judge me

Ivy's eyes widened in surprise and a touch of jealousy when she saw Lisa on Lian Que's arm.

She had looked around once she noticed that the entire room had quietened.

The change in the atmosphere made her jealousy burn brighter as everyone looked at Lisa, obviously admiring her.

How in heaven had Lisa managed to attach herself to one of the country's most powerful and eligible bachelors?

The question made her much more bitter. Jonathan's expression was much harder to read.

It was a mixture of surprise, guilt, and something else that Lisa couldn't quite place.

"Lisa! What a surprise," Ivy was quick to jump to action, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Lisa smiled, her expression equally sugary. "Ivy, Jonathan, what a coincidence. We didn't know you'd be here tonight. May we join you?" Lisa inquired because she couldn't afford to appear rude. They had a huge audience watching and she didn't want to do anything that could accidentally tarnish Lian Que's reputation.

The only other choice available was to play along.

Without waiting for an answer, Lian pulled out a chair for Lisa, and they sat down.

The atmosphere at the table was tense, the underlying currents of animosity and old wounds evident.

"So, Lisa," Ivy began, her eyes flitting nervously to Lian, "you've been doing well, I see. And who is this charming gentleman?" She inquired, feigning curiousity and yet she knew exactly who Lisa's companion was.

"This is Lian Que," Lisa introduced him smoothly.

"Lian, this is my stepsister Ivy and her...fiancé, Jonathan." She said as she turned to him.

Lian nodded politely, but there was an unmistakable edge to his gaze as he looked at Jonathan.

So this was the jerk that had hurt Lisa.

"A pleasure," he said, his tone cool and controlled.

The waiter arrived to take their orders, and once the formalities were out of the way, Ivy couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "So, how did you two meet?" She asked.

Lisa leaned in slightly, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Oh, it was quite the story. Lian saved me from kidnappers that had been sent by my family to kill me.We got to know each other during that time, and one thing led to another..."

She let her sentence trail off suggestively, enjoying the way Ivy's face tightened with envy and Jonathan's eyes flickered with a hint of something darker, but he remained silent.

Lisa had never told anyone about her relationship with Lian Que, not even Ivy when they were still close back in highschool. She had planned to tell her at a point in time but at the moment, she was glad she never did.

"That's wonderful," Ivy said, forcing a smile. "I'm glad things worked out for you."

Lisa sipped her wine, the taste rich and lingering. "Yes, it has. And what about you two? How have you been?"

Jonathan cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable.

"Well enough" Ivy curtly replied.

"Oh, we have all night. Why don't you say more, Ivy?" Lian said smoothly, his eyes locking onto hers in an icily intimidating way.

Ivy looked at Jonathan for support, but he was too busy staring into his glass, lost in thought.

She took a deep breath and started talking about how they first met at a mutual friend's party way before Jonathan met Lisa.

Lisa listened, feigning interest, while her mind raced with plans for the evening.

As the night wore on, the conversation flowed more easily, helped along by several bottles of expensive wine. Ivy's facade of confidence began to crack, her jealousy and insecurity slipping through.

Jonathan grew increasingly withdrawn, his guilt evident in every glance he threw Lisa's way.

At one point, Lian excused himself to briefly take a call, leaving Lisa alone with Ivy and Jonathan.

The moment he was gone, Ivy leaned in, her voice low and venomous. "You think you're so clever, don't you, Lisa? Parading around with your billionaire boyfriend. But we all know it's just a facade. You're still the same desperate girl you always were."

Lisa's smile never wavered. "Is that so, Ivy? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you're the one who's desperate. Desperate to hold onto a man who clearly doesn't want to be with you."

Jonathan's head snapped up at that, guilt and shame swirling in his eyes. "Lisa, that's not fair—"

"Fair?" Lisa interrupted, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. "You want to talk about fair, Jonathan? You betrayed me. You both did. And now, you have the nerve to sit here and judge me?"

Ivy looked like she wanted to slap Lisa, but she was too conscious of the other diners' eyes on them. "You don't know anything about our relationship."

"I know enough," Lisa said coldly. "And trust me, Ivy, your little game won't last. People like you always get what's coming to them."

At that moment, Lian returned, his presence immediately diffusing the tension. "Is everything alright here?"

"Perfectly fine," Lisa said, her smile returning. "We were just catching up."

As they left the restaurant, Lisa felt a sense of satisfaction wash over her. She had faced her past and come out stronger.

With Lian by her side, she knew she could reclaim her place in the world and exact her revenge. Tonight was just the beginning.

In the car, Lian looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. "You handled that well."

Lisa leaned back against the seat, closing her eyes. "Thank you, Lian. For everything."

He took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"We're just getting started, Lisa but I am going to be here until the end."

And as the city lights flashed by, Lisa knew he was right. This was only the beginning of her journey to reclaim what was rightfully hers.

She was going to make them all pay and she was grateful that she had Lian by her side to help her with it.

"You could come to my office tomorrow and personally discuss your revenge plan with Sam, if you could like." Lian suggested as he glanced at her.

He had thought of ways to spend more time with her the entire evening and inviting her to his workplace could ensure that he saw more of her throughout the day.

"Yes, I would like that." Lisa said as she looked back at him, his eyes shone with something that brought a string of warmth into Lisa's heart.

She wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and snuggle close to him but something was still holding her back.

It was her fear of being hurt. Lisa knew that she could have to get over it soon but it wasn't quite so easy especially after her recent encounter with Jonathan and Ivy.

People would change within a second and she wasn't ready to put up with the disappointment if Lian Que ever changed.

A part of her heart knew that he wasn't out to hurt her but the logical part of her brain seemed to replay all the previous times she had been hurt by people that she loved.

Why couldn't it just be easy to choose the man that had helped her and showed his good intentions towards her?

Lisa yet again, found herself at a loss despite feeling happy at the same time.