Chapter 185 Keep My Mother’s Name Out of Your Mouth

Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Keep My Mother’s Name Out of Your Mouth

​The entire dining room remained completely quiet, the heavy silence thick enough to cut with a knife.

​Naya Whitmore stood right near the threshold of the private dining room, her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive posture. Her fake, polite smile had vanished, replaced by a cold, spiteful sneer.

​"Do you genuinely believe you belong in a place like this?" Naya asked, looking Veyra up and down with obvious disgust. "Do you actually see yourself as the matriarch of the prestigious Thorne family?"

​Veyra kept her lips sealed, standing tall and holding her head high. She refused to give the woman the satisfaction of a panicked reaction.

​"You are only sitting in that house because you managed to get pregnant," Naya continued, her sharp voice echoing off the walls for every customer to hear. "That is the single reason Dorian signed those marriage papers with you. You trapped him. You intentionally used a pregnancy to lock down a wealthy husband."

​Veyra felt her fingers curling tightly into fists at her sides, her nails pressing into her palms. Still, she forced her voice to remain steady and controlled.

​"That is complete nonsense, and you know it."

​"It is the absolute truth," Naya countered with a harsh, mocking laugh. "In high society, marriages are built on mutual business benefits, grand family alliances, and strategic political connections. They are never built on cheap sentiment, and they are certainly not built on an unexpected pregnancy."

​She shifted her gaze, her lip curling in disdain.

​"The core members of the Thorne family will never truly accept a woman like you. You bring no family background, no corporate connections, and zero social standing."

​Veyra felt the sharp sting of those cruel words deep in her chest.

​She had heard these exact insults spoken to her face many times in the past. Her former stepmother had spat them at her. Her half-sister had used them to put her down. The entire family of her ex, Caspian, had repeatedly reminded her of her low standing.

​Over the years, she had built up a shield against those insults. She had learned how to swallow her pride, ignore the spiteful remarks, and let them slide off her back without making a sound.

​However, Naya did not stop there.

​"Your late mother was a total nobody," Naya stated viciously, stepping a little closer. "A common woman who threw her life away on a useless gambler, only to die horribly in a random street robbery. And what about your father? A broken man who lost every single cent he owned and ran away, abandoning his own daughter to fend for herself."

​Veyra felt the blood instantly run cold in her veins.

​"You do not know a single thing about my mother," Veyra said, her voice dropping down to a quiet murmur. There was a sudden change in her tone, a low and dangerous edge that cut straight through the air.

​Naya scoffed, her cold smile returning. "I know enough to know she was a complete failure. Just like you."

​Veyra could easily tolerate people throwing insults at her own head.

​She had endured endless abuse for years without fighting back. She had suffered through the cruelty of her stepmother, the betrayal of her half-sister, and the constant contempt from Caspian’s relatives. She was used to people looking down on her simple background.

​However, she would never, under any circumstances, sit quietly while someone dragged her mother’s memory through the dirt.

​Her mother had been the kindest, most gentle soul she had ever known. She had worked herself to the bone, sacrificing every comfort just to ensure Veyra was fed and protected. She had given up her very life out of love for her child.

​Her mother was not a failure, and she was certainly not a nobody.

​"You can say whatever horrible things you want about me," Veyra stated, her tone turning as sharp as broken ice. "But you will keep my mother’s name out of your mouth."

​Naya let out a loud, dramatic laugh. "Oh, really? Or what exactly are you going to do about it?"

​Veyra took a firm, deliberate step forward, locking her eyes straight onto Naya’s face. "Or you will regret ever opening your mouth."

​Every single eye in the building was now fixed on the two of them.

​The surrounding diners had set their forks down, abandoning their meals to watch the standoff. The servers had stopped carrying trays, freezing in place. The young hostess behind the podium had turned completely pale with anxiety.

​Naya’s arrogant smile faded just a fraction, a brief flicker of uncertainty crossing her features.

​"Are you standing there trying to threaten me?" Naya demanded, puffing out her chest.

​"I am giving you an honest warning," Veyra answered, her posture unwavering. "I came here for that private dining room. I arrived first, I spoke to the staff first, and I will not simply step aside because you feel entitled to it."

​Naya’s eyes narrowed into angry slits. "You honestly think you have the power to compete with me?"

​"I am not competing with you for anything," Veyra replied calmly. "I am simply standing my ground."

​Naya tried to laugh again, but the sound came out awkward and forced.

​"You are nothing in this city," Naya sneered, trying hard to regain control of the conversation. "You are an absolute nobody. You do not have personal wealth, you do not have political backing, and you have zero real authority."

​"I have something far more valuable than any of those things," Veyra said softly.

​"And what on earth could that be?"

​"Basic self-respect."

​Leon quickly leaned in closer from behind, keeping his physical presence imposing while keeping his voice hushed so only Veyra could hear his words.

​"Mrs. Thorne, please exercise caution," Leon warned her quietly. "Naya Whitmore is the primary daughter of Councilor Whitmore. Her father is currently a prominent figure in the National Assembly, and he is one of the top candidates positioned to run for the next presidency."

​Veyra’s heart gave a sudden, hard thud against her ribs.

​The potential next president of the nation.

​That meant Councilor Whitmore was on the verge of becoming one of the most powerful men in the entire country, and Naya was his favored child.

​With a single phone call, a family with that level of political authority could easily crush Veyra’s life. They could shut down her milk tea shop, destroy her medical school admission, ruin her personal reputation, and wipe out her entire future without breaking a sweat.

​Yet, despite the immense threat, Veyra did not take a single step back.

​She had already survived the absolute worst life could throw at her. She had faced down Caspian’s dirty tricks, survived the hidden schemes of Xander Hale, and stood up against Eleanor’s pressure. She had fought her way out of every corner and survived all of them.

​She was not going to let herself be intimidated by Naya Whitmore.

​Veyra shifted her gaze back to Naya, her countenance surprisingly serene given the tension in the room.

​"You walk around acting so special simply because of who your father happens to be," Veyra said, her voice clear and distinct. "You genuinely believe his political standing makes you a grand figure. You act as though his family name automatically makes you important."

​Naya’s face flushed bright red with sudden anger. "How dare a commoner like you speak to me like—"

​"I speak to you like this because it is the truth," Veyra interrupted smoothly, taking another small step toward her. "When you strip away your family background, you have nothing left of your own. You have no personal accomplishments, no real skills, and no actual achievements to speak of. Every bit of influence you flex in this room is completely borrowed from your father."

​Naya’s hands began to shake with rage, her jaw tight. "You do not know the first thing about my life or my abilities!"

​"I have seen enough right here to know who you are," Veyra countered without missing a beat.

​Naya’s voice escalated into a sharp, hysterical pitch, abandoning all her high-society elegance. "My father is going to be the next president of this nation! Do you even have the mental capacity to comprehend what that means? He will hold total control over the government, the entire economic system, and every major institution!"

​Veyra didn’t even blink as the tirade came at her.

​"And you truly believe his future title grants you the right to cut in line at a restaurant?" Veyra asked, her tone dripping with quiet sarcasm.

​Naya blinked in shock, momentarily stunned into silence. "What did you just say?"

​"I asked if you believe your father’s high political office gives you permission to march into a business and snatch away things that do not belong to you," Veyra repeated clearly.

​Naya’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again as her mind struggled to process the sheer nerve of the woman standing before her.

​"You are completely insane," Naya finally spat out, trembling.

​"Am I?" Veyra replied softly, her voice carrying through the absolute silence of the dining hall. "Even if your father actually becomes the president in the future, that still does not give you the right to act like a bully and cut in line indiscriminately."

​The entire restaurant remained completely quiet, every spectator watching in silence as Veyra stated directly that even if Councilor Whitmore becomes president in the future, that does not give his daughter the right to cut in line indiscriminately.