Chapter 942:
Charlette let out a sharp laugh, her expression dripping with mockery. “Jealous? Please. Elena, jealous of Nola? That’s rich. Maybe take a good, long look in the mirror before you embarrass yourself again.”
Charlette couldn’t wrap her mind around where Lucinda’s accusation came from. Whether it was beauty, intellect, background, or even partner, Elena existed on a level most women couldn’t even reach, let alone threaten. Watching this petty exchange between Lucinda and Nola was almost entertaining. Between Lucinda’s bootlicking and Nola’s self-importance, it was clear that isolation within the base had warped their grasp on reality. Did they genuinely think the little deputy director title was such a huge deal? It was laughable. If Elena ever felt the urge, she could purchase ten hospitals in a day without blinking, without breaking stride. Still, Nola and Lucinda paraded around bragging about Nola being deputy director, as if that title made them royalty. Pathetic.
Lucinda, swollen with pride simply because her best friend held the title of deputy director, waved off Charlette’s words like they were sour grapes. With a tilt of her chin and an irritatingly smug grin, she scoffed. “You can deny it all you want, but facts are facts. Nola’s got the brains, the pedigree, and now the power. Even the top-ranking men around here are head over heels for her. Admit it, you’re just eaten up with jealousy!”
The ridiculousness of it all cracked Charlette up. Lucinda had elevated cluelessness to an art form—almost admirable, if it weren’t so tragic. Insulting Lucinda felt pointless. She wouldn’t understand anyway. In Lucinda’s mind, everyone who wasn’t kissing Nola’s heels was automatically jealous.
As Charlette kept her mouth shut, Lucinda mistook it for proof of her argument and puffed up with even more self-satisfaction. “You see? You can’t even respond. You know I’m right. Once Major General Garrett hears about Nola’s promotion, he’s going to congratulate her himself. Then he’ll finally see that Elena doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath.”
Charlette had already checked out of the conversation. Trying to reason with Lucinda was like arguing with a broken radio—pointless and exhausting. Instead, she lifted her glass, flashing a dazzling, sarcastic smile. “You know what? Keep living in that little fairy tale of yours. It suits you.”
Lucinda blinked, confused. She didn’t quite grasp what Charlette meant, but judging by the playful sparkle in Charlette’s eye, it couldn’t have been anything flattering.
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With a growing frown, Lucinda raised her voice and called over the bar manager.
Recognizing Nola instantly—the woman practically idolized by every man on the base—the bar manager hurried over with a grin that practically screamed desperation. “Dr. Vance! You should’ve told me you were coming. Let me prepare a private suite for you right away.”
A faint, calculated smile tugged at Nola’s lips. “There’s no need for any special arrangements. We’ll just grab an open seat.”
The bar manager flailed his hands in protest, his voice full of flustered reverence. “Absolutely not! I’d never let someone of your stature sit out in the open. I’ll have a private room ready for you this instant!”
Before he could scurry off, Lucinda held up a hand to halt him. “Hold on a second. Don’t rush off just yet. I’ve got a question for you. Say someone’s clearly jealous of Nola. Would you just stand by and let that slide?”
The manager frowned, his face darkening. “Who has the nerve to disrespect Dr. Vance in my establishment? People like that? They’ve got no business being here! Dr. Vance, just say the word, and I’ll have them thrown out immediately!”
The manager didn’t waste time. A signal from him summoned several security guards—broad-shouldered and stone-faced—who promptly surrounded the group like a closing wall.
Lucinda’s eyes sparkled with cruel delight as she shot Elena and Charlette a victorious glance, lips curling with satisfaction. Standing tall near the bar, she raised her hand and pointed directly at them. “It’s those two. They’ve been nothing but rude and disruptive. This bar’s energy was just fine until they showed up. Get them out now!”
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