Chapter 23

Devin eyed the buzzing phone. "Aren't you going to answer that, Mr. Brady?"

"Nope," Trevon said, switching off his phone. "Just ignore it. That girl's a handful, but maybe my dear wife can deal with her." He chuckled, amused by the mental image of Selina clashing with her. "That must be a spectacle."

A grin spread across Trevon's face, and Devin smiled too. He couldn't remember the last time Trevon had been so cheerful. Selina truly seemed to be Trevon's good luck charm; her presence had brightened his life in ways Devin hadn't seen before.

The next day, after waving goodbye to Trevon, Selina hopped into the Bugatti Veyron he'd given her and sped to the airport. She met Lyslia, and soon Malcolm swaggered over, his suitcase in tow. "Malcolm!" Selina exclaimed, running to hug him, her excitement palpable.

"It's been a long time, Selina," Malcolm said, his irritation melting away as he embraced her.

Lydia had scoped out a restaurant for dinner, and they made small talk on the way. Selina gave Malcolm a rundown of the case and decided to hand it off to him.

"This is a piece of cake," Malcolm declared, slicing into his steak. "We've got this. No one messes with Selina without paying the price!"

"Count me in," Lyslia added. "Malcolm, I can't wait to see Manuel squirm in court." Anyone who went after Selina was an enemy, and enemies deserved to pay dearly.

Seeing her friends' solidarity, Selina was momentarily speechless. It had been ages since she'd felt such staunch support—the camaraderie she'd craved, a stark contrast to the coldness of the Harvey residence.

Just as Selina was about to leave for the restroom, several people approached. Recognizing her, they looked shocked. "Selina? Is that you?!"

Of all places, Selina hadn't expected to encounter Quinton and Sara here. The man with them—dressed in his thirties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and carrying a briefcase—added to the surprise. The world was indeed small.

Selina's gaze flickered over Quinton and Sara. Without acknowledging them, she turned to leave.

"Selina! Don't you dare walk away from me!" Quinton's low growl went unnoticed. He stepped in front of her. "You disrespectful child, how dare you ignore your father like that!"

Selina finally glanced at him, her eyes blazing. "Mr. Harvey, cut out the act. I'm not part of your family. Aren't you embarrassed, saying this to me?"

"Embarrassed! Without me, you wouldn't even exist! And now you want to sue Manuel! He's your brother! You're cold, Selina, heartless. You can never compare with your gentle, kind sister," Quinton jabbed a finger towards her face, his insults drawing whispers from other diners. His anger was palpable, fueled by Selina's audacity to bring Manuel to trial.

"Honey, take it easy. This isn't the place to cause a scene," Sara whispered to Quinton, giving Selina an icy stare. "Selina, how do you even sleep at night? Don't you feel a shred of guilt?"

Selina retorted, "I'm sleeping just fine, thank you. Clear conscience and all. Actually, it's pretty amusing watching you two freak out. Keep it going—it's your family name and the Harvey company's reputation on the line, not mine." They suddenly remembered Selina was their flesh and blood, and Manuel her brother. Where was this familial concern when they'd ignored her, treating her like a burden? The hypocrisy sickened her.

Quinton and Sara stared at her, aghast. How could she not care that her brother might go to prison? They worried about the family's image—reputation was everything—and here was Selina, dragging their name through the mud.

"Selina, remember where you came from," Quinton said, trying to unsettle her. "If this gets out, do you think Trevon's family will stand by you? The Bradys won't let this slide."

Selina smirked. "You're barking up the wrong tree, Mr. Harvey. My husband backs me 100%. He's running Insight Group like a champ, unlike Harvey Group, which seems to be slipping. Insight Group's recent earnings report? Through the roof. And hey, if Harvey Group hits a snag over this mess, my hubby might just capitalize on that. Aren't Harvey Group and Insight Group eyeing the same deal right now?"

"You… teaming up with outsiders against your own family? That's insane!" Quinton sputtered, his anger barely contained. If not for the onlookers, he might have lost control. This girl—ignore her for three days, and she owned the place.