Chapter 17

Lisa walked toward us with that infuriatingly confident stride, her eyes locked onto mine with a knowing smirk. I hated how effortlessly stunning she looked, but the moment she opened her mouth, any trace of admiration vanished.

"Well, well, Well, well, well, if it isn't Enchantress trying to make it big in a world they clearly don't belong in." she said, her nasally voice cutting through the otherwise light atmosphere like a blade.

I could feel the corners of my mouth twitch into a forced smile as I leaned in slightly. "Oh, Lisa. Always a pleasure to see someone trying so hard to stay relevant," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

Lisa took a slow, deliberate step toward me, her gaze flicking over my dress, and then she gave me that look—the one she  gave when she wanted to belittle me. "I see you're still playing dress-up, Iliana and kia. How adorable."

"Lisa," I said, my voice sharp but controlled. "I see you're still trying to make a name for yourself. How cute."

Kia, ever the cooler head, stepped up beside me. "And here I thought you'd learn something from past experience. Guess not."

Lisa's eyes flicked between us, her lips curling into that condescending smile I knew all too well. "You should be thanking me, really. If it wasn't for people like me showing you how it's done, Enchantress would still be a blip on the radar."

I rolled my eyes, my voice dripping with disgust. "How can a person be so desperate? God, it almost makes me want to vomit over you," I said, my words sharp as I glanced at her.

Kia, who had been silently observing the whole scene, couldn't hold back. She snorted loudly, covering her mouth to stifle the laugh that followed.

Lisa's face flushed a slight shade of red, but she recovered quickly, pushing her hair back with a dramatic flair. "You should really learn to appreciate the finer things in life, ladies. Like, I don't know... elegance, maybe?"

Kia smirked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Elegance? You mean the same elegance you found in your 'business strategy' of delaying shipments? Impressive....ly pathetic."

I couldn't help but snicker, and Lisa's lips pressed together, her irritation clear but well-hidden behind the mask of her usual confidence. She clearly wasn't expecting this kind of reception.

"Well, I see your claws are sharper than I thought," Lisa said, her smile tight. "But we all know that charm is not really your forte."

I raised an eyebrow, feigning surprise. "Charm? Is that what we're calling your attempts at ruining my business now? You've got a lot of nerve calling anyone out for lacking charm, especially when your entire personality seems to be made up of disgust, envy and bad decisions."

Kia raised her glass with a smirk. "Here's to your charm, Lisa. May it one day be as strong as your inability to make plus size dresses."

That's true. Lisa Anderson Co. strictly makes no dresses for curvy or healthy women.

Just as Lisa was about to fire back, her eyes suddenly shifted past me. I didn't even have to turn around to know who had entered the room. I felt him before I saw him.

His voice, deep and smooth, sliced through the growing tension. "Everything okay here, doll?" His hand lightly rested on the small of my back, and a wave of calm washed over me, though I kept my expression neutral.

I couldn't help but notice the subtle shift in Kia's stance as Adrian came to stand beside her. She moved just a fraction closer to him, his usual playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, everything's fine," I replied, my eyes still locked on Lisa, who seemed to be practically undressing Zaden with her gaze.

Then I saw it.

Lisa froze. She straightened up, subtly adjusting her dress, more than just a casual move. She tugged the fabric down, exposing more cleavage, all the while keeping her eyes fixed on Zaden.

But Zaden, bless him, was completely oblivious to her. His attention was entirely on me, and I could tell that Lisa might as well have been invisible.

I blinked, looking from Lisa to Zaden, my brow furrowing in confusion. What was going on? I expected Lisa to keep going with her insults, but now she looked like she had seen a ghost. This dragged Zaden's attention away from me finally.

Zaden was just standing there, arms crossed, still brooding, but I could see his eyes narrowing as he took in Lisa's reaction.

She seemed frozen for a second, and then I saw the realization dawn on her. The smile that had once been full of contempt melted into something else—something more... surprised?

"I can't believe it," she muttered, her voice shaky. "Zaden?"

Zaden tilted his head, his jaw tightening. "Do I know you?"

Lisa's eyes widened. "You don't remember me?" She took a step forward, looking a little too eager. "We used to—"

Zaden's expression remained unreadable. "I don't know you."

Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh-

I could practically hear the frustration building in Lisa as her smile faltered, her eyes narrowing with a mix of confusion and irritation. Then Zaden finally turned his head, brow furrowed in recognition, though not quite.

"Wait... I know you..." Zaden's voice trailed off, eyes lingering on her for a moment, trying to place her. "Uh... Yeah. Kristina Robert?"

Lisa's smile faltered, her teeth clenching slightly before she corrected him, her voice tight with a forced smile. "It's Lisa. Lisa Anderson, Zaden."

Zaden blinked, clearly still trying to piece it together. "Right. Sorry, I don't... I don't remember you then. Must've been an error on my part."

Lisa's smile tightened, but she quickly masked it with an overly cheerful expression. "Zaden, it's me. Lisa. From preschool. We were childhood friends. Best friends, actually."

Zaden's brow furrowed further, clearly still not making the connection. "Childhood friends?" His eyes briefly darted to me, then back to her, clearly trying to recall something, but I could see the confusion on his face. "I... don't know. I'm not sure about that."

God, if Kia looks at me right now, I will die.

Lisa, clearly desperate to make him remember, nodded enthusiastically. "We were inseparable until I moved. You don't remember me? from when we were six."

Girl, you are trying too hard.

Zaden's face remained neutral, but I could tell he was genuinely trying to remember, albeit with little success. He gave me a quick glance, but it didn't seem like the recollection was coming anytime soon.

"Right, Lisa... from the same neighborhood." Zaden said, his tone flat, almost bored. It was clear he wasn't thrilled with this trip down memory lane.

Lisa, however, seemed to take his words as some sort of validation. She blushed, her smile brightening as if he'd just confessed his undying love for her. It was irritating to watch.

"This is so exciting. Us reuniting," she gushed, practically batting her lashes.

Adrian, of course, couldn't resist the opportunity for a little dig. He leaned in, his voice light, curious but dripping with sarcasm. "Wait, who's this Kristina Robert again? Why don't I know her?"

Zaden shot Adrian a glance that was half exasperated, half amused. "My mailman's wife. She oddly looks like you lily." He said it with such nonchalance, his attention returning immediately to me.

Lisa's expression faltered for a second, the shock still settling in. She had clearly thought that seeing Zaden again would be some nostalgic reunion, but it was clear he wasn't feeling the same way. She quickly recovered, a tight smile pulling at her lips. "It's lisa. Well, you were always a bit... distant back then also, weren't you?"

Shut the fuck up (I'm jealous)

He pays her no attention and turns to me.

"Have you eaten anything yet, doll?"

Aw, such a babygirl he is.

"Zaden," she started again, her tone no longer light and breezy. "You're really starting to sound like you've forgotten everything about our past."

But Zaden, completely uninterested, waved her off. "Guess I'm just getting old. Happens to the best of us."

Kia's voice cut through the tension, her usual mischievous tone not missing a beat. "Well, this was embarrassing. Even for you, Lisa. At one point, it became difficult for me to watch, and trust me, I love drama," she teased, her words laced with just the right amount of sarcasm.

Lisa's face turned an even deeper shade of red, and her attempts to maintain control were slipping fast, making the whole thing uncomfortable for her. It was almost too easy watching her squirm, and I felt a satisfying rush of power.

"You both should really watch your backs, you know, it was just shipments this time." she said, trying to regain some semblance of authority with a smirk, though it was weak and unconvincing.

The mention of our delayed shipments sent a familiar wave of frustration through me, and my fist clenched involuntarily, my knuckles going white. I cleared my throat, not able to hold back anymore. "You know, Lisa, I'm no gynecologist, but I sure know a cunt when I see one... And I'm seeing one right in front of me."

Kia let out a loud, unapologetic laugh at my remark, drawing the attention of a few nearby guests. Adrian and Zaden, clearly caught off guard by my words, both choked on air, staring at me with wide eyes. Neither of them had expected me to go there.

Lisa, however, was fuming. Her face was contorted with rage, and steam seemed to practically pour from her ears. "How dare you—"

I didn't let her finish. "Nope. You're done," I interrupted, cutting her off. "This is none of your business, Lisa. You weren't invited, and frankly, you're just a free-loader here. So, why don't you go find a table where you are invited?That being said, there's a dumpster just outside. I think that's more your speed."

As I casually flicked my hair back, the tension broke when I felt a warm, familiar breath against the side of my neck. Zaden couldn't contain himself. He laughed softly into my hair, the sound low and genuine, like he was just as amused by the whole situation as I was.

Kia, not missing a beat, joined in with a light chuckle, clearly enjoying watching Lisa's pride unravel. Adrian let out a snicker, his grin wide as he shook his head.

Lisa, for her part, was now shaking with rage, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she glanced between all of us. But there was nothing left for her to say—nothing she could say. She shot us all one last look, her pride wounded beyond repair, before storming off, her heels clicking loudly against the floor as she retreated.

Zaden let out another laugh, shaking his head. "That was something," he murmured, still smiling.

"Yikes. Did you invite her?" Adrian asked, sounding genuinely curious but clearly trying not to laugh.

I shot him a quick glare. "You think I'd invite her to my own business dinner?"

Adrian gave me an exaggerated wince. "Yeah, no offense, but this looks like a you kind of move. The drama's about to kick off."

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Adrian."

Kia raised her glass, toasting to the moment. "Here's to knowing when to shut a bitch down."

I smirked, feeling the adrenaline of the confrontation wear off. "Cheers to that."