Chapter 93

Rosie was wearing a long white satin gown that shimmered softly under the light, making her look effortlessly elegant. She exuded the calm confidence and grace of a true lady from a respected family.

Several guests found themselves sneaking glances at her, captivated by her poised and polished presence.

Sitting across from Rosie was a younger woman,laughing and chatting with her. But Arabella soon noticed something-Rosie's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Her tone was distant, her posture composed but cold. There was a quiet pride in the way she carried herself, as if keeping everyone at arm's length.

That subtle aloofness caught Arabella's eye,making her watch them more closely.

As a waiter passed wvith plates in hand, the younger woman stuck out her foot, clearly trying to trip him.

Arabella stepped in quickly. "I've got this," she said, intercepting the waiter and steering him away before anything happened.

Frustrated at being stopped, the young woman quietly pulled her foot back.

But Arabella could tell-they weren't done yet.

Moments later, the sharp crash of a shattered plate startled the room. The young woman-Raven Russell-suddenly doubled over, gagging dramatically. Rosie leaned forward with a look of concern. "What's wrong, Raven?" she asked.

"I feel terrible! The food here is filthy! I'm allergic to anything unhygienic!" Raven cried out dramatically, still gagging as if the very thought made her sick.

Rosie was furious. "How did this happen? Go get the boss now!"

A staff member rushed to find Arabella. She arrived quickly, took in the scene with steady eyes, and asked in a composed voice, "Can someone explain what's happening here?"

One look at Arabella's calm, youthful beauty, and Rosie felt a spark of jealousy. So this was the woman Asher cared for? She was younger,sure-

but aside from that, Rosie didn't see what made her so special.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rosie said coldly. "She ate your food, and now she's vomiting!"

That comment stirred unease among the nearby diners.

"Bad hygiene on the very first day?"

"This is seriously concerning."

"I liked the food, but if it's not clean, that's a huge problem."

Hearing the murmurs ripple through the room,Rosie knew they were getting exactly the reaction they wanted. She fixed her gaze on Arabella and asked icily, "So what are you going to do about this?"

Rosie figured Arabella was just a spoiled girl riding on Asher's support, with no real idea how to run a place. Faced with a public mess like this,she must be panicking inside, right?

Surprisingly,though, Arabella remained calm. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but our kitchen is kept spotless. You're more than welcome to check it yourself," she said politely.

Then, turning to the manager, she added, "If any customers want to see the kitchen, take them in."

Hearing her words, a few curious customers took her up on the offer and went to see the kitchen for themselves.

When they came back, they looked genuinely shocked.

"Honestly, their kitchen's cleaner than my apartment!" one whispered.

"Right? There's no way this place has hygiene issues," another added.

"Something doesn't add up here."

Raven shot Arabella a glare. "Maybe you just cleaned everything up before we got there! Ugh! I feel awful. You've totally ruined me! I'm never stepping foot in this place again!"

"Is this how you handle problems? Just make excuses and avoid accountability? Pathetic. If that's the case, we're done here, and we won't be coming back," Rosie said sharply as she grabbed Raven's arm to leave.

Her words held weight.

A few customers looked at each other, and those

who recognized Rosie whispered, "If Miss Hudson doesn't like this place, maybe we shouldn't come again either."

"Yeah,better to be safe."

Arabella remained calm as she watched them stand up. But just as Raven passed by, Arabella swiftly reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" Raven snapped, her voice hoarse between exaggerated gags.

Arabella released her and said quiety,"Emetics?Clever little setup."

Raven froze for a split second, then composed herself. "I have no clue what you're accusing me of. This place is a dump and I'm not coming back anyway!"

"I just hope you didn't sneak that medicine into anyone else's food," Arabella said with a faint smile. "How childish of you-taking emetics before showing up, then pretending to get food poisoning. That's your big plan?"

She paused, her tone light but sharp. "Rosie, it looks like you're going out of your way to protect your relative Bob's restaurant. Are you afraid I'll take his customers?"

Rosie's chest tightened. How did she know all that?

All she had done was lightly touch Raven's wrist-how could she possibly tell what kind of drug Raven had taken?

They had used a vomiting agent and showed up solely to sabotage Arabella's restaurant.

Rosie kept her expression cool. "I don't know what nonsense you're spouting. Don't slander us.And since you won't own up, there's no point in staying."

Rosie grabbed Raven's arm and quickly made for the exit, but Arabella's voice cut through the room-clear and firm. "There's a hospital right next door. Let's get both of you checked out. If it turns out you didn't take emetics, I'll do whatever you want. But if you did... you apologize to us,publicly."

Her confidence started shifting public opinion.

"Wait a second... did they really come just to stir up trouble? They look elegant, but this is something else."

"Hey, isn't that one of them Bob Hudson's cousin? That explains a lot."

"Shh-careful! Do you know who you're talking about?"

Rosie could feel the mood turning against her,and her hands balled into fists. She hadn't expected Arabella to be this quick-witted.

To her, Arabella was just a naïve girl trying to play in the big leagues.

Rosie wasn't used to being challenged like this,especially not by someone without real influence.In her world, facts could be twisted, and evidence could be erased.

No matter how obvious Raven's little act was, she believed Arabella wouldn't stand a chance. After all, her family's power could easily silence the truth.

Rosie raised her chin with quiet confidence,her eyes meeting Arabella's with a cool, unreadable look. "And why exactly should I care about what you say? Do you really think you're bold enough to go up against my family?"

With a slow, contemptuous smile, she added,"You really make it hard to like you. Let me make this clear-anyone who dines here, your family included, is now blacklisted from doing any business with us."