Chapter 10

A heavy silence swept over the room as every eye dropped to Jonny's lower body.

Who could have guessed that the mighty Todd Group's CEO would get exposed for bedroom troubles in front of everyone?

A stifled laugh slipped from Ryland before he could help himseIf. "Sorry. That just caught me off guard."

Rage twisted Jonny's features as he clenched his teeth so hard it looked painful. If he had ever imagined Eleanor would humiliate him like this, he would have dealt with her differently from the start.

Once the recording ended, Eleanor slipped her phone back into her pocket. "I trust this clears up the whole antique fiasco. I had nothing to do with it."

Nolan's lips twitched with clear approval. "No question about it."

Ryland chimed in, summing it up with a cheerful tone. "So, Miss Todd was the one who broke the vase. I guess that means Mr. Todd will have to foot the bill for the whole 1.5 billion."

Jonny opened his mouth to protest, but the evidence -and the numbers-were ironclad. There was nothing left to say.

1.5 billion. A price tag like that was enough to make Todd Group's bottom line bleed.

Dread pounded in Jonny's head as he pictured the fallout.

With a polite sweep of his arm, Ryland turned to the crowd. "Well, the matter's settled. No need to hang around here. Go enjoy the rest of the exhibition."

That was all it took for everyone to scatter,grateful for the excuse to leave the tension behind.

Nolan headed toward Eleanor, his gaze sharpening as he noticed a thin smear of blood on her ankle. "Miss Warren, you're bleeding. Don't you think you should look after that?"

Eleanor glanced down and spotted the crimson streak.

She realized it must have been a stray shard from the shattered vase.

The wound wasn't serious, but the blood made it look worse than it was.

"Thanks for pointing it out, Mr. Stewart.I'll handle it soon," she responded.

"There's a first aid kit in the VIP lounge," Nolan offered. "Feel free to use whatever you need."

"Thank you. I appreciateit,"Eleanor said, her tone calm but sincere.

Summer heat always brought worries about infections, especially with an open cut.

Eleanor never liked making a scene. She gave a quick nod and turned to make her way to the VIP lounge. The moment she tried to walk, her knees wobbled,and she lurched forward unexpectedly.

Jonny started to reach out, but someone else was faster.

Nolan's hand shot out, steadying her before she could fall. Noticing the fresh blood staining her ankle,he didn't hesitate-he simply scooped her up in his arms.

His hold was close and unashamed, drawing a low whistle from Ryland.

Nolan pulled something like this right in front of Eleanor's ex-husband-typical of his bold style!

Surprised, Eleanor struggled in his grasp. "Mr.Stewart,please let me down."

"Miss Warren, with an injury like that, walking's out of the question. Besides, no one wants blood spoiling a day like this for Mr. Gill-he's superstitious enough as it is."

Collectors could be a quirky bunch; a drop of blood on a lucky day might send them spiraling.

Giving in,Eleanor stopped protesting and allowed herself to be carried toward the lounge.

Ryland took the cue and wandered off to handle the cleanup, not wanting to intrude.

Meanwhile, Jonny glared daggers at Nolan's retreating back, jealousy boiling in his eyes.

Emma, not letting up, leaned in and hissed. "Since when did that shameless witch get so close to Mr.Stewart?"

Her bitterness flared. "Mom always said Eleanor was a gold-digger. Now that she's out of our family, she's already leeching onto someone new."

A sudden, sharp slap rang out.

Stunned, Emma reeled, holding her cheek with wide eyes.

"Jonny, did you seriously just hit me?" she gasped,disbelief etched across her face. "You really slapped me just to defend that shameless bitch?"