apter 44
Chapter 44
Clara was slumped in a chair inside the tent, her leg stretched out straight because of the swelling—it just wouldn’t bend. She needed to get back to the guesthouse pronto to slap some ointment on it.
As she listened to the liaison, her fingers brushed over her wound. There was still a pesky little pebble stuck in her knee. Its sharp edges made her squirm. She was looking pretty pale, having been drenched in rain all night, and now she had a slight fever.
The liaison avoided looking her in the eye. Clara knew all too well that this person was in cahoots with the fruit. supplier.
She had over two thousand orders on the line. If they all got canceled, the fallout wouldn’t just hit her–it’d ripple through the whole streaming company, which was a part of the Ferguson Corporation. Inevitably, it would end up affecting Ferguson Corporation itself, and all the chaos would land right at her feet.
Quinn had played a nasty game, cutting off Clara’s ces like that. No wonder she was so chill in the live stream earlier, despite the awkwardness–she had her escape plan all mapped out.
Quinn was flashing her cash to outdo Clara, and Clara knew she couldn’t win in a money fight; she’d crash and
burn.
Clara took a deep breath and faced the liaison.m“Is this what everyone agreed on?”
The liaison nodded, apologizing again, “Miss Clara, I’m really sorry, but folks are just trying to get by, and they care more about the money they have. Miss Quinn is super generous and talks so sweetly. It’s hard not to like her. Last night, everyone decided to only work with her stream. Not telling you was Miss Quinn’s call, not ours.”
With Quinn backing them, the liaison seemed to have found their voice and was speaking with newfound bluntness.
Addison was fuming. When they needed something, they were all humble, but now? They just brushed her and Clara off. Did the farmers not realize the powerhouse behind them was
“You guys!” She was about to let loose when Clara caught her wrist.
son Corporation?
Addison’s cheeks were flushed with rage. “Clara, why are you so calm? We’ve got over a thousand orders stuck. Aren’t you worried about the fallout? Do you know how bad the backlash will be?”
The whole mess would probably blow up online, trashing her reputation. Clara’s reputation in the Capital was already in the mud. If the whole country turned against her, no one would come to her rescue.
Clara shook her head. Picking a fight with the liaison wasn’t going to fix things. “Addison, let’s just head back to the guesthouse.”
Addison’s eyes were red, tears threatening to spill, but she held it together. “Alright, let’s get your wound sorted first.”
Clara got up, limping her way to the car outside.
The liaison couldn’t help but throw in one last jab. “Miss Clara, this might sting, but Miss Quinn really does seem more competent. I even saw your brother tipping her on the stream. He didn’t even check yours out. Aren’t you two siblings? It sure doesn’t look like it. Must’ve been some nasty stuff going on at home, huh?”
Clara halted and turned to face the liaison, whose eyes were filled with admiration for Quinn. Quinn’s innocent appearance was naturally deceptive, and her pitiful demeanor when she spoke made it tough for people not to fall for her.
Chapter 45
