Chapter 63: Chapter 63 - Cold Authority
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Mabel Sean’s face turned icy cold. Her powerful presence visibly intimidated Nola O’Connor, who despite her typically fearless demeanor, found herself momentarily speechless.
"I... I said, what does this have to do with you?!" Nola finally managed to stutter out, clinging to her defiance.
Mabel fixed Nola with a glacial stare. "You said he is lowly?"
"That’s right, he is lowly!" Nola snorted.
The sound of a slap echoed through the room before Nola could even register what happened. A clear red handprint bloomed on her cheek.
Mabel Sean had slapped her across the face!
Nola covered her burning cheek, momentarily stunned. Nobody had ever struck her like this before.
"You...you dared to hit me?" Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"If you dare to talk nonsense again," Mabel replied coldly, "I will tear your mouth apart so that you will never be able to speak again."
"You... I’ll fight you!" Nola lunged toward Mabel, rage fueling her movements.
Unfortunately for her, Mabel’s hand moved with lightning speed, landing another stinging slap before Nola could even raise her own arm properly. Two bright red marks now adorned her face, and tears welled in her eyes.
"You’re done for, I won’t let you go!" Nola gritted through clenched teeth. She turned to the man beside her. "Luka, quickly call your friend out and kick them out!"
Luka Winston coughed awkwardly before stiffly stepping forward.
"How could you hit someone? The owner of this place is my friend!" he declared, trying to maintain his arrogance.
I stepped forward with a smile. "Miss Sean, I’ll handle this person."
Mabel nodded her agreement without protest.
The moment I addressed her as "Miss Sean," fear flashed across Luka’s face. He visibly trembled.
I could practically see the thoughts racing through his mind. There weren’t many Taylors in River City, and combined with her commanding presence and the fact that she stood beside me... Could she be Mabel Sean from Capital City?
The realization transformed Luka’s expression dramatically.
"Oh my, it’s all a misunderstanding, Mason," he said with a forced smile. "Nola is in the wrong, I’ll definitely teach her a lesson!"
I froze in surprise. How had the previously arrogant Luka changed his attitude so completely in mere seconds?
"Luka, what are you talking about!" Nola shouted angrily.
As Luka dragged Nola away, he kept apologizing, "I’m sorry, I’m sorry, we will leave now..."
After they left, Nola demanded furiously, "What the hell do you mean! That woman hit me twice, and you apologized to them?"
Luka, barely containing his anger, replied, "Do you know who that woman is? If you provoke her, your O’Connor family is done for!"
"Whoever she is, she hit me and she’ll have to pay the price!" Nola vowed viciously.
Luka waved his hand impatiently. "If you want to die, go die yourself, don’t damn well drag me down with you!"
With that, he walked away from her.
Back at the party, Mabel and I sat down together.
"Do you want to dance together?" Mabel asked with a smile.
I quickly shook my head. "No, no, no, I can’t dance and I don’t like it either."
Mabel didn’t push the matter. "Alright then, I’ll introduce you to a friend later."
About ten minutes later, a man in a suit rushed over to our table, perspiration dotting his forehead.
"Miss Sean, I’m really sorry for the delay, something came up at home," he explained while wiping sweat from his brow.
Mabel smiled graciously. "Mr. Schultz, there’s no need to be so polite, please have a seat."
The man quickly nodded and sat down.
"Let me introduce you," Mabel continued. "This is Jack Schultz, the manager of Chuzzle Bank." She then turned to me. "This is Mason Raymond."
Jack immediately stood up again and shook my hand enthusiastically.
"Mr. Raymond has quite a reputation recently; your name is well-known even in Chuzzle," he said with a polite smile.
I knew he was just being courteous, so I responded in kind. "You’re too kind, Mr. Schultz."
"Mr. Schultz, how is your wife?" Mabel suddenly inquired.
Jack sighed heavily. "The situation doesn’t look promising. I just invited a famous foreign doctor, which is why I was delayed."
Mabel smiled and glanced in my direction. "As it happens, Mr. Raymond is a doctor, he might be able to help you."
Jack looked at me with feigned surprise. "Is Mr. Raymond a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner?"
"Um... I guess so." In truth, I wasn’t even sure how to classify my medical practice.
"Then, I’ll have to trouble Mr. Raymond," Jack said with a smile.
"Mason, Mr. Schultz has entrusted his wife’s care to you; you can’t let him down." Mabel winked at me.
I nodded and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Chuzzle Bank was the largest financial institution in Chuzzle, and almost all business loans required their approval.
I understood Mabel Sean’s intentions perfectly. She was clearly paving the way for me. By connecting me with the bank manager, she was opening doors that might otherwise remain closed.
