Capítulo 113: Chapter 113: The Snipe and the Clam
Dusk fell upon the Grand Hotel, where lights illuminated the luxurious business suite. The crystal chandelier on the ceiling refracted a brilliant glow, and the artistic sculptures in the corners appeared even more beautiful under the lighting.
On the cream-colored Italian leather sofa, Kate crossed her legs and asked casually, "So, Lima, you said you went to pick up Luca, and you took him to the Garonne River?"
Across from her, on the other sofa, Luca and Lima sat, wrapped in blankets, with embarrassed expressions on their faces.
"Kate, we just accidentally fell into the water," Lima shrugged. Seeing the guy next to her laughing, she snorted in dissatisfaction. "Kate, it's not my fault. It's all Luca's fault. Now everyone knows he slept with Britney, yet he still won't admit it."
"I didn't!"
"Hmph, don't try to deny it. It's all over the news. You're still trying to deny it? You deserve to be hit!"
Lima pounced on him again, wrapping her legs around him, hitting his chest, biting his neck and chin, making quite a scene.
"Enough, Lima, you two stop it," Kate said, holding her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Alright," Lima let go and straightened her clothes. "Kate, how did the talks about the car accident go?"
Kate shook her head. "In the morning, we were originally planning to handle it discreetly with the Balmain family, but then city police suddenly appeared at the book signing event around noon and disrupted our plans. There were many fans and reporters present, so we couldn't keep it under wraps."
"The police weren't sent by the Balmain family to embarrass you, so who could it be?" Luca asked, puzzled.
"Not sure," Kate swirled the wine glass in her hand. "The Balmain family asked the lead officer, and he said that the people who contacted him had a business card from the Balmain family and asked him to come to the book signing to teach me a lesson. Whether it's true or not, who knows."
"So, someone deliberately muddied the waters, wanting to make this public? What do they gain from exposing it?"
"Who knows," Kate shrugged. "Twilight is selling like crazy, and my reputation in the industry is growing. I've taken up a lot of resources and offended many people in the process. There are quite a few people who would love to see me and Givenchy have a falling out. They want to stir things up, and it could also be Raul's enemies or even friends. Who knows."
Luca nodded, thinking of the saying, "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits."
"Did you come to any conclusions in your meeting just now?" he asked.
"No," Kate said, putting down her wine glass. "The Balmain family and representatives from Givenchy want to handle it quietly. They plan to not explain or spread anything, just let the media speculate.
Their idea is simple: they want me to tacitly agree to keep quiet about Raul's underhanded methods to take Miranda away. This kind of thing not only affects the Balmain family but also the Givenchy brand, since Raul is notoriously infamous in the French fashion circle.
If it gets out, it might drag in a lot of scandals, which would be very damaging to the French fashion industry."
"They want you to keep it a secret?" Lima asked with a frown.
"Yes, they want me to keep it a secret and agree that Raul's severe injury was caused by the car chase, offering some compensation. Hmph, a bunch of arrogant Frenchmen!" Kate poured herself another glass of wine, then looked at the bottle and smiled. "Luca, remember the Margaux wine you gave me last time? Try this; this is the authentic Margaux winery wine, a 1990 vintage, one of the best years."
Glug, glug~
Kate poured two more glasses for him and Lima.
Luca smiled helplessly. "Kate, aren't you worried?"
"Worried about what?" Kate raised her glass with a smile. "As you said, some things have already happened. We just need to face them. I never regret what I did last night. The worst outcome is getting blacklisted by the other side, but it doesn't matter, Luca. Remember our agreement?"
"Of course," Luca laughed. "When I become a billionaire, we'll go back to Brazil, buy a big estate, and spend every day riding horses, making wine, and growing cocoa."
"Yes, actually, with just ten or twenty million, we could buy a big estate. We could make our own wine and create a wine brand. What do you think?"
"Kate, your plan sounds great. How about including me in it?" Lima raised her glass with a smile.
"Of course, Lima, how could our estate not have you?"
"Great, it's settled then." Lima clinked glasses with Kate and glanced at a certain someone who was unmoved. "Luca, are you not welcoming me?"
"Of course, you're welcome! But with you two in charge at home, it seems like whether I have a say or not doesn't matter."
Luca shrugged.
"As long as you understand!"
Knock, knock, knock~
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"Kate, the people in the meeting room next door are out. The Balmain family and the representatives from Givenchy want to see you," Nina announced from outside.
"Okay, I'll be right out."
Kate put down her glass and stood up. She tightened her pants; the silk shirt paired with slim-fit black trousers made her look dignified, elegant, shrewd, and capable. But the slight blush on her face added a touch of allure, making her very charming.
"You guys continue drinking; I'll be back soon."
"I'll go take a look too!" Luca didn't have time to change clothes. He threw on a T-shirt and sweatpants and followed.
"Wait for me!" Lima called from behind.
Luca looked back, three black lines appearing on his forehead. "Are you planning to go out wrapped in a blanket?"
"Why not?" Lima quickly adjusted the blanket. A white blanket with black spots quickly turned into a monk robe-style outfit, revealing her shoulders and long legs, with a slender waist and an hourglass figure, looking very sexy.
"You're amazing!" Luca laughed softly, taking her hand and walking out. Just as they reached the door, they heard someone outside speaking.
"Kate, don't forget your identity. Even though you've become a writer, you're still just a model. Falling out with us won't do you any good," said a man with a voice that was sharp and full of arrogance, speaking English mixed with French.
"Yes, I am a small-time model, but essentially, I am a free person. I have the right to choose whether to cooperate or not, don't I?"
"You—"
Clap, clap, clap!
Luca clapped his hands as he walked out. "Ms. Kate Kelly, you spoke very well. I support you!"
Kate smiled slightly, holding his hand, and said to the three men and one woman opposite them, "I'm sorry, but I won't work with someone who doesn't respect me."
"Hmph! I hope you don't regret this!"
The middle-aged man called Mr. Balmain, with a long, thin face and green eyes, stared coldly at Luca and Kate before leaving the hotel with his people.
"Sigh~ now we've fallen out. A small matter has turned into something even more troublesome," Nina sighed. She glanced at Luca and suddenly frowned. "Luca, why are you here?"
"I'm right here," Luca spread his hands helplessly.
"Nina, this is indeed troublesome, but it has nothing to do with Luca, right? Don't blame him for this," Kate chuckled softly.
"Does it really have nothing to do with him?" Nina pursed her lips and walked away with her people.
"Alright, it's all my fault!"
Scapegoat Luca shrugged. If it weren't for him, Kate wouldn't have become a writer, wouldn't have come to Bordeaux for the wine event, and Miranda wouldn't have been brought into the company by him. So, he had to take the blame.
(End of this chapter)
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