Chapter 128: The Scheming Frog Keeps Rubbing Your Belly

Chapter 128: Chapter 128: The Scheming Frog Keeps Rubbing Your Belly

Rian Sinclair pointed at the drinks on the table with a faint, amused smirk. "Drink up. I’ll forgive you once you’ve had enough to satisfy me."

Joy Woods stiffened. She kept her head bowed, refusing to move for a long time. Suddenly, she threw her head back, her eyes red.

"Aren’t women supposed to support women? Why are you bullying me like this?!" She pointed at the sheer volume of alcohol on the table, her voice trembling with resentment. "Are you trying to kill me with all this booze?!"

Wyatt Winslow was so taken aback by Joy’s intense outburst that it took him a second to process it. He shot a surprised look at Jason Rivers.

"Is she... trying to flip the script here?"

Sitting nearby, Noel Sutton shook his head in absolute disgust. "It’s called a guilt trip. What does flipping the script have to do with it?

"How did this jump to attempted murder? Didn’t she start throwing insults first? Now she’s acting like the wronged party?"

Ulysses Shepherd genuinely couldn’t comprehend the woman’s baffling logic. How did she have the nerve to say that?

Ruby Forrest also watched in a daze. "What is she doing? Trying to change the subject?"

Rian smiled and rubbed the top of Ruby’s head. "Smart girl. Once people like her realize they’ve lost the upper hand, they love to change the subject. Then, they climb up on their moral high horse and start pointing fingers at you."

Yet, incredibly, someone actually fell for Joy’s idiotic performance.

"Miss, you’re both women, and Joy only made an innocent mistake. Could you be the bigger person and forgive her?" The speaker was Caleb Collins.

The moment the words left Caleb’s mouth, Luke Miller, who had been standing right next to him, subtly stepped away.

Luke didn’t even want to utter a single syllable. He looked at Caleb with utter disdain. How had he never realized before what an absolute moron this guy was? Could he seriously not read the room? The fact that he was actually standing up for that blithering idiot... With a brain like Caleb’s, he didn’t know his head from his ass.

Joy whimpered softly, turning her face just so. Tears welled up in her eyes but stubbornly refused to fall, painting the perfect picture of a fragile, innocent little martyr.

She had her angles down to a science. They said forty-five degrees was the perfect angle for photos; wherever she learned it, it worked. Her face looked pretty good from any direction.

Joy’s trembling fingers reached out to gently tug at the hem of Caleb’s shirt. It was a calculated micro-movement that perfectly ignited his masculine protective instincts.

Caleb straightened his posture, standing firmly in front of the woman like a human shield. He locked eyes with Rian and Ruby.

He figured that if these two girls belonged to Wyatt’s social circle, they would definitely recognize him. The hierarchy in their circle was strictly enforced; those on the lower rungs inevitably knew the wealthy heirs of the upper echelon. Therefore, he assumed the two were merely dates brought along for the night. They would surely weigh his status, and he firmly believed they would accept the graceful out he was offering them.

When he didn’t get an immediate response, Caleb turned his attention to the soft, delicate-looking girl beside Rian. She looked like she would be much easier to talk to—or rather, manipulate.

"I don’t believe I caught your name, Miss, but you’re quite lovely. I’m the eldest son of the Collins family. I’m the one hosting this gathering, and I personally invited your friends over there.

"Joy was in the wrong just now, but she only spoke out of turn because she was flustered. Seeing as you’re all about the same age, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive her."

On the surface, there was nothing wrong with Caleb’s words. But that was only assuming the two girls were nobodies.

To the rest of the group, his underlying message was crystal clear: *I’m the host. Since you’re here, you need to show me some respect. You know exactly who your friends are, and since I’m the one who invited them, my status is obviously just as high.*

First, he pulled the "same age" card, and now he was trying to lay on a guilt trip. Rian thought this guy must be a master gaslighter, given how easily the manipulative garbage spilled from his lips.

Unfortunately for Caleb, his routine was completely useless against these two. Wyatt was just about to intervene when Ruby’s small hand pressed down on his arm to stop him.

"What exactly do you mean by that? Are you supposed to be a big deal?" Ruby demanded. "You want us to show you respect? I grew up with Wyatt and the rest of the guys, and I have no idea how you suddenly became so close to them.

"And the same age? Please. Judging by her crow’s feet and skin texture, she’s easily three years older than me. How can you even have the nerve to call us peers?"

Ruby spoke with utmost seriousness. Her small face was tense, her cheeks flushed from the stuffy atmosphere of the crowded bar.

Behind them, Noel whispered, "Oh, wow. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen the little lamb bite back. Who taught her that?"

Ulysses and Jason were equally dumbfounded. They had known Ruby her whole life and had never heard her talk like this. Did coming of age mean a complete personality transplant?

Wyatt knew Ruby better than anyone. Though she had been energetic and a bit stubborn as a child, he had never once seen her verbally eviscerate someone like this. Because she had been raised by Grandma Forrest, Ruby had inherited her grandmother’s elegant and tranquil disposition. She was the quintessential refined lady, proficient in the classic arts. Roasting people was simply not in her repertoire.

Suddenly, everyone’s gaze snapped to Rian. Mystery solved!

Feeling their stares, Rian let out a light cough and looked away, perfectly dodging their eyes.

Meanwhile, the color drained from Caleb and Joy’s faces. They flushed green and pale in turns, cycling through shades like a painter’s palette.

Ruby’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. Clasping her small hands together, she looked at Rian with starry eyes. "You were completely right, Rian! There’s no point in trying to reason with people like this! You just have to expose them for what they really are!"

Well then. The mystery tutor had been identified.

Noel approached with his drink. "Not bad, Rian. You managed to rewire Ruby’s traditional little brain in record time."

Jason made a gesture of deep respect, while Ulysses muttered, "What exactly did you teach her, Rian? She changed her tune so fast."

As soon as Ulysses finished speaking, the rest of the guys perked up their ears, eager to hear her teaching methods. Wyatt, in particular, leaned in closer, terrified of missing a single word.

"I didn’t teach her anything. Has it occurred to you that this is just Ruby’s true nature? She refuses to be a doormat."

Rian genuinely hadn’t said much. She had merely analyzed the current situation for her, then broken down the identities, psychological motives, and personality traits of the people involved. Beyond that, she hadn’t said a word. The rest was entirely up to Ruby’s own comprehension.

Hearing this, Wyatt pondered for a moment before nodding. Remembering the way Ruby was as a young girl, it actually explained everything perfectly.

Rian noticed Wyatt’s subtle reaction. Her lips curled into a faint smile. Glancing back at Ruby, she found the two of them even more adorable together.

A six-foot-one hothead with a tender core who anticipated his girlfriend’s every need, and a five-foot-three softie who refused to take any nonsense and always watched her boyfriend’s back. Rian absolutely loved shipping this couple. Plus, Wyatt was a fiercely protective boyfriend.

Noel and the others nodded as well. They had all hung out when they were young, so they were likely recalling Ruby’s childhood temper.

Although Rian hadn’t interacted with Ruby much, she could tell from their few conversations that the girl was an iron fist in a velvet glove. With a personality like that, she wouldn’t easily let others walk all over her, but after marriage, she would undoubtedly have Wyatt wrapped around her little finger. Then again, Wyatt would have her wrapped around his too—not just after marriage, but right now.

Caleb finally connected the dots. This girl had grown up alongside Wyatt and the others. They were childhood friends.

That meant she belonged to their inner circle. So why on earth had he never heard of her?