Free Web NovelChapter 54: Chapter 54: The People Who Taught Nicole Linton a Lesson Were Arranged by Tristan Sterling
Tristan Sterling stood up, elegantly adjusting his cufflinks, his handsome face set in a glacial expression.
At his words, Vivian Linton’s face drained of color.
He was clearly furious.
Holly Sinclair was still his wife. For his wife to be beaten so badly, it was naturally a blow to his pride.
His anger was only natural.
"No..." Vivian Linton wiped away her tears, looking utterly pitiful as she tried to make excuses. "I’m sorry, Tristan. Nicole... she just acted on impulse..."
"Then she must pay the price for that impulse!" Tristan Sterling bit out, his voice frigid.
His words struck the Linton Family like a bolt of lightning.
’Does he mean...’
’He was the one who sent those women?!’
Vivian Linton stared in disbelief, tears streaming down her face. She choked out, "But... But Tristan, Nicole is my sister!"
’Even if he was angry, he shouldn’t have gone after my family.’
’Holly Sinclair is a nobody with a worthless life. How could she possibly compare to my sister?’
Tristan Sterling looked at Vivian, his glacial gaze softening slightly. "Vivian, the one I’m indebted to is you, not your entire family."
He could spoil her, but that didn’t mean her family had the right to touch his people.
"Tristan..." Vivian was at a loss for words.
"Holly Sinclair is ’Mrs. Sterling.’ Not just anyone can lay a hand on her."
"Even if Nicole was in the wrong, you shouldn’t have ruined her! A girl’s face is so important—"
"And Holly Sinclair’s face isn’t?"
It was as if an iceberg were collapsing behind Tristan Sterling’s eyes, emitting a suffocating cold.
Realizing her slip of the tongue, Vivian’s face went white as a sheet. "Tristan..."
Tristan Sterling didn’t say another word. He simply turned and left.
The expressions on the faces of the Linton Family were thunderous.
SLAP!
Mr. Linton raised his hand and struck Vivian across the face.
Vivian’s head snapped to the side. Her cheek stung, a fiery pain spreading across it, but she didn’t dare make a sound.
She kept her head down, eyes red, trembling uncontrollably.
"Didn’t you say you had him wrapped around your finger?" Mr. Linton, seething with uncontrollable rage, glared viciously at his daughter.
"Dad, I..." Tears streamed down Vivian’s face, but she couldn’t get the words out. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Useless!"
Mr. Linton cursed, his face ashen with rage. "He didn’t just disrespect us, he had your sister maimed! How dare you have the gall to stand there and boast to me that you have him under control?"
Mrs. Linton rushed forward to shield her daughter. "Why are you hitting her?" she cried. "If not for Vivian, would the Linton Group have landed so many projects with the Sterling Group?"
Mr. Linton was left speechless.
The Linton Group was just a small company, on the verge of bankruptcy. It was only revived from the brink of death because Vivian had managed to latch onto a powerful patron like Tristan Sterling.
"You listen to me!" he roared. "If the partnership between the Sterling and Linton families is affected in any way by this, you and your daughters can get the hell out!"
Having said his piece, Mr. Linton stormed off in a rage.
Mrs. Linton gave Vivian a pained look, but ultimately didn’t have time to comfort her, instead hurrying after her husband.
Vivian slumped into a chair, her face a deathly pale.
Her hands clenched into fists, sharp nails digging deep into her palms.
She gritted her teeth, her features twisted in a hateful snarl. A vicious, cold light glinted in her eyes.
’Why?’
’Why wasn’t Holly Sinclair’s face ruined?’
’Why is she so damn lucky? How does she always manage to escape disaster?!’
’Holly Sinclair, you bitch!!’
’Just you wait!’
’I refuse to believe your luck will hold out forever!’
...
「Two days later.」
Vivian Linton took the elevator down to the underground parking garage. She was planning to go home to grab a change of clothes for her sister, Nicole.
Just as she stepped out of the elevator.
SLAP!
A vicious slap struck her across the face.
"Ah!"
Caught completely off guard, Vivian stumbled, the force of the blow nearly knocking her to the ground.
She steadied herself and looked up, her eyes meeting the sharp, cold gaze of Holly Sinclair.
"Holly Sinclair, are you insane?!"
Vivian shrieked, staring at Holly in disbelief, her face twisted with rage. "What gives you the right to hit me?"
"What gives me the right?" Holly crossed her arms, a cold sneer on her lips. "Vivian Linton, you think I don’t know what you did?"
Her gaze was cold enough to make one shiver, as if ice were forming in her eyes. It made Vivian inexplicably lose her nerve.
"You... I don’t know what you’re talking about." Her eyes darted away as she swallowed hard, forcing a calm tone into her shout.
Holly’s sneer widened. "Don’t think you can throw your sister under the bus and wash your hands of this."
"What nonsense are you spouting? This has nothing to do with me! Do you have any proof, Holly? If you don’t, then stop making baseless accusations!" Vivian clenched her fists, jutting her chin out stubbornly. freewebnøvel.com
Holly laughed.
She gave Vivian a look of utter contempt, the smile on her lips both cold and cruel. "You think I’m helpless without proof?"
As the words left her mouth, she raised her hand.
SLAP! SLAP!
She landed two more resounding slaps, one after the other, across Vivian’s face.
Blood immediately trickled from the corner of Vivian’s mouth. The blows made her see stars.
"AHH!!"
Vivian went berserk.
Screaming, she lunged at Holly, trying to strike back.
But—
Holly deftly dodged, her hand shooting out to grab.
She seized a fistful of Vivian’s long hair and yanked hard.
"Ah!"
Vivian shrieked in pain as she fell, scraping her knees and elbows. Her face went deathly pale.
Holly showed no mercy.
She dragged her into a deserted corner.
’Nicole Linton had gotten her comeuppance, but Vivian, the true mastermind, had escaped without a scratch under Tristan’s protection.’
’She refused to accept that!’
’She couldn’t just swallow this injustice!!’
"Holly, let go of me! Ah!"
Vivian felt as if her scalp was about to be ripped off. Tears and snot streamed down her face as she cried in pain, an utterly pathetic sight.
With a forceful shove, Holly threw her aside.
Vivian fell to the ground.
She scrambled back to her feet, screaming hysterically, "Holly, you bitch—"
THUD!
Holly kicked her back to the ground.
Then, she raised her foot and planted it on Vivian’s face. "Go on. Say that one more time."
The beating sent Vivian into a rage.
She was already consumed with jealousy and hatred for Holly, and now, being so utterly dominated, she refused to submit.
Without a second thought, she began to curse, "Holly, you’re just an unwanted slu—"
She stopped short.
The last syllable was choked back down her throat.
Because Holly was pressing a sharp shard of glass against her delicate cheek.
The slightest pressure would be enough to slice her skin open.
Vivian froze in terror.
Her entire body went rigid. She didn’t dare to breathe.
’I don’t want to be disfigured!’
’I don’t want to end up like Nicole!’
"Holly... what are you doing?" Vivian’s voice was filled with terror, trembling uncontrollably.
"Weren’t you the one who wanted to ruin my face?" Holly asked with a smile.
The gentleness in her tone sent a chill down Vivian’s spine.
Holly’s smile reminded her of a certain flower—
The datura flower. Beautiful, but deadly poisonous.
"You... I didn’t... It wasn’t me..." Vivian stammered, her words a jumbled mess.
"Vivian Linton, I told you not to provoke me," Holly said through gritted teeth. "Since you don’t seem to understand words, I’ll just have to teach you the hard way."
"Holly! If you dare ruin my face, Tristan will never forgive you!" Vivian’s mind went blank as she broke down, screaming and crying in terror.
"Is that so? Hah."
Holly sneered.
With that, she raised the shard of glass high.
Vivian’s breath hitched, and the color drained from her face in terror.
"Holly!"
A large hand suddenly clamped down on Holly’s raised wrist. "What do you think you’re doing?" a sharp voice demanded.
