Chapter 7 Trashy Street Brawler
Belinda was completely stunned by the slap, her look of grievance frozen on her face. The burning sting made it impossible for her to process what had just happened. She thought, ‘How… how dare she actually hits me?’
Blair was dazed for a split second before his anger exploded. “Dina, have you lost your mind? I really misjudged you. Today, I finally see your true colors. You’re so jealous, so vicious! Look at yourself right now; you’re acting just like some trashy street brawler!”
“Oh. So what?” Dina casually rolled her wrist, her icy glare cutting through them like a blade. “Don’t provoke me again. If you do, I’ll slap you both!”
That chilling stare, paired with the throbbing ache on her face, made Belinda flinch back involuntarily.
Dina thought, ‘What a coward, bullying the weak while fearing the strong.’ She snorted in contempt and turned away from the revolting pair. She grabbed her laptop from the trash can and strode out without a second thought.
“Dina! Get back here!” Blair’s face darkened to a furious shade of iron as he bellowed his threat. “If you walk out that door, don’t even think about coming back, ever! And you’ll be cut out of the AI emotional interaction launch completely.”
His words fell on deaf ears.
Dina didn’t break stride, leaving without so much as a glance over her shoulder.
“Bang!” In a rage, Blair slammed the jewelry box in his hand onto the floor. He’d meant to patch things up with her. He wondered, ‘How the hell has it escalated to this?’
Struggling out of the project department, Dina shook as she braced herself against the wall. The stabbing pain in her waist nearly buckled her knees.
“Ms. Gardner.” Katie hurried over to support her, her eyes brimming with worry. “Let me take you to the hospital.”
“Thank you.”
*****
With her waist badly hurt, Dina headed back to Summit Bay and was forced to stay in bed.
Outside the room, in the dim corridor shadows, Joseph bowed low, his voice heavy as he reported. “Mr. Woodward, we’ve looked into it. Mrs. Woodward was harassed by Belinda at Fighters Group. That fool Blair is blind as a bat. He even took her side. The bruise on Mrs. Woodward’s waist? It’s from him shoving her.”
“Seeking death.” A lethal intent burst from the darkness. The towering man in the shadows looked every bit like the devil himself stepping out of hell. “If he can’t keep his hands to himself, then break them both.”
Joseph sucked in a sharp breath. Hank and Blair had always been at odds, like fire and water, but he’d never issued an order this brutal before. This time… he’d really crossed the line.
Inside the room, a soothing aromatherapy had been lit once more.
Dina’s waist throbbed so badly she couldn’t sleep, but moments after the incense filled the air, she sank into a heavy slumber.
In the dark, the bed sank slightly beside her. A slender hand, knuckles sharply defined, gently lifted the edge of her shirt. Her pale, porcelain skin emerged inch by inch.
The man’s breath hitched suddenly, his suspended fingers trembling faintly.
Finally, he shut his eyes and applied the ointment to her bruised waist with feather-light care, as if tending to a fragile treasure.
A deep voice drifted through the darkness. “He doesn’t value you, so I’m not handing you back to him.”
*****
At Fighters Group, in the conference room, Blair’s eyes darkened as they landed on the empty seat in the lower left, Dina’s usual spot.
Their fights had never dragged on past three days before, but this time, it’d already been a full week. He thought, ‘No matter, she’ll be back tomorrow for sure.’
He couldn’t imagine her walking away from the AI emotional interaction project, “Soul Echoes,” after pouring years of her heart and soul into it. And he definitely couldn’t believe… she’d actually leave him.
Blair tore his gaze away, his face settling back into its familiar cool confidence. “Tomorrow’s launch has to be flawless. The partnership with Wonder Group, it’s make or break, no room for failure.”
Only by clinching this deal with Wonder Group could Fighters Group shatter its current limits and soar to the next level. Only then would he have the leverage to finally stand up to Hank, who’d always loomed over him.
They were both prodigies. He wondered, ‘Why do I have to play second fiddle forever?’
Even after years abroad, Hank returned as the Woodward family’s undisputed top heir. He wouldn’t stand for it.
This Wonder Group collaboration was the payoff from three years of biding his time and pouring everything into it. This time, victory was his.
“Don’t worry, Blair.” Belinda sidled closer, her gaze soft and reassuring, her voice full of certainty. “It’s all set up. I promise, the Wonder Group deal is as good as ours.”
*****
“Ring, ring, ring…” Dina stared at the international call flashing on her phone screen, her finger pausing for a moment before swiping to answer.
“Ms. Gardner, about the industry summit in Vreton on the 18th, do you have time to attend? Wonder Group plans to finalize their partner selection there. As the new head of R&D, the decision’s naturally yours. Since you’re already in Vreton, headquarters hopes you’ll go in person to oversee and choose the right one.”
The industry summit… that was also where Fighters Group was holding the launch for their AI emotional interaction software, Soul Echoes.
She’d poured her heart and soul into polishing that project, all to help Blair clinch the Wonder Group deal that very day.
And now… She’d become the one holding the reins. She thought, ‘What a colossal irony.’
The corner of Dina’s mouth curled into a icy smirk as she replied playfully, “Sure, I’ll be there.”
*****
On the 18th, downstairs at the industry summit building, Dina walked calmly toward the elevators.
The instant her finger touched the button, a hand darted out from behind. A white cloth pressed firmly over her mouth and nose. She didn’t even have a chance to call for help before raw strength dragged her into the nearby dimly lit fire escape.
Meanwhile, in the summit’s main hall, Blair, in his custom-tailored suit, glanced at his watch for the fifteenth time. The launch was about to start, and Dina’s seat remained empty.
His handsome brows furrowed deeper, his voice low and laced with anger. “Dina still isn’t here?”
If she didn’t show up soon, she’d miss even the final prep time.
Belinda sighed softly, her tone a blend of resigned patience. “The launch is starting in just a few minutes… maybe she’s cutting it close on purpose? To prove how indispensable she is… Dina can be so headstrong sometimes…”
She trailed off, but the implication of “spoiled” hung in the air.
Blair’s face grew even stormier, frustration mixing with outright disdain.
His tone turned frigid. “Have everything ready to go. The moment she arrives, get her changed and onstage, no delays, not even a second.”
“…Understood.” Belinda nodded obediently, but a flash of malicious satisfaction crossed her eyes.
She quickly bowed her head, fingers flying over her screen to send a message: [Done yet?]
Instant response: [Relax, babe, I’ve got her. She’s not making it up there.]
Belinda’s lips curved into a triumphant smirk. She thought, ‘Time’s up. Dina is doomed to miss it. All that stage glory, the credit as Soul Echoes’s developer, it will all fall right into my lap.
‘Dina, what chance do you even have against me? From now on, everything Dina has, her career, her fame, her man, will be mine.’
“Mr. Woodward, Ms. Hobbs, it’s time. Ms. Gardner still isn’t here, what now?” A staff member dashed over, panting and drenched in sweat.
Blair’s expression was pitch-black, fury radiating off him. He’d never imagined Dina could be this irresponsible, abandoning three years of her own hard work. It was utterly baffling.
Belinda said, “Oh dear, Dina… how could she drop the ball on something this important?”
Belinda feigned annoyance with a little foot stomp, then, as if making a huge sacrifice, turned to Blair with resolve etched on her face. “Blair, we can’t hold off any longer. Let’s go with Plan B. I’ll step in for Dina on stage.”
Her gaze burned with affection. “Even if she’s not here, I’ll do this for you. I’ll give it my all to ensure the launch succeeds and we lock in that Wonder Group partnership.”
Blair’s irritation surged, but he had no other choice. He pinched the bridge of his nose wearily, his voice subdued. “…Thanks for stepping up.”
Belinda suppressed her bubbling excitement, adjusted her extravagant custom gown made specially for today, gripped the speech cards she’d rehearsed to perfection, and headed toward the stage with a thrill.
The spotlights locked on.
Belinda beamed sweetly, guided the audience through the presentation, and eloquently detailed Soul Echoes’s “core concepts” and “technical highlights.”
As the speech ended, the room fell into stunned silence for a full two minutes, then applause erupted like thunder.
“That was mind-blowing! Ms. Hobbs, you’re incredible!”
“Holy cow! AI emotional interaction is real? This is groundbreaking! Soul Echoes’s going to dominate the global AI market!”
“We’re done for… With Fighters Group’s Soul Echoes from Belinda, we’ve got no shot at Wonder Group.”
“Just accept it, who else has Mr. Woodward’s talent for attracting stars like Belinda?”
The acclaim that should have been Dina’s now bathed Belinda in endless limelight.
She stood at the heart of the spotlight, soaking up the adoration like a star surrounded by fans.
Blair watched the “radiant” Belinda on stage. The launch had been a smashing success. He should have been elated. But instead, a heavy weight of anxiety and dread settled in his chest.
He thought, ‘How could Dina just throw away three years of blood, sweat, and tears? Could she really…’
