The wine in the person's glass tilted toward Chloe. Despite her quick reflexes, a few drops still splashed onto her. "Oops, sorry about that. I didn't realize anyone was here."

Chloe shot her a sharp look, thinking, "Didn't notice?

Really? With me standing here, you'd have to be blind not to see me."

She glanced at the heavily made-up woman in front of her, thinking, "Isn't this woman the one standing next to Victoria at the auction?"

"Ms. Nelson, I'm genuinely sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. I believe you won't make a fuss over this?" Zooey Landry preemptively tried to dismiss Chloe's potential complaint as trivial.

Seeing Chloe remain silent, Zooey gave her a once-over and said, "Ms. Nelson, I assume you're here representing Bright Moon International. Why aren't you with your boss? Wandering off like this doesn't reflect well on your professionalism." Chloe recalled that Victoria had a friend named Zooey, who was also Monica's stepmother and shared the same last name.

She had been abroad for the past year, so her sudden appearance was a surprise.

Spotting Victoria and Cathy nearby, Chloe understood Zooey was deliberately looking for trouble.

She smirked slightly and said, "Mrs. Landry, it's rather unbecoming for someone your age to play petty games and form cliques like a high schooler."Property © 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

Zooey, in her youth, had indeed been notorious as a school troublemaker.

She used her privileged background to bully classmates and form alliances, which was no secret.

Monica had been imprisoned previously for intentional injury, and the Landry family had used all their connections to get her out. This incident had undoubtedly fueled Monica's resentment toward Chloe.

At a high-profile event like this, it was no surprise Zooey was targeting Chloe.

"Ms. Nelson, now that you don't have the Shawn family backing you, you should be careful with what you say and do. With so many enemies, you never know what might happen. I heard you were even kidnapped recently. Looks like luck isn't on your side." Zooey posed with a certain smugness. Despite her age, she showed her attempts to appear flirtatious, which made Chloe understand why Monica's father married her.

Chloe replied coolly, "Mrs. Landry, if I were you, I'd be more concerned with your own husband. His infidelities are hardly a secret. You seem to be quite the tolerant spouse."

The Landry family had always been chaotic, with Monica's father notorious for his numerous affairs.

Although he seemed to have settled down recently, partly due to Zooey's strong personality, old habits died hard.

Zooey had been away for a year, unable to keep tabs on her unfaithful husband, which Chloe highlighted with a touch of sarcasm.

Zooey's face darkened instantly.

"Don't speak out of turn. The Landry family's affairs are none of your business!"

Chloe smiled, "Landry family matters are well-known within our circles. If you don't want people talking, don't give them reasons to. If the deeds are done, why worry about what others say?"

Zooey's expression hardened. Though she knew the Landry family's scandals were common knowledge, Chloe's audacity still shocked her.

"Mrs. Landry, do you remember your goddaughter's favorite massage parlor?" Chloe's voice carried a sharp edge.

Given Victoria's close relationship with Zooey, Cathy had become her goddaughter, though Zooey didn't seem to have done much for her. But the massage parlor in question was well-known.

Cathy's scandalous choice of a male masseur had made headlines, so there was no way Zooey didn't know about it.

"What's your point?" Zooey asked, her tone icy.