Novel Palace
Chapter 92
Estrella’s blunt candor and fiery temper left the entire VIP room agape, including Logan and the other two colleagues from Justice Guardians LLP. Arden had known that Estrella and Jason were acquainted, but he had never expected her to be so bold.
The only one with a smirk was Grayson, watching the scene unfold. They had no idea who they were messing with, trying to embarrass Estrella, and sling mud at her. They clearly underestimated the spitfire they were dealing with. She had never been one to take any flack, not as a child and certainly not now.
“Estrella, you…” Rachel’s face turned pale with anger.
With a chuckle, Estrella taunted, “What? I’m bold enough to sit on Mr. Jason’s lap in public. If you want to snatch the agency back, go ahead, throw caution to the wind and take a seat yourself.”
With that, she plopped down on Jason’s lap, wrapping her arms around his neck with a laugh, “Mr. Jason, what do you think of Rachel here? Do you fancy her?”
Jason played along, draping an arm around her waist and giving Rachel a dismissive glance, “Not interested.”
Estrella let out a triumphant laugh, “Rachel, Mr. Jason isn’t into you, so let me lay it down. for you. From now on, Nelson International’s legal affairs are signed with Justice Guardians LLP. Future Vision can kiss that dream goodbye.”
Estrella’s badassery left Logan and the rest in awe. The folks from Future Vision, on the other hand, were predictably sour-faced.
They had hoped to claw back Nelson International, but their chances now seemed slim to
none.
“Estrella, this industry is all about skill, don’t think that-”
Estrella cut her off with a derisive laugh, “Last time I checked, you didn’t win against me.” Ever since she joined Justice Guardians LLP, Rachel had been throwing obstacles in her Content bel0ngs to Nôvel(D)r/a/ma.Org.
presence path, jealous that Estrella had eclipsed her as the shining star. Estrella’s dimmed her own, so Rachel had resorted to hiring a bunch of trolls to smear Estrella’s name online.
Nelson International’s legal affairs slipped through Future Vision’s fingers, and Rachel had been all too eager to dump the blame on Estrella, spreading wild rumors about her-sordid affairs, teenage abortions, professional homewrecking, you name it.
And then there was Jo’s divorce case that Rachel lost, failing to hide the assets. That led to another troll brigade attacking Estrella on social media.
Estrella was aware of all this but hadn’t had the time to deal with Rachel’s antics. She
11:34
hadn’t expected Rachel to come gunning for her today.
Since Rachel was so keen on spreading rumors, Estrella decided to play into them. Yes, she’d been “involved” with Jason, and the more scandalous the talk, the better. It would only solidify her untouchable status, and Justice Guardians LLP’s business would skyrocket.
Rachel was so resentful because she actually had tried to seduce Jason, but he didn’t even take her seriously.
When the head of Future Vision saw the situation going south, they quickly retreated to avoid further conflict.
“Ms. Estrella, you’re a force to be reckoned with. That’s the spirit of someone destined for great things,”
“Not many girls have that kind of moxie these days.”
“Indeed.”
Keith and the others led the chorus of approval, and the rest quickly joined in.
Logan was a mix of surprise and delight, proud of Estrella’s prowess yet worried she
might rub too many the wrong way. But they couldn’t be blamed for today’s debacle. It was Future Vision who had provoked the situation, and they had been slandering Justice. Guardians LLP behind their backs. Estrella’s outburst was actually quite satisfying for
him.
Basking in the praise, Estrella stood up with a smile, “Thanks, Mr. Jason.”
Jason held her tight, not letting her up, “Just a thanks’ for playing along?”
Estrella offered, “How about I crack a couple of walnuts for you?”
Afterwards, she pushed herself up from Jason’s embrace and tossed a couple of walnuts
his way.
Jason just chuckled. He had smoothed the way for her tonight, securing her a wealth of business-did she not know?
She always teased him for being stingy, but Estrella wasn’t exactly the generous type herself.
Following the kerfuffle with Future Vision, Logan’s get-together also wound down. No sooner had Estrella stepped out of the VIP room than Bryce called her, “Estrella, you done
over there?”
Estrella yawned, “Just wrapped up.”
“I’ll come get you.”
“Just send me your location. I’ll head over.”
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Soon after, Bryce’s location pinged on her phone. He and Jesse were at a bar on the beach of a resort.
The bar was hosting a costume party that night, and Estrella nearly kicked a ghostly figure back into the shadows when she walked in.
Bryce had gone for a vampire look, while Jesse, deeming it too childish, showed up without costume, her dashing short hair and flashy clothes enough for the occasion.
The trio gathered, and Estrella had barely settled when her phone buzzed. It was Jason. With one hand over her ear and a phone to the other, Estrella answered with a “Hello?” only to be met with Jason’s icy tone, “Where are you?”
Estrella responded nonchalantly, “At the bar.”
Jason commanded, “Estrella, you have 10 minutes to get back here.” He had thought tonight might smooth things over between them, but she had dashed off to a bar in the meantime.
On the other end, Estrella couldn’t be bothered and hung up with a snap.
Bryce leaned in, whispering, “What does Jason want with you?”
Estrella shrugged him off, “Who cares.”
It was funny how Jason behaved. When she needed him, he was elusive, ignoring calls and texts, leaving all communications to Drew. And now that she stopped seeking him out, he was relentless.
In the private dining room of the hotel, Jason watched as Estrella hung up on him, and his face darkened with anger. With a swift motion, he hurled his phone across the room.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath. It seemed that the moment Bryce and Jesse showed up, Estrella couldn’t keep herself in check. Hadn’t she seen how much he’d drunk that night? Was it too much to ask for her to come back and take care of him?
As he rubbed his stomach with his right hand, Jason’s expression turned icy. He grabbed his jacket from the bed, flung open the door, and stormed out.
In the hotel bar, Estrella was casually chatting with Bryce when a few lawyers from Future Vision suddenly made an appearance. Noticing Estrella, their faces turned sour as if they had bitten into a lemon, and they rolled their eyes so hard one could fear they’d get stuck. But none dared to confront her directly, for behind her stood the formidable support of Jason.
The three of them chatted for a while, and then Estrella and Jesse got up to go to the bathroom. As soon as they came back, they saw Bryce, who had put on a handsome look, looking disheartened,
unable to catch his breath. Her gaze shifted, and there he was-Jason had taken her former seat, staring at her with an icy gaze that sent shivers down her spine.
“Did Mr. Jason come to settle the tab?” Estrella approached, sliding into the empty seat
beside him.
Jason’s displeasure was palpable. His hand shot out, gripping her chin firmly. “Is it so
hard to stay put in the hotel room?”