Chapter 245: Is She a Deity Idol?

By the pool, anyone familiar with Clifford could tell he was deliberately stirring up trouble. He intently watched Zendaya, expecting her to be heartbroken and upset at seeing him with another woman. He anticipated she would regret her actions, realizing he responded to persuasion, not coercion. If Zendaya relented, he’d offer her a chance to return; if she behaved well, he might even indulge her affections and make her his girlfriend.

During that time, Zendaya’s absence felt like a terrible nightmare he was reliving. He needed to teach her a lesson. However, the anticipated drama didn't unfold. Zendaya merely glanced his way, looking startled, then slightly frowning. A faint twitch at the corner of her mouth was barely perceptible.

As a service staff member, her polite apology—"My apologies, sir, for the interruption"—was interpreted as an act of aggrieved desperation, a pitiful attempt to salvage her dignity.

Clifford lifted his chin, a mix of annoyance and satisfaction evident. Millie's expression hardened, her gaze fixed on Zendaya. "Call your manager," she demanded. "This unprofessional staff member should be fired."

Zendaya was flabbergasted, silently cursing her luck. Unable to risk her friend's job, she frantically searched for a solution.

Roland was about to intervene, unable to stand the bullying, when Isabelle spoke. "Oh dear, I was just so happy to see my fan, so I chatted with her. Why are you criticizing and threatening to fire her? Are you trying to humiliate me? I see what's happening; we're not welcome here, so why did you invite us?" Isabelle, rarely serious, stood up for her fan.

Clifford and Millie were stunned. They were from the same social circle; who would risk a conflict over a lowly employee unless they were enemies? Was Isabelle insane? Zendaya, too, was surprised; Isabelle was their friend.

Zendaya's manager arrived, his fearful expression revealing his unwillingness to offend the wealthy young people. He seemed prepared to sacrifice Zendaya.

Even if I hadn't spoken to Zendaya, that idiot Clifford would still have used this opportunity to play out his twisted game of bittersweet love due to Zendaya's defiance. It's despicable that his actions jeopardized an ordinary worker's job. I need a solution.

Before Zendaya's manager could apologize, Alexander suddenly addressed Zendaya: "This service staff has done a good job. Can she be assigned to personally attend to my wife and me tonight?"

Alexander's tone, though seemingly a question, brooked no argument. The manager, aware of Alexander's identity, immediately changed his demeanor, assuring Alexander it was no problem. He quickly instructed Zendaya to treat the distinguished guests with utmost care. Isabelle was overjoyed. "Wow, Alexander understands me! He's so handsome!" Alexander smiled faintly.

The onlookers were dumbfounded. They expected drama between Clifford, Millie, and Zendaya, but Alexander and Isabelle intervened. Millie, whose family's status was slightly lower, remained silent. Clifford, unable to challenge Alexander, watched with annoyance.

Zendaya gazed at Isabelle and Alexander with gratitude. Who understands how I feel? I was being bullied, and my idol stood up for me. Even my idol's husband defended me. Just who exactly is this deity idol I'm a fan of?

Zendaya served Alexander and Isabelle. Clifford glared, assuming Zendaya was pretending indifference. "What are you doing?" he asked, displeased.

"Taking care of my fan," Isabelle replied, smiling.

Millie, with malice, addressed Isabelle: "Mrs. Quirk, I believe you've been deceived. Her sudden appearance is too coincidental. Perhaps she's intentionally seeking Mr. Clifford. Be careful not to be exploited by this scheming social climber. She might be posing as your fan to get you to help her get back into Mr. Clifford's life."

Zendaya was thunderstruck. Millie, expecting feigned indignation or panic, was baffled by Zendaya's reaction.

Zendaya felt incredibly frustrated. She wanted to retort but feared offending the wealthy young people, yet also worried about Isabelle's misunderstanding. Instead, she saw Isabelle suppressing laughter. "So, you're saying she found out Clifford would be here and deliberately arranged to be here to appear before him?"

Millie looked confident. Others shared her belief. Oh my goodness, why does Clifford also have that look on his face? Is he so narcissistic that he completely forgot the one who meticulously planned all of this behind the scenes? Hold on. He seems to think that Zendaya, being a service staff here, would surely know he was the host. Why else would she show up if she didn't want to see him? Hence, his confidence that she must've secretly wanted to see him. Um is it possible that she just took on a full shift without needing to know the identity of the guests?

Isabelle, struggling to contain her laughter, said, "But weren't we only urgently notified to attend this evening's party at noon?"

Silence fell. Ignoring Clifford's frozen expression, Isabelle asked Zendaya, "When did you start working?"

"Eight in the morning," Zendaya replied, understanding Isabelle's strategy.

Isabelle shrugged, sincerely addressing Millie. "It seems you've misunderstood, Millie. Her being here is truly a coincidence!"

Everyone knew it was more than a coincidence; Clifford likely planned the party after learning Zendaya worked there. They didn't think he was saving face, but assumed the "rebound" upset him, prompting his provocative behavior. Millie's face fell, but she refused to believe Zendaya didn't intend to get close to Clifford. A thought struck her.

With a cold smirk, she said, "Mrs. Quirk, I was merely offering a friendly reminder. Her appearance is quite telling. Why don't we just ask her directly whether she wants to return to Mr. Clifford's side or not?" 1.7K