Chapter 513 - 109 Calling Her Auntie

Chapter 513: Chapter 109 Calling Her Auntie

Lila’s POV

I had complete faith in Daniel. While I knew Sasha would continue her scheming to seduce him back into the Martinez family’s political web, I was ready for whatever she threw our way. For each trap she set, I would demonstrate that messing with me or my boyfriend was a mistake she’d regret. The naive, insecure Lila who first arrived at Thorne Group was long gone.

"You really believe him, don’t you?" Sybilla asked, her voice tinged with concern as she adjusted her designer blazer in the backseat of Jude’s armored sedan.

"Without question," I assured her. "I trust your brother completely. The desperation in his eyes when he explained that judicial manipulation told me everything I needed to know."

Jude shook his head, his hands steady on the wheel as we navigated through the city’s financial district. "The poor guy left without knowing that you believed him. He’s probably torturing himself in that penthouse right now."

A sly smile crept across my face. "Well, I’m planning to teach him a valuable lesson tonight about being more careful with that venomous little snake from his past."

"Great," Sybilla groaned dramatically. "Looks like I won’t be getting any sleep in the apartment tonight. The soundproofing isn’t that good."

Jude’s expression brightened as he glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Come stay at my place. I’ve mentioned before that I have a guest suite in my building. We could have dinner at that private club downtown, talk for hours. Some company would do me good." The loneliness had been eating at him since his business partner Nora relocated to the west coast operations.

"I’ll definitely take you up on that offer," Sybilla replied enthusiastically. "We’ll drop Lila off at the penthouse, I’ll grab my things, and spend the night at your place. Are you sure I won’t be disrupting your evening routine?"

"That depends," Jude teased, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Do you snore like a chainsaw in that fancy private school accent of yours?" Sybilla playfully punched his shoulder as he laughed. "Of course you won’t be disrupting anything. You’d be doing me a favor with your company."

"Perfect," I interjected, my eyes gleaming with determination. "But before heading home, I want to make a quick stop at the Azure Hotel. I need to pay my dear friend Sasha a little visit before she gets any bright ideas about manipulating more corrupt judges or coming after me."

"Let’s do it," Jude said eagerly, making a sharp turn toward the upscale hotel district. "This I’ve got to witness. The Sullivan family heiress taking on a washed-up political socialite."

Minutes later, we stood in the elegant hotel lobby with its marble floors and crystal chandeliers. Jude charmed the receptionist into giving us Sasha’s penthouse suite number with remarkable ease, flashing his business credentials and that devastating smile that had served him well in underground negotiations. We made our way upstairs in the private elevator, and I knocked firmly on her door, hearing her irritated voice call out from inside.

"Who is it?" she demanded, her tone sharp with annoyance.

"Delivery for Sasha," Jude answered smoothly, adopting a neutral service worker’s accent.

The door swung open, revealing Sasha standing there in an expensive silk robe, arms crossed, a smug smile forming when she recognized us.

"Well, if it isn’t the little miss herself," she drawled, her voice dripping with condescension. "I was actually planning to visit you at that college campus. I’m starting to like the academic atmosphere. Maybe I should return to school – we could be classmates, study law together." Her sarcasm was thick, but I was growing immune to her pathetic attempts at intimidation.

"Education is indeed valuable," I replied sweetly, stepping into her suite uninvited. "It broadens horizons and teaches critical thinking. You should definitely consider returning to school. Maybe you could learn something beyond manipulating family connections and chasing married men. It might help expand that pea-sized brain of yours."

"Oh, sweetie," she purred, closing the door behind us. "Men chase me. Look at Daniel – he came running the moment I called with news about those judicial documents."

"Yes, he came because despite you being this vulgar social climber, he pitied you and believed your fabricated legal emergency. That’s what honorable men do, even when dealing with parasites from their past. And what did you do with his kindness? You tried to trap my boyfriend using your family’s corrupt political connections. You fabricated something horrible just to seduce him again. And failed. Again. Don’t you ever tire of rejection and humiliation?"

Sasha’s confident smile vanished, replaced by a mask of barely controlled rage.

"So he ran straight to tattle on me, did he? What a loyal little puppy he’s become for his teenage girlfriend," she scoffed, crossing her arms defensively.

"Not a puppy – a partner in a relationship built on trust and mutual respect. Let me make something crystal clear – you will never succeed in coming between us. Your pathetic political schemes and judicial corruption won’t work."

"Maybe not," she conceded with a malicious smile, moving to pour herself a glass of expensive wine. "But I can certainly make your lives miserable. The Martinez family has connections you can’t even imagine, little girl."

"What a waste of your energy and dwindling political capital." I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a cold whisper. "Be careful though – my patience has limits, and the Sullivan family doesn’t forget insults."

"And what exactly will you do when it runs out, tiny? Throw a tantrum? Call your big brother to intimidate me?" Sasha laughed mockingly, but I detected a slight tremor in her voice.

"I’m not the tantrum-throwing type. But while you’re busy being this minor irritation in my life – like an ant crawling on my leg, that’s how insignificant you are to the real power players in this city – your precious time is slipping away. You’re aging, Sasha. You’re not a young woman anymore. You’re well past your prime, and your political usefulness is declining with every failed scheme. Shouldn’t you focus on something more meaningful, or at least ensure you won’t end up old, broke, and completely irrelevant?"

I’d noticed during our last confrontation that age and fading influence were her deepest vulnerabilities, so I pressed where it hurt most, even though I found her vanity and desperation pitifully shallow.

"You think you can compete with me, little girl?" Sasha’s posture changed, becoming aggressive as she set down her wine glass with unnecessary force.

"Compete? Oh, honey, there’s no competition here. Daniel is with me and won’t return to a washed-up former socialite who peaked years ago. You’re just humiliating yourself, sacrificing whatever dignity and political connections you had left. I’m simply pointing out that if you keep wasting time on this ridiculous pursuit, before you know it, you’ll be as wrinkled as a dried prune and twice as bitter."

I smiled sweetly, seeing pure rage building in her eyes. Time to make my exit before she did something truly stupid.

"Listen here, you insignificant insect," she snarled, her carefully maintained composure finally cracking. "I’m going to crush you and your precious little romance. You’ll be nothing but a forgettable blip in Daniel’s life after he comes back to me and the family obligations he can’t escape."

"I came here with friendly advice," I said calmly, smoothing down my skirt as I prepared to leave. "Daniel won’t return to you, and your family’s political influence isn’t what it used to be. And if you continue testing my patience, you might leave this situation with or without your designer clothes, but definitely sporting two black eyes courtesy of Sullivan family security." I turned toward the door, but couldn’t resist one final jab. Turning back, I waved cheerfully. "Bye, auntie!"

"You miniature brat! I am NOT your auntie! You’ll regret messing with me and underestimating my connections!" Sasha screamed from her doorway like a woman completely unhinged.

In the elevator, Sybilla and Jude exploded with laughter.

"Auntie? Really, Lila?" Jude chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. "That was absolutely brutal."

Sybilla held her sides, struggling to breathe through her laughter. "You hit her biggest insecurity perfectly. She constantly lies about her age and gets furious when anyone calls her out on it."

"I noticed age was a sensitive topic when she was harassing me at the penthouse," I said, joining their laughter as the elevator descended. "How did Daniel ever end up married to someone so shallow and pathetic?"

Jude sighed dramatically as we reached the lobby. "Oh, Tiny Cipher, we men make terrible choices when we’re young and pressured by family politics."

"I’m not convinced you improve much with age, Jude," Sybilla quipped, earning herself a mock glare.

I felt remarkably lighter after showing Sasha I wouldn’t be intimidated by her desperate schemes or empty threats. When we arrived back at the penthouse building, Daniel wasn’t in the living room – presumably waiting in the bedroom, probably driving himself crazy with worry. Sybilla quickly gathered her overnight things and said goodbye, heading off for her pleasant evening with Jude and their underground business discussions. Meanwhile, I prepared to teach my handsome boyfriend a lesson about trust and communication that he wouldn’t soon forget.