Lia Aiken handed her glass of water to Ivan, gently saying, "Ivan, why don't you go sit by the cashier? I'll have a talk with her."
Ivan hummed in agreement, got up, and walked away, leaving the glass behind.
Celine Taylor watched Ivan obediently walk away and couldn't help but sarcastically sneer at Lia, "You really have a way with people, making Mr. Horne listen to you in just a short period. Just like your mother, quite the seductress! Bitch!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Lia splashed a cup of water right in her face.
Celine was caught off guard, thoroughly drenched. Her face was covered in water, which dripped down onto her clothes, quickly soaking a large patch, infuriating her enough to want to splash her own cup of water back at Lia.
But Lia was faster, grabbing her cup and throwing it at her face again.
"Lia!"
Celine shouted in anger, drawing everyone's attention.
Ivan, who had just reached the cashier, dashed back with lightning speed, standing by Lia's side, his handsome face tightly tense, his dark eyes shooting cold stares at Celine, as if he would disassemble Celine's hand if she dared harm Lia.
"Call me that name again, and I won't be so polite!" Lia said coldly.
This explained the reason for Celine's furious outburst—Lia had a strained relationship with her stepmother, and if not for her stepmother's provocation and insults, she would not have acted like this.
"You called Lia a bitch?" Ivan asked Celine, his tone icy.
Celine shook her water-soaked clothes, retorting angrily, "So what if I did? She is a bitch, just like her mother. Lia, let me warn you, you are not my husband's daughter. You have no share in the Aiken family property, so the best thing for you is to stay as far away as you can."
"Slap!"
Unlike Lia, who only splashed water at Celine, Ivan directly slapped Celine across the face. All Celine felt was a burning pain, and without needing a mirror, she knew her face was turning red at an observable speed.
"Mr. Horne, you..."
Celine clutched her slapped face, staring at Ivan in shock, unable to believe he would actually slap her in front of so many people. Hadn't he heard that a gentleman uses words, not fists? Ivan had forsaken gentlemanly conduct for Lia.
"If I hear you call Lia a 'bitch' again, I won't hesitate to hit you. Don't think I won't hit women; I just don't hit my woman." Ivan said coldly, "I can't bear to even raise my voice at Lia, so how dare you insult her? Moreover, the Aiken family's assets are not Tom Aiken's alone; they were left by his parents. Tom Aiken merely took over the Aiken Group back then. His parents, although they gave him the majority of the shares, also granted his brother inheritance rights, owning part of the shares. Regardless of whose daughter Lia is, she is an Aiken, and she has inheritance rights!"
Celine's words had thoroughly angered Ivan. Anything that belonged to Lia, he would make sure to claim back for her, and double it, just to anger Celine further!
"You..."
"What about me? Do you know the law? Am I right or not? You can consult a lawyer. If you want a legal battle, we'll see it through to the end. Now, please leave immediately, or I'll throw you out, and it'll be your embarrassment."
Ivan rarely lost his temper. If not for Celine repeatedly insulting Lia, he wouldn't be angry.
Lia's mother's disgraceful reputation was a sore point in her heart. Ivan had been by her side, helping her lighten her mood these past few days, only for Celine to come and insult Lia, mentioning her mother. Wasn't she asking for trouble?
Under everyone's scrutinizing eyes, Celine was intimidated by Ivan, glared at Lia fiercely one final time, covered her slapped face, and ran away.
She needed to ask Tom Aiken if what Ivan said was true.
Wasn't the Aiken Group entirely Tom Aiken's? Then Lia could inherit the Aiken family's property? Her brother-in-law, whom she had never even met, had been managing the Aiken assets for so many years, and if his brother still had shares, wouldn't Tom Aiken be at a huge disadvantage?
After all, Tom worked so many years for the Aiken Group. Although the group wasn't as prosperous as it used to be, Tom had still invested a lot of effort.
Celine couldn't tolerate the thought of her brother-in-law still having a share in the Aiken Group.
Lia gently held Ivan's hand, stroked his palm softly, and asked, "Does your hand hurt? You didn't have to be so harsh. I've already taught her a lesson, and that was embarrassing enough for her since she cares a lot about her reputation."
"If I didn't teach her a harsh lesson, she wouldn't learn that trouble comes from the mouth. You're the person I cherish most, and whoever dares call you a bitch, I'll hit them." Ivan had no regrets about being rough with Celine.
In any case, he wouldn't allow anyone to insult Lia as being cheap.
Lia looked at him tenderly.
Ivan softened his gaze, "My palm doesn't hurt, not at all. It was just one hit; if I hit a few more times, maybe it'd hurt. But if you'd blow on it for me, I wouldn't mind."
Everyone: Mr. Horne, please be mindful, there are too many spectators; don't flaunt your romance like this.
Lia's cheeks flushed, she glared at him playfully, whispering, "There are so many people around."
Ivan immediately glanced at everyone, and they quickly turned to look at the paintings, pretending to be engrossed.
"They're captivated by your paintings and won't look over here. Lia, blow on it for me, a kiss would be even better." Ivan leaned his face toward Lia, hoping she'd give him a kiss as a reward for standing up for her.
Lia couldn't help but laugh, "Is it your hand that hurts, or your face?"
"My hand hurts. If you kiss my face, my hand will stop hurting."
Lia: …
She let go of his hand and turned to walk away, neither blowing on his hand nor kissing his face.
Ivan watched her back tenderly, smiling to himself, thinking that he'd properly seek his reward once the gallery closed tonight.
Everyone felt like this Ivan wasn't the same Ivan they knew. Before, he appeared gentle but wasn't truly gentle. The warmth and indulgence he was displaying now were genuine.
Lia was indeed a lucky woman to have truly won Ivan's heart.
Meanwhile, Celine stormed back home.
Violet Aiken was sitting on the sofa in the living room, playing with her phone. Seeing her mother return, she looked up, intending to ask if her mother had properly warned Lia, only to see her mother with one swollen cheek and clothes soaked, looking a bit disheveled.
Having grown up, this was the first time Violet had seen her mother in such a state. She put her phone casually on the sofa, got up to meet her, exclaiming in shock, "Mom, who hit you? Who had the audacity to hit my mom? Tell Dad, and let Dad get justice for you!"
