Chapter 10 An Argument

Jacob exploded. He grabbed Lola's hand and squeezed it. "What did you just say?"

"I won't repeat myself. There's nothing left to say besides 'Thank You!' Thank you for this contribution to my career advancement!" Lola gave him a sweet smile, but in her heart she was cursing Jacob eight hundred times.

Stupid!

His anger was practically vibrating along his body now, and Jacob had to grit his teeth. "You're pretty eloquent, aren't you? It feels like I'm seeing you with new eyes!"

"Thanks!"

"......"

Jacob and Lola locked in a glaring competition, and some of the guests started to notice that they had a strange atmosphere between them.

Fiona was just breaking free from her agent right then. She had plans to settle accounts with Lola, but she froze in place when she saw that Jacob was standing right next to her target.

"Jacob! What are you doing?" Fiona immediately sprang into action, pouncing on them and tearing them apart. She stood between the two, and glared at Lola. "What is it that you want from him this time? Do you want to..."

Caching herself, Fiona looked around to check before dragging Lola to a corner. As soon as they stopped, Lola pulled her hand away. "Are you two done now? I'll have you know that I have work to take care of. Don't you have better things to do yourselves?"

"Louisa Gu, how dare you say that!"

"Excuse me, Miss Fiona, but you've clearly forgotten. Gu might be your surname, but it isn't mine. When we were children, didn't you use to tell me that I was not a member of the Gu Family? I would appreciate it if you never call me Louisa again. Please address me as Lola Ming."

"Fine, whatever, Miss Lola Ming! Why did you come back to China? And why are you bothering my cousin? Let me remind you that he dumped you two years ago. You can't get back together with him! There's no way!"

This whole exchange was only adding to Lola's distress,

but she tried hard to suppress it.

"Ha ha ha! You're kidding, right? I've only been back for two days and I've been busy with my work. I'm also very curious as to why I keep running into your cousin everywhere I go, even when I'm working. I think you should be saying those things to him, Miss Fiona, not to me."

Fiona was stunned.

"What are you talking about? Are you saying that my cousin especially came to your workplace to see you?" The girl's face had twisted into an ugly expression.

Lola only gave her a small, smug smile. "Your words, not mine."

Mortified and furious, Fiona turned to look at Jacob, who had followed them. "Jacob, just look at her! This shameless girl has been spouting false accusations at you! My cousin doesn't want to see you, Lola. In fact, he hates you the most! I'm sure you're just playing another one of your tricks!"

"Oh you know just who exactly is playing tricks here!" Lola stepped closer to Fiona, her face dark, her tone ominous. "Don't think that no one knows what you did back at the show. I know everything!"

Fiona faltered, feeling a measure of guilt. She made a grab for Jacob's arm out of instinct. "I don't know what you mean! I did nothing. Don't go accusing just anyone! Jacob, did you see? She's bullying me again. She's always been like this, she only puts up the facade of a nice girl! She even pretended to be weak in front of the Gu Family, when she would always bully me behind everyone's backs! She always bullied me."

Lola's jaw dropped in shock. This was downright ridiculous!

Who on earth was putting up fake personalities? Who had always bullied whom in secret?

Lola had always kept it all hidden for the sake of peace within the family, but it didn't mean that Fiona could just alter the truths any time she wanted.

"Fiona, do you want me to point out everything that you have ever done? Because I would gladly sit down and have a talk with you. Jacob would have to come along, too, of course, and listen to our discussion." She cocked her head at Jacob for confirmation. He was taken aback at hearing his name on her lips, but he quickly nodded. "I'm listening."

Lola turned back to Fiona. "You know I never spoke of your actions to anyone in the Gu Family before, so you need to think twice before you go about slandering me. I've never done anything wrong within the Gu Family. Why don't we put aside the past for now? You've been causing me trouble since the day I came back. You wanted me to make a fool of myself in public, didn't you? So you did something despicable behind my back! You might have thought that you've gotten away with it, but I'm not entirely clueless --"

"You're speaking nonsense! I don't know what you're talking about!" Fiona had interrupted Lola, her voice rising with her guilty conscience. "I never did anything to you! Your misfortunes are due to your own bad luck! Who knows, maybe you've managed to offend a number of people..."

"Fiona, who else could have possibly taken offense from my presence besides you? I wasn't even back for a whole day. Only you would have wanted to hurt me."

"That was you, Fiona? You did something to her shoes, didn't you?" Jacob frowned and pondered for a moment before snapping at the girl. "Even if you had a problem with her, you shouldn't have done such a thing!"

"I... Jacob, don't believe anything she says..."

"Stop being an idiot! What good did you get from hurting her? You can't keep playing dirty tricks at your age! Didn't it occur to you that you are a daughter of the Gu Family? You shouldn't have done such a thing!" Fiona had always been a little girl in Jacob's eyes. Although she was only a year younger than Louisa, he had always treated her as a little sister.

"Jacob, are you taking her side? I only did that because she stole my job! And yet you're blaming me... I should have been the star of the finale, not her! She stole the scene! She is nothing more than some internet celebrity to begin with, and yet she just sauntered in acting like some big star! Jacob, she was the one who picked on me first, okay? I'm the one suffering grievances here. Who will comfort me? She's not even that badly injured, there's no need to make a fuss over that incident!"

Fiona obviously did not take the matter seriously. She flashed a tearful look at Jacob, one that had always worked in the past. It almost worked this time as well.

"You see, Jacob? You've just witnessed first-hand how smoothly your little sister lied. At first, I didn't even want to mention it. For the sake of the Gu Family, I can't do anything to her, but she still takes the initiative to come to me? It was all her fault, but I'm the one to take the blame? I'm more popular than you, Fiona, that's why I was the one on that stage. It was all arranged by the event organizers, so if you had a problem then you should have taken it to them. Don't just come after me and make me a target of your devious ploys! I'm warning you now. This is the last time I'm letting you go. If you make the mistake of hurting me again, I will show you no mercy! I don't care if you are part of the illustrious and powerful Gu Family, I will exact your punishment myself!"

Fiona had taken a step back from Lola, frightened by her uncharacteristic outburst. She cowered at Jacob's side. "Why are you acting all arrogant? You're just some celebrity. How can you think of going against the Gu Family?"

"That's enough, Fiona. Stop talking right now." Jacob's tone was scathing. He looked Lola square in the eye. "It's all Fiona's fault. I will take responsibility for her actions."

Lola rolled her eyes. She knew that Jacob loved his cousin dearly, so she had of course expected him to protect the girl.

She turned on her heel and walked out without a word.

Jacob watched her go, feeling an inexplicable irritation grating on him.

Her eyes just now... It had felt like she was mocking him. It made him very uncomfortable.