Chapter 282

Jasper opened his mouth to say something more, but the man cut him off with an icy command: “Enough.”

Jasper fell silent, frustration written all over his face. But Stella turned her head to address the nearby waiter. “Anything broken—whether by me or Ms. Pearce—just put it all on Mr. O’Brien’s tab.” She glanced at Rachel, her tone light but pointed. “After all, Ms. Pearce is Mr. O’Brien’s cherished one, his shining star. If she broke it, I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to pay. As for me……”

Stella shifted her gaze to Haynes, her eyes glinting. “As Mrs. O’Brien, I think I have the right to put it on my own husband’s account, don’t I?”

The moment the words left her lips, a ripple of shock swept through the room. “My God, Mrs. O’Brien? She’s actually married to Haynes?”

“I heard rumors about Haynes and some woman causing a stir lately… but I had no idea he was married.”

“He’s been married for five years, just never had a public wedding. Kept it under wraps. But people in the business knew.”

So those two, talking so righteously about Mr. O’Brien’s one true love and all that… what was that about?

“What else could it be? Classic affair. Men are all the same…”

People began casting contemptuous glances at Haynes and Rachel, the gossip swirling to a fever pitch. Seeing the situation spiraling, Rachel bit her lip and stepped forward.

“This is my fault. I failed to catch the bracelet Ms. Cameron handed me, so… I’ll pay for it.”

Jasper was stunned. “Rachel! That woman Stella did it on purpose! Why should we pay a cent?”

“Jasper,” Rachel shot him a sharp look, her expression grave. “I dropped it. Ms. Cameron isn’t to blame.”

With that, she turned to Stella, bowing deeply in apology. “Ms. Cameron, I’m sorry for what happened earlier. Please accept my apology.”

Though Rachel apologized, her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, looking every bit the picture of someone grievously wronged.

Stella let out a soft laugh. “Ms. Pearce, that bracelet is worth five million. I doubt you could come up with that much if you sold everything you own, could you?”

Rachel managed a wan smile, looking utterly pitiful. “I… I’ll find a way.”

Jasper, unable to watch any longer, stepped forward like a knight in shining armor. “I’ll pay for Rachel.”

Stella arched an eyebrow, amused. “Alright then, go ahead.”

Jasper reached for his card, only to freeze—he suddenly remembered all his money was tied up in investments. There was no way he could cover that amount.

Haynes, clearly aware of Jasper’s predicament, stepped in smoothly. “Jasper, why don’t you and Rachel head home? I have a few things to take care of here.”

After the crowd dispersed, Haynes turned to Stella, his gaze cold as steel. “Stella, did you really think I didn’t notice you dropped the bracelet on purpose?”

With a hint of a smile, he continued, “I always thought Mr. O’Brien had poor judgment.”

Stella’s expression remained calm, even cheerful. She looked at him, eyes twinkling. “Looks like I was wrong—you do have a keen eye after all.”

Haynes heard the sarcasm in her voice loud and clear, but what surprised him was how openly Stella admitted it, as if she had nothing to hide. His eyes narrowed. “You still insist you’re not targeting Rachel at every turn? What would you call what you just did?”

Stella’s smile didn’t waver. “Isn’t that exactly what Ms. Pearce has been doing to me all along? Why does it hurt now that the tables have…”