
The hoodie should have hidden her figure, but her huge breasts ruined that plan immediately, pressing heavily against the loose fabric every time she leaned toward the camera. Her hair was loose, messy, and perfect in a way that made it obvious she had spent time making it look careless.
Beside her laptop sat a bowl of snacks, a colorful drink, and a half-finished coffee, arranged messily enough to look cute.
Behind Elisebeth stood Rias, who was also a celebrity in her own right. Plenty of people would love to have her as their manager, and with the way she stood there in a crisp white shirt, slim dark pants, and no unnecessary accessories, she looked more than capable of managing anyone.
The clean cut of her shirt made her flat chest impossible to ignore, but the fitted line of her pants gave her an ass that could rival Cassandra’s from the right angle. Her short blonde hair framed her face neatly, and her golden eyes stayed calm behind Elisebeth’s shoulder.
She looked less like someone joining a girls’ meeting and more like the only responsible adult in a room full of disasters.
Katherine started the conversation first, taking a slow sip from her mug before speaking in a tone far too innocent to trust.
"My, you’re all such high-maintenance girls. I pity the men who end up with you."
First, her sister had a problem. Now Elisebeth and Cassandra had called the first private meeting with just the four of them, all in the same week. Katherine looked ready to blame Martin either way.
"What are you talking about? This meeting is very serious!" Elisebeth said.
When Elisebeth leaned toward the camera, her hoodie slipped a little lower on one shoulder. Rias reached down and tugged it back up without changing her expression, and Elisebeth clicked her tongue before allowing it to happen. freewebnøvel.com
Katherine rolled her eyes. "A certain someone can’t perform at work because she no longer sees herself as Martin’s villainess, but as his heroine instead." freewebnoveℓ.com
"Haha!" Elisebeth chuckled, her eyes going straight to Alexandra, while Cassandra let a faint smile curve her lips.
Alexandra straightened her back under their combined attention and looked into her camera. Her actress smile disappeared, replaced by a cold, camera-ready stare that made her look one sentence away from committing a crime.
"None of you understand how much I’m holding back from punching Bobby in the face."
"Bobby Vale?" Elisebeth’s eyes lit up. "I heard about him from the podcast. He was hyping you up so much I had to turn it off! I almost never turn off podcasts! Haha!"
Alexandra’s mouth twitched, though it was definitely not a smile.
"I have acted beside worse men, but at least most of them had the courtesy to read the script."
Elisebeth laughed harder.
Alexandra leaned back, her expression cooling again. "I’m already doing better. Anyway, what’s the rush?"
Katherine perked up as well, her teasing expression fading just enough to show that she was actually listening now.
Elisebeth explained the situation quite badly at first.
"Martin got jealous because of Rias."
Silence fell over the call, and Rias blinked once.
Elisebeth looked over her shoulder at her best friend, accidentally drawing a target on her. Alexandra and Katherine studied Rias with sudden interest, while Cassandra’s gaze sharpened with quiet assessment.
For a few seconds, the weight of every woman on the call settled on Rias through the screen. Their attention was polished, famous, and absolutely predatory.
Alexandra’s eyes narrowed first. Katherine’s brows lowered next. Cassandra stayed still, which somehow made it worse. Elisebeth, meanwhile, looked proud, as though she had presented useful evidence instead of throwing Rias into danger.
Rias did not flinch under their scrutinizing stares. She remained stoic, though her fingers tightened slightly against the back of Elisebeth’s chair.
For one strange moment, Alexandra and Katherine wondered if Martin liked that type. Worse, they wondered if he liked flat-chested women. If that were the case, all four of them were on the losing end.
Rias kept her face perfectly still.
Those three have too much pressure and influence. Can Martin handle that?
Cassandra calmly explained further. "He mistook her for a man, and all he knew was that she was Elisebeth’s best friend. That made him act childish and out of character."
"Don’t tell me neither of you were smart enough to deal with it on the spot?" Katherine asked, her expression twisting with clear irritation.
Rias could wait. Katherine needed answers right now.
Elisebeth leaned closer to her laptop, offended enough that Rias had to place one hand on the back of her hoodie to stop it from slipping again.
"Of course we did!"
"That does not reassure me when you’re the one saying it. Cassandra." Katherine turned to Cassandra.
Inwardly, Rias caught her breath.
Wow, she really called Elise out like that, then spoke so sweetly to Cassandra Selfmore.
Elisebeth gasped. "Katherine!"
