Chapter 100

At this moment, Daniel appeared from somewhere and grabbed hold of Ms. Turner. Ms. Turner glared angrily at Winnie and said, "This crazy woman attacked me, Daniel."

"Ms. Turner, please stop causing a scene. Everyone is watching." Daniel awkwardly glanced at Winnie and immediately pulled Ms. Turner away.

Winnie glanced at him holding Ms. Turner's hand and understood what was happening. She heard that Daniel had been seeing a debutante whom he had met during a blind date.

Amidst the chaos, the altercation immediately came to a halt after bodyguards were summoned by Rock, the second son of the Harrington family, whose identity was prominent and someone Eva didn't dare to offend.

Winnie, disoriented and shaken, barely registered when Rock's suit was draped over her. Quickly dabbing at the corner of her mouth, where she sustained an injury, she abruptly glanced upward. The bustling crowd obscured her view, yet she persisted in searching for Mr. Rodriguez's silhouette, hoping to discern any inclination of protection from him.

However, what met her eyes was Mr. Rodriguez standing next to Darcy, their closeness tinged with ambiguity. The man casually held a wine glass, engrossed in conversation with a superior.

He didn't cast even a fleeting glance her way, coolly surveying the unfolding scenario. It seemed as if Winnie's vision of him turning to glance at her had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination.

Winnie's eyes welled up with tears as she put on a bitter smile. Even though they were in a cold war, she thought that when she was being targeted by Eva and her group, he should have helped her out knowing she would be wronged. Yet, he completely disregarded her. She felt that this hot-and-cold treatment becoming unbearable.

Rock, with his slender frame, looked at the pale and delicate face beneath his suit. "What's wrong? Are you cold?"

"No. Rock, is that you?" Only at this moment did Winnie recognize him, a bit surprised. "Why are you here the Dazzling Party?"

"I am a businessman too." Rock arched an eyebrow, impressed by the biting comeback she delivered to those women. He couldn't help but admire her. "You've got quite a sharp tongue."

Winnie's soul was restless and she forced a smile. "Thank you for just now, Rock."

The smiling exchange between the man and woman caught Mr. Rodriguez's attention, his gaze as cold as the coldest winter. He found it unbelievable that Rock was there at Winnie's aid and Daniel too.

He couldn't help but walk over just now to save her but who would've thought this woman had one protector after another. She really couldn't stay out of trouble and he does not know what to do with her to keep her out of it.

Mr. Rodriguez's jaw clenched tightly and his aura turned very cold to the point that it was noticed by the boss who was talking to him who had to immediately find an excuse to leave.

Darcy secretly smiled while looking at this. The man tugged at his Windsor knot with a gloomy expression, feeling suffocated. He pulled out a cigarette with a stern face and walked into a corner.

Winnie noticed him leaving the crowd. Her hand tightened into a firm fist, and her heart seemed burdened with an immense grievance. Despite the heavy emotions, she was determined to clarify things with him immediately. She couldn't bear to see Darcy getting closer to him without setting things straight. Winnie quickly exchanged a few words with Rock and followed Mr. Rodriguez, who was heading towards a corridor.

She saw him entering a partially closed resting room door. Winnie discreetly pushed it open and entered. The room carried a strong scent of smoke, and before her stood the tall, sharply defined figure of the man, smoking with a hint of irritation.

Winnie looked at him, momentarily silent with a tinge of bitterness in her heart. She recalled Olivia's advice to be gentler to Mr. Rodriguez. With a silent sigh, she walked over and took the initiative to embrace the narrow waist of the man, from behind. The woman's soft body suddenly pressed against him, her delicate hands holding onto his waist. Mr. Rodriguez paused his smoking for a moment.

Her fragrance hit him, elegant and soft. He immediately recognized her. As he turned around, before his cold gaze even fell on her face, he abruptly noticed the gentleman's suit draped over her shoulder.

His expression immediately grew somber. Winnie glanced up, her teary eyes reflecting a pleading tenderness.

"Lawrence," she said.

Approaching men with gentleness and allure-this was her way. The idea of her casting the same gaze at Rock fueled a fire in Mr. Rodriguez's chest.

He pulled himself away from her grasp, and his gaze turned mocking. "Who said you could touch me? Don't you know I have mysophobia?"

Winnie froze, a touch of embarrassment crossing her face. The disdain in his eyes hurt her. She couldn't comprehend why he regarded her with such hatred. She had already humbled herself, suppressing the coldness he had displayed in the hall and even attempted to reconcile with him.

Winnie suddenly felt weary as he pulled her to the side. She looked up, her eyes welled with misty tears and helplessly said, "Mr. Rodriguez, what's wrong with you? We were fine just a while ago. Why did you suddenly get angry for no reason? You're making me feel lost."

"For no reason?" The man's lips curled coldly, and his expressionless smile was terrifying. He leaned in closer.

With a sudden jerk, he removed the suit from her body and angrily said, "You think I'm angry for no reason, even though you've been flirting with another man and lying to me behind my back? Winnie, you are the first woman who dares to play with me. Do you really think I won't crush you?"

Winnie was frightened by his menacing aura. Her eyebrows furrowed, and suddenly everything made sense. He indeed had misunderstood the phone call that afternoon.

She felt somewhat apologetic but mostly helpless. "If you're talking about that phone call, I didn't intentionally lie. I did meet a male business partner but at the time, your tone didn't sound good. I was still traumatized by your last confrontation with Daniel, and I didn't want any more trouble, so I instinctively hid it from you."

If it weren't for witnessing her unruliness firsthand, he almost believed her explanation. A cold arc formed on his lips as he harshly pinched her delicate jaw.

"The male business partner you encountered wasn't just an ordinary one. It was Rock, the man you've been flirting with all along. You turned down the two female suppliers I suggested, rejected your husband's assistance, privately engaged with other men, and toyed around with them. Are you proud of yourself?!"

She had just realized that the two female suppliers were recommended by him. Winnie's mind was in a haze, but she quickly regained her composure. The image of Darcy's smile flashed through her mind, and she suddenly felt chills all over her body as she understood what was going on.

Winnie pursed her cold cherry lips and looked up, finally comprehending. "Did you recommend those two female suppliers to me? That's not what Darcy said. She claimed it was her own initiative to help me secretly. I had no idea you had such intentions. Was it you who asked her to help me?"

Tightening her fists, she explained coldly, "I had no clue. I disliked Darcy from the start, and when she was so insistent on helping me by suggesting suppliers, I did what anyone in my position would do which was to approach with caution. So, naturally, I declined her assistance. But I never anticipated that her next move would be to get close to you."

Mr. Rodriguez paused, his eyebrows knitted together. But Winnie's eyes were ablaze with anger.

His derisive grin transformed into a cold expression once more. "I sent Darcy to locate you, hoping she could act on my behalf. Even if she didn't explicitly mention it, you should have figured out that it was me behind her. Is this your justification for flirting behind my back? And why harbor such hostility toward her? She has been supportive of you, going out of her way for you, and yet you choose to humiliate her?

"Winnie, perhaps I've indulged you too much. A touch of jealousy is tolerable. I relished your playfulness. But repeating it over and over is no longer amusing. It suggests a lack of depth in your understanding."

He looked at her displeased. Darcy had long made it clear to him that they were like siblings. He couldn't fathom Winnie's hostile behavior toward Darcy.

His words suddenly left Winnie powerless, pushing her into a vulnerable state.