The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 125

Yves Prescott stood up, every bit the gentleman. "Of course," he said politely.

Turning to Winona, he offered a reassuring smile. "I need to step outside with Mr. Nicholson for a moment. Wait here for me, alright?"

"Alright," Winona replied.

Julian and Yves left the lounge one after the other. Once they were alone, Yves played innocent. "Is there something important you wanted to discuss, Mr. Nicholson?"

Julian didn't waste time. "That property on the outskirts—there's no point in you buying it. If you're just trying to compete with me, it's really not necessary," he said bluntly. "If you're interested, we could go in on it together. Both of us could profit."

Yves gave him a wry smile. "I have no intention of partnering with you, and I certainly don't want to invest in the same project. So, as far as the property goes, I'm afraid there's nothing to discuss."

Julian's tone sharpened. "Mr. Prescott, business is business. We may be rivals, but it doesn't make sense to throw money away just to beat me. Why force a loss?"

He was clearly struggling to keep his temper in check.

Yves, seeing Julian's restraint and good manners, only smiled more brazenly. "And what makes you so sure I'm losing money? Maybe your project's the one that's doomed. In fact, I'm quite confident my investment is nothing but profit. If you're dying to know why, maybe I'll let you in on the secret next time."

His tone was light, almost mocking, but underneath, Julian could sense a cold, ruthless edge.

The message couldn't have been clearer—Yves was going to oppose him, even if it meant taking Julian down with him.

Yves gave Julian no chance to respond. "Mr. Nicholson, my date's waiting for me outside. If you'll excuse me."

With that, he turned and walked away, his mind already on Winona.

He was a little worried about her—she'd worn such a thin dress tonight.

Sure enough, Winona was freezing as she waited by the entrance.

She was known for her mischievous streak—sweet and harmless in her own circle, or so people thought. But Hattie's so-called innocence only extended to her friends. Anyone else, especially women she looked down on, she'd do her best to humiliate on the spot.

She liked to call it "righteous justice."

"Look at you, shivering like a plucked chicken," Hattie scoffed. "Or is it something worse? Anyway, tell us, Auntie Gold Digger, did you think tonight was your own private awards show, dressing up like that?"

She didn't stop there. "You might have outshone everyone with your outfit, but when it came to the auction, my Felicity left you in the dust. My brother-in-law would spend millions for Felicity in a heartbeat, but Yves Prescott won't even spare you a penny, will he? That's the difference between a wife and… well, a side piece."

She eyed Winona's dress and necklace with mock suspicion. "What, did Yves Prescott rent those for you? Please, you're killing me!"

Winona didn't bother answering. She was too cold to speak, and besides, Hattie wasn't alone—Xander, Mackenzie, even Clayton from Port City were all standing nearby, clearly there to back her up.

Winona wasn't reckless. In this situation, the best thing to do was to tune Hattie out and treat her words like so much hot air.