Chapter 21
Then he turned to Mitch. “I’m sorry, Mr. Fuentes. Aline used to work at my company until recently. She’s not some drone expert-just a regular employee, nothing more.”
He was clearly trying to distance himself from her-especially after the incident at the restaurant where she had, albeit playfully, pointed a toy gun at Mitch’s head.
But his comments also served another purpose: both Wonder Tech and his own company were angling for an invest- ment from the Fuentes family. By undermining Aline’s credentials, he was trying to cast doubt on Wonder Tech’s le- gitimacy and eliminate the competition.
Aline stared at him, her expression ice-cold. After three years of marriage and everything she’d done for his company, all she got was “just a regular employee”?
“Is that so?” Mitch replied mildly, his face giving nothing away.
At that moment, Joyce stepped in. “Ms. Nunez, I know you and Aline are friends, and you want to help her leave a good impression. But there’s really no need to exaggerate her background.”
“Exaggerate?” Clarice snapped. “When Aline was developing drone systems, you were probably still playing with toy planes.”
“Oh really?” Joyce raised an eyebrow. “So where are her patents? Any major projects she can publicly claim?”
Clarice opened her mouth but hesitated. Aline’s work had been military-grade-classified under national defense regu- lations. None of it could be disclosed.
“No answer?” Joyce said smugly. “If you’re going to make things up, at least pick a better setting.”
A few people nearby-those aligned with the Dunn family-chuckled under their breath.
Clarice was furious, but before she could respond, Aline spoke calmly and clearly. “Whether it’s made up or not… time will tell.”
“You can talk tough all you want,” Joyce sneered. “But sooner or later, it’ll come back to bite you.
”
Just then, someone led over a striking black stallion-its coat a deep, glossy jet-black, with four pristine white socks at its hooves.
“Mr. Fuentes,” Randal said, eager to impress, “this horse is a gift from the Dunn family. It’s got spirit, but it’s already been professionally trained. If you’re interested, would you like to take it for a ride?”
Mitch glanced at the horse, expression indifferent. He didn’t move a muscle, clearly not planning to ride it.
Awkward silence followed.
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11:29
“How about I give it a try for Mr. Fuentes?” Joyce offered with a bright smile, clearly angling to show off.
If Aline could leave an impression by making a scene at the restaurant, then so could she-only with elegance and flair.
Randal jumped in right away. “Perfect! Let Joyce take it for a few laps. She’s certified by an international equestrian academy-her riding skills are excellent.”
Seeing that Mitch didn’t object, Joyce swung herself confidently into the saddle. With a quick squeeze of her legs, the horse took off, galloping across the field.
People connected to the Dunn family clapped and cheered from the sidelines.
“As expected from Ms. Dunn-she can fly planes and ride like a pro.”
“Her technique is good enough for competition.”
“She’s got that heroic, commanding presence-like a wartime heroine.”
Clarice leaned toward Aline and muttered, “Ugh, what a load of crap. Heroine? Please. Joyce’s just a show pony with a couple of party tricks.”
She knew what true strength looked like-she’d seen Aline on horseback during military drills. Joyce didn’t even come close.
Apparently, Clayton had overheard and walked over. “Joyce is the real deal-confident, independent, and unafraid to be herself. Unlike some people who spend all their energy tearing others down. Aline, maybe instead of having your friend mock her, you should focus on improving yourself.”
Aline looked him square in the eye. “A truly independent woman doesn’t sneak around with someone else’s husband.”
Clayton’s face hardened, but with so many people around, he had no choice but to swallow his anger.
Meanwhile, Joyce, thinking she’d put on enough of a performance, turned the horse back toward the crowd.
