Never Mistake a Queen for a Lapdog novel Chapter 434

Bianca's lips were pressed into a thin, tight line, her face a mask of disbelief. All her earlier confidence had vanished.

Seth glanced down at her and murmured, "Winning isn't what matters. Mr. Archer already agreed to play again."

He was right; that had been their goal. Bianca gave a stiff, complicated nod. She finally took her turn, using Seth's clubs, but her focus was shattered. On a par-five hole, she took five strokes and still missed. It was a humiliating performance, nothing like her usual game. Her mind was in turmoil, and her skill had abandoned her. Had she played first, perhaps she too could have scored an eagle.

When her disappointing round was over, no one was paying her any attention. Ron was enthusiastically chatting with Noreen, praising her technique. He even remarked that her style was similar to Seth's and asked if they'd had the same coach.

Noreen paused for a beat before replying, "No." It was Seth who had taught her.

Standing nearby, Seth heard her answer, and the faintest trace of a smile touched his lips. Noreen, however, showed no emotion as she moved the conversation along.

The game had successfully broken the ice. Ron was even warmer toward Bianca now, though that was largely due to Seth's influence. With Seth by her side, no one would dare disrespect her.

Halley, however, remained cold. No matter how Bianca tried to engage him, he offered only terse, dismissive replies. The rejection stung, and her frustration grew.

Sensing her dejection, Seth consoled her. "Professor Joyner is a proud man and slow to warm up. It's not personal. Just give it time."

Yvonne explained that today was the monthly gathering of her social circle, which she had hosted. She had assumed that with Seth, the new star of the tech world, as her soon-to-be son-in-law, her status would have soared. Instead, only a handful of the ladies had shown up. The core group, led by Mrs. Naylor, was conspicuously absent. When she called, they all claimed to have prior engagements. But later, when Yvonne went to the spa with the few friends who did attend, she ran into Mrs. Naylor's clique at the very same salon.

It was obvious they had boycotted her party. When confronted, Mrs. Naylor didn't even bother with an excuse, stating bluntly that she was afraid of being implicated in their family's troubles.

Bianca knew exactly what "troubles" she meant: the fireworks incident. All the social capital Yvonne had spent years building had been destroyed in an instant.

"Don't worry, Mother," Bianca assured her. "I'll make them look at us with respect again."