Tearing Off the Mask in Public

She shot Claire Bennett a sharp look and ordered bluntly, "Claire Bennett, how are you talking to President Bennett? Apologize to him right now!"

Claire Bennett looked at Tanya Sterling coldly. "Who the hell are you? Why should I apologize?"

She was hardly someone Tanya Sterling could push around, and an apology was out of the question.

Naomi Pierce had been racking her brains over how to clean up the mess, but she hadn't expected Claire Bennett to come running out to court death herself. It was like being handed a pillow just when she was dozing off.

As long as Claire Bennett and Tanya Sterling got into it, no one would pay attention to her affair anymore.

With a gentle expression and the tone of someone trying to smooth things over, Naomi Pierce stepped forward, took Claire Bennett's hand, and said softly, "Claire, don't be so willful. President Bennett is an important client for us. You should apologize to him."

Claire Bennett had already been in a bad mood to begin with, and now this woman Naomi Pierce was coming over with that fake, hypocritical act to lecture her, making her mood sink to rock bottom.

She yanked her hand back hard.

But Naomi Pierce acted as if Claire Bennett had shoved her over, staggering backward several steps and slamming heavily into Tanya Sterling.

Tears welled up in Naomi Pierce's eyes as she said pitifully, "Claire, why did you push me? I was only asking you to apologize to President Bennett."

When Ethan Sterling saw this, he immediately stepped forward and pulled Naomi Pierce protectively into his arms. "Naomi, how do you feel? Are you hurt anywhere?"

After checking on Naomi Pierce, he glared at Claire Bennett and rebuked her, "Claire Bennett, how can you be this vicious?"

Victor Bennett frowned tightly, his expression darkening.

Tanya Sterling had been hit pretty hard when Naomi Pierce crashed into her just now. Her whole body ached, and it took her quite a while to recover.

Tanya Sterling's face quickly darkened, her fury surging sky-high, her face nearly black with rage.

Then, seeing that Victor Bennett's expression over there was just as ugly, she assumed he was displeased by Claire Bennett's attitude.

How could Tanya Sterling possibly let Claire Bennett off?

At once, her fierce eyes slashed toward Claire Bennett as she shouted angrily, "You vicious little bitch! Do you even know what kind of status President Bennett has? And what are you?"

"Just a woman from a single-parent family with no father. Thank God I didn't let Ethan marry you back then and had him marry Naomi Pierce, the Bennett family's heiress, instead. Otherwise our family would have been cursed!"

"Since your mother gave birth to you but your father never taught you, I'll teach you a proper lesson on your parents' behalf today!"

Right in front of Victor Bennett, Tanya Sterling launched into furious abuse without the slightest restraint.

The instant Victor Bennett heard those words, his expression turned dark, his face becoming ugly to the extreme, carrying a dangerous storm-before-the-rain aura that made him seem terrifying.

After saying that, Tanya Sterling raised her hand, intending to viciously slap Claire Bennett across the face.

Julian Sterling quickly strode forward. Before Tanya Sterling's hand could come down, he pulled Claire Bennett into his arms protectively. His face was taut as he said coldly, "You dare hit someone in public? Is this your level of breeding?"

When Tanya Sterling saw that Claire Bennett's bastard of a man actually dared to lecture her, she became even angrier.

She snapped, "What the hell are you? How dare you come in front of me and act wild!"

Julian Sterling's expression turned slightly cold as he said slowly, "When Claire Bennett was dating your son Ethan Sterling, you looked down on her. Now, at an occasion like this, you still want to humiliate her in public. Later, after Ethan Sterling latched onto Naomi Pierce, the Bennett family's heiress, you thought you had someone to rely on and became even more arrogant and carried away..."

He was actually saying all of that for Victor Bennett to hear.

So that he would know what Tanya Sterling had done.

"???" Claire Bennett was completely dumbfounded.

What Bennett family heiress? Since when did Naomi Pierce become the Bennett family's heiress?

Her gaze went to Naomi Pierce, then to Ethan Sterling, and finally she seemed to understand.

So that's it!

When Victor Bennett heard Tanya Sterling's words, his expression had already turned ugly. Sure enough, after hearing Julian Sterling's words, his face became even colder and harsher.

Ever since just now, things had been developing in ways he had never expected.

Now, from Julian Sterling's mouth, he finally knew what Ethan Sterling's deal was!

And Naomi Pierce had actually been impersonating his daughter, passing herself off as the Bennett family's heiress to gain quite a few benefits, causing his Claire to suffer a great deal of grievance.

Naomi Pierce had never expected Julian Sterling to expose her in public under these circumstances. The color instantly drained from her face, and she panicked completely.

It's over. Everything is over!

Tanya Sterling did not notice anything strange about Naomi Pierce. She only heard Julian Sterling's words and felt that he was mocking Ethan Sterling for climbing the ladder by relying on a woman.

Her face burned with humiliation. She hadn't expected him to have investigated Ethan Sterling's affairs so clearly, and at once she shouted angrily, "Someone, throw this pretty boy out for me."

Hearing that, Julian Sterling merely watched Tanya Sterling's furious cursing quietly. When she started calling for people, mockery spilled into his eyes, completely unconcerned.

Claire Bennett, however, was not having it. This old woman actually dared lay a hand on her man!

Even if his status was ordinary and he couldn't compare to Tanya Sterling, he was her boyfriend—her lawfully registered husband.

Tanya Sterling targeting her was one thing, but she would not allow this old woman to throw Julian Sterling out!