Alicia clutched her phone tightly, saying nothing.
Nicole toyed with a strand of her hair, a smug smile on her lips. âDonât expect Tyrone to come rushing to your rescue. Heâs not making it back in time, and even if he does, the outcome is already set. His grandfather is the one pulling the stringsâheâll make sure Tyrone agrees to the divorce. Iâm the one meant to be Tyroneâs future wife. You? Youâre just some orphan... What do you really count for?â
Alicia stayed silent, her expression unreadable.
Nicole turned her attention to the elderly man seated at the head of the room. âGrandpa, the results will be out any minute. How do you plan to deal with Alicia? If you ask me, sheâs been scheming to get a spot in that study-abroad program, using Tyroneâs money to buy her way in. Why not revoke her spot, blacklist her in every industry, and make sure she never gets another chance? Letâs see how far she gets then.â
The words made Aliciaâs heart hammer. She sprang up from her seat, panic flashing in her eyes. If he really did that, he might as well be signing her death sentence.
Vincent, whoâd been standing off to the side, frowned. Nicole was going too far.
âThatâs not necessary, sir,â Vincent interjected quickly.
Nicole scoffed. âNot necessary? She lies compulsively, smeared Tyroneâs name, deceived him at every turnâshe deserves whatever she gets.â
The old manâs eyes were cold as they landed on Alicia. âSomeone with such poor character, even sending her abroad would be a waste. Blacklisting her is more than justified.â
He gave a slight nod, as if Nicoleâs words had convinced him.
âGrandpa!â Aliciaâs voice trembled with anger. âYou have no right to do this. Even if Iâm not without fault, my marriage to Tyrone is realâIâm his legal wife.â
She was desperate, and truly afraid. She knew all too well the kind of power and underhanded tactics people like them could wield.
âSo youâre admitting youâve been lying, then?â The old man glared at her, his anger rising. âIâve given you chance after chance, but you just keep spinning your lies, never once taking my words to heart.â
Tears gathered in Aliciaâs eyes, but she looked away, refusing to break. Even now, she wouldnât reveal that all of this had been Tyroneâs idea.
âThink whatever you want,â she said stubbornly, her gaze fixed on the floor.
Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent)
ï¤Chapter 174 Transmigration: I Have Storage Space in the Apocalypse ï¤Chapter 760 - 756: Encountering a Man with Evil Intentions At that moment, Albertine stepped forward, her voice shaking with emotion. âPlease, sir, donât do this. Alicia... sheâs an orphan. Her parents abandoned her at the door of an orphanage. I raised her as my own. If sheâs done anything wrong, punish me instead. Iâll take the blame as her mother.â
Suddenly, the door to the VIP lounge swung open. Yvonne swept in with her assistant, pulling off her sunglasses and offering a sly smile. âWhatâs all this commotion about? Maddox? What a coincidence, running into you and Nicole here.â
Tyrone had asked her to comeâto look out for his precious wife.
âN-aunt...â Nicole stammered, a flicker of fear in her eyes. She always felt uneasy around Yvonne, always worried sheâd see right through her.
Yvonneâs presence filled the room, making Nicole shrink back, unable to meet her gaze.
âThis is a Lynch family matter, Miss Harrison. I suggest you stay out of it,â Maddox said in a low, warning tone.
âFamily matter? Looks more like youâre ganging up on a young girl,â Yvonne said, sprawling comfortably onto a nearby chair.
Albertine wiped her eyes and tried to defend Alicia. âAlicia might be an orphan, but sheâs made her own way. Sheâs always been an excellent student âgot into college on her own merits. Sheâs worked for everything, never relied on a man for money, never been greedy...â
Alicia hugged Albertine, her eyes red, shaking her head as if to say, âDonât.â
Yvonne watched Alicia for a long moment. There was something about herâcrying, she looked so much like Yvonneâs own sister. And she was an orphan?
Suddenly, Yvonne sat up straight, turning to Albertine. âWhich orphanage was she at?â