Ethan Lancaster didn’t think it was a big deal.
It was perfectly normal for the staff here to get bullied by custors. So just swallowed their pride and took it, while others found a powerful patron and struck back. Ingrid Quinn had found her opportunity today, and it was the perfect ti for revenge.
"No problem. Just go get them."
Ingrid Quinn pouted, cautiously placing a hand on Ethan Lancaster’s shoulder. "Can’t you co with , Fourth Master?"
"Just tell them I’m the one who wants to see them. They won’t dare refuse."
Now that she had soone powerful backing her, Ingrid Quinn grew bolder. "But what if my boss..."
"Don’t worry, I’ll handle it."
With that, she truly had nothing to fear.
Swaying her hips, Ingrid Quinn hurried out. Ethan Lancaster stared at the row of glasses on the table and shook his head, puzzled. ’It must be because I ran into Raina Reddington here,’ he mused. ’I must have caught her bad luck, because mine has been terrible all day.’
A mont after she left, Ingrid Quinn returned alone, a wronged expression on her face. "Fourth Master, she refuses to co."
Caron Fairchild humd. "What did you say to her?"
"I said the Fourth Master wanted to see her and told her to be sensible."
"And what did she say?"
Ingrid Quinn looked hesitant, unsure how to begin. Inwardly, however, she felt a flicker of glee she could barely contain. The more disdainful the other woman was, the more Ethan’s anger would be stoked. Then that woman would really be in for it.
"Why are you stamring?" Caron Fairchild demanded, displeased.
"She said sothing like, ’Fourth Master, Third Master... does he think this is... the olden days?’ Then she told to get lost and go back where I ca from."
Ethan Lancaster couldn’t help but laugh when he heard that. He tapped his clasped hands against his forehead twice. "Well then, I really must go and et this person."
"I’ll go with you." Caron Fairchild was quite curious himself.
Inside the private room, Annabelle Spencer listened to Raina Reddington sing. Her voice was so sorrowful it nearly brought Annabelle to tears. "I can’t believe you just sent her away like that. She was probably sent by your husband. Aren’t you afraid..."
Raina Reddington kept singing, her eyes on the lyrics. Annabelle Spencer shook her head gently, walked over, and placed a hand on Raina’s shoulder. "I heard about what happened with Miles Hawthorne. Is there still no news?"
Raina’s singing stopped. She sat there in silence, then suddenly wrapped her arms around Annabelle Spencer’s waist.
"Raina, do you want to cry? It’s okay, I’m here."
Raina Reddington closed her eyes. "I don’t want to cry. I’m just a little tired."
"Then let’s head ho a little early." Annabelle Spencer gently ruffled Raina’s hair. "It’s okay if you want to cry. No one will see you in here."
Raina buried her face against Annabelle Spencer’s chest. Her phone started to ring. Annabelle glanced at the caller ID. "I think it’s your mom."
"I’m not answering."
’If I answer, it’ll just be the sa old thing,’ Raina thought. ’She’ll tell to pay more attention to Ethan Lancaster, to visit the Lancaster family more often. But she never once asks how I’m doing. Am I happy at The Verdant Garden? Is work going well? Zoe Scott doesn’t even know I’ve switched hospitals.’
"Okay, don’t answer then." Annabelle Spencer hugged her tighter. "Don’t just bury yourself in work all the ti. Co find after your shift from now on. I’ll take you out for so good food."
"Okay."
After a mont, Raina composed herself. She let go of her friend, stood up, and walked over to the sofa to get a glass of water.
Annabelle Spencer walked to the door, intending to find Hugo Hayes and see what he was up to. She pulled the door open, only to see a group of people approaching. The first person she saw was Ethan Lancaster.
"Oh my God!" Annabelle Spencer ducked back into the room. Just as she was about to shut the door, a hand stopped it.
Ingrid Quinn led the way. After entering the room, she stepped to the side. Caron Fairchild called out in surprise, "Sister-in-law?"
Ethan Lancaster never expected that the custor Ingrid Quinn had complained about was not only a woman but one with whom he had a very complicated relationship.
Raina Reddington, however, wasn’t surprised to see him at all. Ingrid Quinn pointed at her. "That’s her."
"Well, talk about a misunderstanding! It’s family fighting family. Sister-in-law, what are you doing here?"
Raina Reddington’s eyes swept over the group, finally landing on Ingrid Quinn. "What is it? Are you here to settle a score?"
Ingrid Quinn still hadn’t figured out what was happening. She tugged timidly on Ethan Lancaster’s arm. "Fourth Master, you promised . And it’s not an unreasonable request. All I want is to slap her once."
"What?" Annabelle Spencer leaped to her feet. "You want to slap her? Do you have any idea who she is?"
Hearing another voice in the room, Caron Fairchild’s gaze shifted, landing on the imposing figure of Annabelle Spencer.
When Annabelle Spencer’s eyes t Caron Fairchild’s, she flinched and sank back onto the sofa.
"I don’t care who she is! She’s the one who ddled and made things difficult for first. Besides, the Fourth Master promised . What’s it got to do with you?"
Annabelle Spencer gritted her teeth in anger, but Raina Reddington remained coolly indifferent. "Fine. You want to hit ? Co on, then."
Ingrid Quinn whined coquettishly, "Fourth Master..."
"Go on," Ethan said. "She told you to, didn’t she?"
Hearing this, a triumphant look appeared in Ingrid Quinn’s eyes. She sauntered forward, saying, "If you really don’t know who the Fourth Master is, then allow to educate you. The Lancaster family can blot out the sky in Stoneworth. A single word from him is enough to crush you. If you take this slap without a sound, everything will be fine. Otherwise, the Fourth Master won’t let you off so easily..."
Raina’s gaze went past Ingrid’s cheek and t Ethan Lancaster’s eyes. He stood just a few steps away. ’He must have known I was here,’ she thought, ’so he brought soone over specifically to humiliate , right?’
’Otherwise, I can’t believe he’d make such a huge scene over one of the girls who works here.’
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ingrid Quinn raise her hand, gathering strength, as if she wanted to slap her so hard she’d never get back up.
Raina’s gaze snapped back to Ingrid Quinn’s face. "I am Mrs. Lancaster. Do you dare to hit ?"
Ingrid had already put all her strength into the motion. Hearing this, she was so shocked that she froze mid-swing. "What did you say?"
"Are you deaf?" Annabelle Spencer chid in from the side. "This right here is the Fourth Master’s wife."
Ingrid Quinn’s face went deathly pale, as if the slap had already landed—on her own cheek.
Her fingers twitched. She whipped her head around to stare at Ethan Lancaster. "Fourth Master?"
Caron Fairchild stood to the side, arms crossed and a grin on his face. "I called her ’sister-in-law’ the mont I walked in. Didn’t you hear ?"
She had just assud it was their usual way of flirting. The corners of Ingrid Quinn’s mouth twitched, her expression turning unspeakably foul.
Ethan Lancaster saw that she looked scared to death. "Why are you so frightened? Where’s all that bravado from a minute ago?"
Raina swatted away the hand still hovering in the air. Tottering on her ten-centiter heels, Ingrid Quinn lost her balance and stumbled back a few steps.
Ethan Lancaster walked over and sat down on the sofa. Ingrid Quinn ekly sat down beside him. "I didn’t realize it was Mrs. Lancaster. Let’s just... forget it. It was a misunderstanding."
She leaned intimately against Ethan Lancaster. The thought that these were the kinds of won he fooled around with made Raina sick to her stomach.
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