He Left Me to Freeze, So I Burned His World Down Chapter 07

He Left Me to Freeze, So I Burned His World Down Chapter 07

The woman in the lead, Claire, didn’t spare Piper a glance. Her eyes were fixed on Graham.

“Well, look who it is. Celebrating with the woman who wrecked a marriage?” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the restaurant’s elegant music like an icicle.

Another friend followed with a cold laugh. “Graham, your taste has taken a nosedive. What does she have that Ava doesn’t?”

Piper’s face went chalky white, her fingers gripping the tablecloth so hard they trembled.

Graham’s face darkened. He shot to his feet and grabbed Claire’s arm, his grip so tight she winced.

“Did Ava send you? Apologize to Piper. Now.”

Claire flung his hand off as if she’d been touched by something filthy.

“Don’t touch me. You’re disgusting.”

Someone beside her tried to pull her back.

“Claire, forget it. Do you want to end up like Nora?”

“I’m not afraid of him.” Claire’s gaze pinned Graham in place, her rage palpable. “Graham, you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

Before she finished speaking, she snatched a glass of ice water from the table and threw it in his face.

“Graham!” Piper shrieked, rushing to shield him.

The ice water splashed down, drenching Graham’s face and expensive suit, the rest soaking Piper’s carefully styled hair and dress.

The restaurant fell silent. Diners froze, forks halfway to their mouths, stunned.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Graham wiped water from his face, his eyes like daggers. He lunged forward and seized Claire’s wrist.

Piper covered her face, her body trembling, but then she spoke. Her voice was soft, full of aggrieved understanding.

“Miss Claire, I know you feel wronged on Ava’s behalf, but you can’t talk about Graham like that.”

She sniffed, her eyes reddening.

“As for Miss Nora… Graham only wanted to teach her a little lesson, to stop her from interfering in other people’s lives. He just locked her… in the tack room overnight.”

She lifted her head and looked at Claire and her friends, then gave a soft, condescending laugh.

“I understand. Girls like you have had everything so easy.”

“So spending one night in a place like that probably feels like the worst thing in the world.”

“Shut up!” Claire, completely enraged by the twisting of the truth, raised a hand to strike her.

This time, Graham blocked her.

“Claire,” he said through clenched teeth, “for Ava’s sake, I’ll let this go.”

He tried to adopt a magnanimous posture.

“But if you dare touch her again, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

“For Ava’s sake?”

Claire looked as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world. Her anger receded, replaced by a laugh that was sharp and pitying as she looked at Graham like he was an idiot.