Chapter 20

Again

"What the hell is wrong with you? You don't get to disrespect our leader like that!" Arabella snapped,her cheeks blazing with fake anger.

Trace let out a filthy chuckle. "You think Lailah's a big deal? l've lost track of how often she's warmed my bed."

Arabella's stomach turned. "So that's how it is,"she muttered. "She slept her way there."

"What was that?" Trace murmured, his eyes gleaming with sick desire as he staggered toward Arabella. But she didn't flinch. With an icy glare,she drove her foot into his gut, sending him slamming into the stairwell door with a loud thud.

"You disgusting creep," she hissed. "Touch me again, and I swear you'll regret it."

The jolt of pain snapped Trace out of his drunken haze, but her words only made him angrier."You bitch," he barked. "You think you can talk to me like that? I'm the one footing the bill for your precious troupe!"

Arabella didn't blink. "Then we're done. Don't ever come near us again."

"You... you ungrateful cunt!" Trace shouted,trembling with fury. But with his weight and the liquor clouding his system, all he could do was stay slumped on the floor. Arabella didn't even glance back as she walked away, calm and composed. Gritting his teeth, Trace scrambled for his phone, punching in a number with shaky fingers.

Once the call ended, a sick grin spread across Trace's face.

In his mind, it was only a matter of time before Arabella crawling back, begging for mercy.

Suddenly, a hand clamped down on his arm and yanked him upright with zero effort. He blinked,disoriented."Who the hell are you?" he slurred.

"Did I just catch the name Daisy Stanley?"Dominick asked, flashing him a laid-back smile.

Trace narrowed his eyes. "You know her or something?"

"Sounds like she's the one who kicked your ass,"he replied, half amused.

He remembered Daisy was still in the hospital, so

that meant Arabella did the damage.

Trace scratched his temple, baffled by how casually this stranger had appeared and now walked off.

Dominick had just been out for dinner with some friends. He hadn't expected this but figured it wouldn't hurt to give Asher a heads-up.

Then again, he doubted if his boss would even care enough to respond.

Given that Trace looked pathetic and didn't harm Arabella, he doubted Asher would bother to avenge her.

After all, Asher was only watching over Arabella because his father told him to.

Dominick shrugged, tossed his phone back on the table, and dug into his food.

But just as he took another bite, the phone rang.

Inside the private dining room, the atmosphere crackled with excitement.

Lailah leaned back with a smug grin, fully convinced that Trace had already had his way with Arabella and probably had some photos to

back it up.

The thought of wiping out that annoying thorn in her side lifted her mood instantly. But then,Jeffrey Barlow's phone rang. The agent's expression shifted as he listened, his face slowly losing all color. "Wait... what? Are you serious?How did that even happen?"

The whole room froze. All eyes locked on him.

Jeffrey wasn't one to lose his cool. If he looked rattled, it had to be huge.

He ended the call with a death grip on his phone."Our funding just got pulled. Mr. Burke's done.He's not investing another dime."

The mood flipped. Every face in the room turned pale.

"What the hell is going on? Wasn't he always backing us? He's invested so many times!"

"We do so much charity work. We've got a clean name. Are we supposed to charge now and throw that all away?"

Even Lailah looked shaken. "Hang on-wasn't Daisy the last one with him?" she blurted.

And as if on cue, Arabella walked back in like nothing had happened.

Lailah's eyes narrowed to slits. "Daisy, what the hell did you do? Mr. Burke just bailed on us! I told you he was our main backer-are you trying to ruin everything?"

Jeffrey looked furious as he snapped at Arabella."You're part of this troupe,yet you act like some reckless outsider!"

Lailah turned stone cold. "If you're this ungrateful,then leave. We don't need chaos dressed in sequins."

Elissa sighed and shook her head. "Daisy...you've really gone too far. Just go before this turns uglier."

The room split-many glared at Arabella, but a few knew deep down that Trace was the real problem.

Karlie mumbled quietly, "It doesn't make sense. If Mr. Burke really wanted to support us, why'd he pull out so fast?"

Lailah overheard and fired back sharply, "You backup dancers really don't get how this troupe works, do you? We're the ones grinding every day for that funding. Who do you think covers your paycheck and pays for those fancy outfits?"

"Can't you fill-ins care just once?" another dancer

snapped,rolling her eyes.

Tension thickened across the room

phone buzzed again.

He answered, and his face changed completely

"Vanguard Group? Are you serious?"