Chapter 433

"You little troublemaker" Having no other option, Skylar ascended the stairs to drag him down, catching sight of Winnie out of the corner of her eye. She glared at her son, understanding what was going on, and smacked him on the head in frustration. "I should've known you'd set your sights on another woman. Well, she's actually who I wanted to talk to you about..."

Skylar's words were abruptly cut off when she spotted Mars. Each family was wary of the others. And Mars, notorious within the Rodriguez family for his ruthlessness and sophistication, had caused Anday trouble in the past.

Skylar forced a stiff smile and said, "Oh, Mars is here. Sean, let's go."

"But Mom, what were you saying? Who were you going to tell me about?" Sean's interest was piqued as he spoke, even as his mother pulled him away.

Skylar wanted to shut him up and cautiously glanced at Mars before quickly dragging her son away.

Mars squinted slightly, his gaze falling on Winnie below, and suddenly he smiled.

Things were getting more and more interesting.

Angela said, "Mr. Rodriguez, Ishara vomited just now, and it was terrible. You need to come quickly; I'm afraid she'll faint!"

Lawrence immediately called for a doctor.

On the way, Angela fumed, saying, "It's entirely Winnie's fault. She's so malicious. By wearing the same red dress as Ishara, she flaunted it everywhere, leading people to ridicule Ishara, claiming she looked inferior and unattractive in comparison to Winnie. Ishara, troubled by Winnie's actions, could only retreat to the restroom in distress. And why did she force herself to drink so much pig liver soup just to please you? The pressure could have triggered her nausea."

Lawrence's brows knitted with a twinge of guilt; she wasn't doing it for him. It was for his mother, causing her to desperately drink an entire bowl.

"Ishara." At the women's restroom door, Lawrence stood outside and called out.

Ishara leaned against the wall, emerging weak and tearful. "Lawrence, it's my fault... I couldn't even keep down a bowl of soup."

"Angela explained to me that you vomited because you were upset. Don't blame yourself," Lawrence said with a furrowed brow.

The doctor was waiting. In the quiet hallway, Lawrence had the doctor examine her. After a quick check of her blood pressure and pupils, the doctor shook his head at Lawrence, saying, "Mr. Rodriguez, Ishara has some purpura from vomiting and arrhythmia. I'm afraid her blood pressure won't meet the standard today."

Lawrence's face darkened. If her blood pressure was not within the normal range today and she had vomited, he wondered what would she use to donate blood to his mother in a week.

"Lawrence, I'll drink another bowl later," Ishara said, coughing, managing a bitter smile. "I'm just afraid if I'm still upset, I might vomit again."

Lawrence looked at her pale face, trying to comfort her. "Ishara, don't be sad. You look good in the red dress."

Ishara shook her head, and said in tears, "Don't lie to me, Lawrence. I'm actually envious of Winnie's figure. I wanted to change the dress so I wouldn't make things difficult for her. But today was my first time meeting the Rodriguez family elders, and I wanted to dress up. I've been pale from illness and never wore red before. I didn't expect my first time to be overshadowed by Winnie. I've always been insecure..."

"It was her who intentionally dressed the same as you!" Angela cried out angrily. "What's wrong with you, Ishara? You're too kind. You shouldn't feel inferior. If anyone should change, it's her. Such a vulgar dress shouldn't appear at a Rodriguez family event, right, Mr. Rodriguez?"

"I'll handle it." Lawrence stood up, and said, "I will give you the respect and dignity that comes with being my 'girlfriend.' I won't let anyone outshine you. Adjust your mood, Ishara; your blood pressure can't go any lower!"

After speaking, the man turned and walked away.

Ishara bowed her head, a hint of triumph in her eyes. She had intentionally worn the same red dress as Winnie, all for this moment.

Winnie was about to slip outside for a break when Jeremy suddenly appeared before her. She was taken aback. "Jeremy, what brings you to the Rodriguez family event? I didn't see you earlier."

Jeremy smiled wryly; he was there to protect Mr. Rodriguez from the shadows and hadn't made a public appearance. "Winnie, may I have a word with you?"

Jeremy was one of the few acquaintances she had made since arriving in Trento City, and Lawrence was now a stranger to her.

Winnie was pleased and nodded.

Following him to the second floor of the banquet hall, in front of a parlor room, Jeremy suddenly shifted his gaze, stepped aside, and gestured to the room. "Mr. Rodriguez is inside. He wants to see you."

Winnie looked at him coldly. She turned to leave, saying, "Jeremy, you're playing games with me. The esteemed Lawrence has a new girlfriend now, my sister, aren't you aware?"

Jeremy inwardly groaned. Honestly, he too was shocked by what he saw at the event tonight. He couldn't understand why Mr. Rodriguez would choose Winnie's stepsister as his girlfriend. He had watched Winnie and Mr. Rodriguez weather storms together and knew they had parted ways in Lymington. He never expected Mr. Rodriguez to move on so quickly...

The door suddenly opened, and a powerful hand reached out, pulling Winnie inside.

Jeremy sighed and retreated into the shadows.

Inside the room-

Winnie steadied herself and turned to see Lawrence's piercing gaze upon her, his eyes hawk-like for a moment.

She looked down at the red dress on her chest and stepped aside. Her expression turned cold and asked, "What do you want, esteemed Lawrence?"

Lawrence stood in the center of the room, his tall figure imposing, his voice especially cold. "Take off the dress you're wearing and put on that one." He nodded toward a dark green dress on the sofa, a high-necked, floor-length style that looked utterly dowdy.

Winnie stared at him in disbelief. "You're insane. Plus, why should I change? Let me go," she said, reaching to push open the door.

As Lawrence approached, his gaze lingered on her collarbone and waist, while the indecent remarks made by Sean and Mars about her echoed in his mind. The anger surged within him, causing his breath to grow ragged.

His words came out sharp as a blade, "Do I need to spell it out? Your dress is the same color as Ishara's. She's my girlfriend, the lady of tonight's family dinner. I won't allow you to wear the same as her. You're prettier than her, and that makes people gossip about her."

Winnie realized what he had said. At his words, she was momentarily speechless.

Her mind buzzed, her heart still aching. This man's methods of hurting her were advancing at a frightening pace.

Winnie laughed bitterly and said, "I'm also the same gender as her. Does your disapproval mean I should get a sex change, Lawrence?"