Chapter 1024
Ruth turned her head slightly, her voice sharp and cool. "Mr. Haywood, is it true—what Ms. Aspen said? Did you barge in and stir things up first?"
Seth growled, "I only said a few words. I never crossed the line! But that lunatic just snapped and attacked me out of nowhere! Ms. Sinclair, the Haywoods and your establishment have always had a good relationship. You have to stand up for me!"
Aspen quickly countered, "Ms. Sinclair, that's not how it happened at all! He came into our private suite without permission and kept throwing insults at Andrew, calling him names over and over again. If you don't believe me, check the surveillance footage!"
Seth sneered coldly. "Aspen, everything I did—I did for you. I was trying to save you from this nightmare, and this is how you repay me?"
Aspen scoffed. "Mr. Haywood, are you really going to pretend your intentions were noble? Let's be honest—you had your own motives. I've told you before, I'm not one of those starry-eyed girls who fall for a flashy last name. You were never going to fool me that easily."
Seth’s face twisted with rage, and a curse was already on his lips when Ruth cut him off with an impatient wave. "No need to review the footage. Mr. Haywood, it’s clear you were the one who crossed the line first."
She added, "Out of respect for your family, I’ll let it go this time—but there better not be a next time."
Seth’s face darkened instantly, nearly black with fury. However, he knew better than to challenge Ruth because the woman had power he could not afford to mess with.
“Aspen… and you, you little punk Andrew—this isn’t over," he spat viciously, then stormed out.
He was still bleeding, humiliated, and unable to retaliate. If he stuck around, he would only become the butt of every rich snob in the place.
Ruth turned her cold gaze back to Andrew and waved her hand dismissively. "Ms. Aspen, take your guy and leave. Our restaurant no longer welcomes you—especially people who don’t know their place. So don’t bother coming back."
Aspen did not dare argue. The fact that Ruth did not escalate things further was already a miracle. "Thank you, Ms. Sinclair. We’ll leave right now, and we promise not to return."
She grabbed Andrew’s arm and tugged, trying to pull him out of the room. To her horror, Andrew did not move.
“What are you doing? Come on!" she hissed, eyes wide with panic.
She could not understand why Andrew was still lingering around. Was he really itching for a beating?
Andrew let out a dry chuckle and said flatly, "Leave? What for? We haven’t even finished our meal."
Aspen’s eyes widened in shock as he pointed directly at Ruth, saying, "Your restaurant might think it’s hot shit—but I’m not impressed. I paid for my dinner, and someone else ruined it. So, you better bring me a fresh set of dishes and the bottle of Celestial Reserve I ordered—now."
Normally, Andrew was not the type to lose his temper. Nonetheless, under certain conditions, especially when someone tried to throw their weight around, he did not hold back.
Ruth’s condescending attitude had pushed all the wrong buttons. If she wanted to act like royalty, then fine—he would treat her like a challenge. He was eager to see what she would do when someone did not grovel.
Ruth’s face turned green with fury. She growled, “You’re giving me orders? Do you have any idea what kind of reputation Aroma Exchange has in the capital?”
The moment those words hit the air, the room around them exploded with murmurs.
“Holy crap, this guy’s actually lost his mind!” someone whispered.
“Doesn’t he know who he’s talking to? The last guy who talked to Ms. Sinclair like that was long dead!”
“He should’ve just taken the out when she offered it. What is he even trying to prove?”
“If Ruth’s boss gets wind of this… he won’t be walking out of here upright. Hell, he might not even walk out at all.”