Chapter 99

She couldn't contain the bitterness in her heart. Darcy tugged at his arm slightly and said, "Mr. Rodriguez, Ms. Winnie is here too."

Mr. Rodriguez visibly tensed, his gaze cold and abruptly fixated on the woman. His eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a trace of surprise. Despite the grandeur of the banquet, she hadn't adorned herself in an extravagant manner. Instead, she wore a simple black V-neck evening dress, eschewing high heels.

Her silky, glossy hair cascaded down, giving her an ethereal appearance reminiscent of an elf or a beautiful mermaid. Her fair skin glowed with a subtle blush on her cheeks, possibly from makeup.

Since she had arrived, many of the male guests present had directed their attention toward her. His face quickly turned icy at the thought of this.

After many days apart, the face of the woman reflected in his eyes appeared slightly thinner. Taylor had mentioned she hadn't been eating properly.

Witnessing him stare at Winnie in a trance, Darcy clenched her hand.

"Mr. Rodriguez, is Ms. Winnie here to find you? I'll go and check on her," Darcy said worriedly, blinking her eyes at him as she tried to indicate that she wanted to find out on his behalf.

Her thoughtfulness made Mr. Rodriguez feel satisfied with her suggestion.

Darcy hurried over to Winnie, her expression filled with concern. "Ms. Winnie, I'm glad you're here. I would've been worried about you and Mr. Rodriguez if you hadn't shown up."

Winnie observed Darcy's feigned worry, detecting a glimmer of satisfaction lurking in her eyes, which didn't escape her notice.

Darcy approached even closer and continued, "Don't worry, Mr. Rodriguez has been working with me these past few days. That night, when he was drunk, I took care of him all night. There was no other woman involved."

Darcy smiled playfully, her eyes shining.

Winnie could still detect the hostility in her tone. She had finally torn off her harmless disguise and provocatively started to challenge her.

Winnie glanced at the cold and ruthless man in the distance. She wouldn't fall for it. Darcy was trying to provoke her but she wouldn't take the bait.

Winnie squinted and gave a cold smile. "With you taking care of him, I feel relieved. After all, Mr. Rodriguez himself said to me that I shouldn't be jealous of anyone especially you. If I were to think about it, he treats you like a sister, right? Besides, even though you've only been looking after him for a day, I'm here for a lifetime. The time we spend in love is countless."

Darcy's jaw tensed slightly but she maintained her composed smile. "That's great then, Ms. Winnie. If you like, should I take you to meet him?"

It appeared as if Darcy's offer was well-intentioned, but the choice of words, particularly "take you to meet," carried subtle implications. Winnie gazed at Darcy, and within her, a cold smile formed. "If we want to meet, we can arrange it without bothering you."

Winnie's response was a firm rejection, and she made her stance clear. Darcy, hearing this, left with a smile, her hand slightly clenched. Despite her cunning tactics, Winnie never succumbed to provocation. If Darcy had refrained from such provocations, the evening with Mr. Rodriguez might not have been as challenging.

Nonetheless, Darcy walked back to Mr. Rodriguez and immediately said, "Mr. Rodriguez, she still looks angry and doesn't want to talk to me. Why don't you go and appease her?"

As soon as he heard this, he stared at the woman's desolate face, his complexion turning cold and sneered. "Am I crazy? I want nothing to do with that fickle woman."

The man had been proud and cold. His nobility elevated his self-esteem to an extreme level, and his possessiveness was overwhelming. He could never tolerate her flirting with other men and lying to him.

Darcy felt delighted and glanced at Eva, signaling her with her eyes. Eva immediately hid among the crowd.

Eva was already on her way to Mr. Rodriguez and also noticed Winnie. In this moment, Darcy whispered, "Eva, when I agreed to be Mr. Rodriguez's companion, my intention was to look after him and offer you a chance. However, I didn't anticipate Ms. Winnie joining as well. Mr. Rodriguez's heart is entirely devoted to her, so I am letting you know now for your own benefit."

Eva clenched her fists. She had finally waited for an occasion where Mr. Rodriguez agreed to attend but this Winnie was just too obstructive.

"I'll see how I can make her miserable." Eva coldly rushed out, summoning her friends. Darcy crossed her arms and watched. Winnie wasn't falling for her tricks but Eva had no limits and was charging at her recklessly.

Winnie was in a quiet corner, thinking about whether she should go up and talk to him. Olivia told her not to play hard to get so she planned to soften up a bit.

Suddenly, someone pushed her from behind causing the juice in her hand to spill on the skirt of an elegant lady who was standing beside her.

"Oops! Who spilled on me?" The refined woman turned around abruptly. Winnie was pushed and couldn't maintain her balance, accidentally colliding with the elegant lady again.

"What are you doing? Are you deliberately trying to stir up trouble? Oh, you're Winnie Anderson from the notorious Anderson family." The sophisticated woman turned disdainfully, recognizing Winnie almost instantly.

Winnie apologized profusely. "I'm sorry, someone pushed me from behind."

She immediately turned her head to look and as soon as she saw Eva, she understood. Her eyes darkened.

"Ms. Winnie, are you intentionally trying to make Mrs. Taylor to leave because you want to get close to her husband, Mr. Taylor?" said a debutante standing next to Eva whom Winnie recognized as Ms. Turner.

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Taylor shot Winnie an immediate and fierce glare. Mr. Taylor attempted to pull his wife back, but his efforts were futile. Mrs. Taylor staunchly believed in the previous scandal that framed Winnie. Jealousy was a common trait in women, and Winnie's beauty posed a perceived threat to any woman's husband.

Mrs. Taylor became furious and shoved Winnie in the chest. "Do you still want to seduce my husband? Oh, the nerve!" Mrs. Taylor raised her voice.

"There are countless stores owned by the Taylor Group. I heard that you now come to Eternity Jewelry Co. Ltd. What's this, you want to use your looks for cooperation? Shameless! Call someone, how did this fallen debutante get in here? Kick her out."

Upon hearing this, Eva laughed and stepped forward. "Ms. Winnie, I can understand if you want to discuss business but it's quite unethical to keep eyeing someone's husband. After all, you are the manager of Triton. You should leave quickly and stop embarrassing yourself."

During the previous encounter in the private room, Eva vividly remembered how Winnie had humiliated her. Mr. Rodriguez's protective stance toward Winnie only fueled her jealousy even further.

Winnie sneered and looked at Mr. Rodriguez instinctively. He had noticed the commotion that was happening but he coldly ignored her and instead conversed with the people beside him.

Winnie felt wronged and turned her head, casting a cold glance at Eva. A passing waiter caught her eye, and without uttering a word, she seized multiple glasses of alcohol. In quick succession, she splashed Mrs. Taylor, Eva, and Ms. Turner, soaking their evening gowns.

Immediately, the room fell into silence, soon disrupted by Eva's piercing screams. "Winnie! Are you out of your mind? How dare you splash all of us!"

Winnie smiled, her eyes filled with a dangerous sense of recklessness. "Yes, I have gone mad. Haven't you heard the rumors? I suffered from a mental trauma after being kidnapped. Besides having good judgment in business, I am indeed not good at being a person especially when dealing with provocations from bitches. I won't admit defeat."

As she spoke, Winnie reached out and pulled Eva's hair. Eva was dumbfounded, her strapless evening gown hindering her movements, risking a potential trip and fall.

At that moment, Darcy observed from a distance, catching the conversation clearly. Winnie tearing into Eva appeared like a spectacle for the onlookers.

Eva was her ally, and Winnie undoubtedly knew that, yet she was attacking her. Darcy's lips pressed into a cold smirk.

However, as she observed, Mrs. Taylor and Ms. Turner were getting involved as well. One of them has grabbed Winnie's hair and at this point the whole spectacle was on the verge of escalating into a brawl. Winnie icily gazed at Mr. Rodriguez, who abruptly looked away. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a wave of strength appeared at her side. A sophisticated hand came to her rescue, and Rock inquired in a hushed tone, "What is all this? Ms. Winnie, are you alright?"

Rock immediately shielded her behind him.