Striking Back at the Evil Stepmother (2)

"S—Sir, please stop. What do you think are you doing?!" 

The event organizer warily approached Richard, who looked enraged. He wanted to get closer to hold him back, but one glance from Richard, and he instantly felt afraid. 

Today's party was one of the hotel's biggest parties it had held in their building. Naturally, the people who were invited were no ordinary people. 

Still, the event organizer couldn't let this continue. 

However, Richard wasn't finished causing trouble for everyone. His bloodshot eyes were wide as he turned his head left and right, his body flailing about as if he were drunk. 

Finally, he stopped as his gaze found their destination. 

"Rosalie!" 

His roar stunned those who were still unaware of the commotion he caused. 

"You bitch! How dare you play me like this? You—" 

Before he could continue, a security guard tackled him to the ground. Richard struggled a bit, but against the bulky muscles of the security guard, he couldn't even lift his upper body. 

His mouth, however, was unrestrained as he continued to shout. 

"Come here, you little bitch!"

"Shut up!"

Suddenly, a louder shout buried Richard's curses. At the entrance, a gray-haired old man stood with a cane in his right hand. His stern and disapproving eyes were directed at Richard. 

Seeing the old man appear, the crowd's hush mutterings went silent. Fear crept into them as they respectfully left an opening for him to walk on, his cane sending shivers into their backs as it hit the floor whenever he took a step forward. 

It was the old patriarch of the Ameratti family. 

Russo Ameratti. 

This old man had stepped back from the frontlines and handed over his position as president of the Ameratti corporation to his son, Albert. But, everyone in the middle and upper-class families knew that the true power within the Ameratti family still belonged to him. 

"Barking here like a dog, do you think this is your family's backyard?" His harsh words humiliated Richard, who formerly showed his arrogant behavior in front of everyone. Disdain filled the old patriarch's eyes. "Daring to come here looking like a wastrel, did your older sister not tell you what kind of gathering is happening in this place?" 

Richard felt defeated under the heavy and intense gaze of the old man. But his pride was already hurt after he was tricked by Rosali twice that day! 

That's right. She tricked him not only once, but twice. The first time was when she left without notifying him, embarrassing him to his older sister. And the second time... 

Feeling the surge of heat and dizzy spells in his head, Richard felt even more hatred towards Rosalie! 

Who would've ever expected that while she was running late for the party, she even had the time to waste putting strong alcohol in the drink he left inside his car? And how did she do it?

As for why he suspected her doing it, it was because there was no one else who would dare mess with him, other than Rosalie!

"Uncle Russo, this has nothing to do with my sister. This is... this is all because of that woman, Rosalie!" Even to this moment, Richard didn't realize how unsightly he looked or how he was in deep trouble. 

Emma immediately glared at Rosalie.

She quickly grabbed her husband's arm and squeezed out a tear to say, "Honey, you know my brother isn't usually like this. He's a scaredy-cat and would never talk back to father, no matter what!"

Albert, on the other hand, frowned deeply. Most of the time whenever he had free time, he would bring Richard with him to socialite with other men in their circle. And so, he could say he knew what type of person Richard was. But this situation was indeed strange. 

He looked at Rosalie, who stood alone, with her back straight and composure relaxed, looking as if she was watching a scene that came straight out of a drama.

Though he didn't say a word, his stare was a silent decree. He wanted his daughter to tell him what the hell was going on. 

Originally, Rosalie still hoped that with the situation straying from what happened in the past, her father would show a bit of guilt and hesitation. But thankfully, her father did not change. 

With a calm look in her eyes, she raised her eyes to meet her father's. She tilted her head as innocently as she could and smiled. "Why are you looking at me, father? Is there something on my face?"

"You tell me what happened. Why is Richard acting like this? Did you do something to him?" Her feigning ignorance and ignoring his order brought a stern feeling inside Albert, as he questioned her without failing to blame Rosalie. 

Chiming in, Emma added in a sad tone, "Rosalie, whatever you did to my brother, I won't hold it against you. But you need to fix this problem and ask forgiveness on behalf of Richard to your grandfather!"

Rosalie said, "On what basis?"

She found Emma like a clown. 

Rosalie smiled coldly and repeated, "On what basis should I ask for forgiveness on his behalf? As you know, I'm a member of the Ameratti family. Do you think grandfather will forgive him for cussing me out publicly?"

Emma was furious but glanced at Albert with a weak and hopeless smile. "Are you being stubborn because I'm not your real mother? Is that why you're trying to put a wedge between my brother and father? Rosalie, are you going to drive me and my brother out of the family next?" 

Was she serious? Rosalie wondered. 

Albert was consumed by anger when he heard Emma. 

Smack!

The sound of a slap resounded in the now-silent reception hall. 

Albert showed no guilt at all. He pointed his thick finger at Rosalie and angrily cursed, "You disgraceful wench! How could you disrespect your mother like this?! Do you think you'd have a place in the Ameratti mansion had it not because Emma begged me not to send you away? Apologize to her right now!"

Rosalie's cheek was stinging. Her head was thrown back slightly to the side as Albert did not hold back his strength when he slapped her. 

The coldness in Rosalie's eyes returned. 

She thought, "It seems in the past and future, nothing has changed. I am still abused from left and right with no one by my side." 

She could feel her cheek swelling, but she calmly asked, "Whether I could stay or not in the Ameratti family, does it really fall under your discretion?" She looked behind them and met a pair of stern eyes. "What do you think, grandfather?"