Claimed by the Crown Heir novel Chapter 159

Although violently resentful, Willow was smart enough to know that humiliating Zachary in public would instantly annihilate her career. The future was long; she would have plenty of time to settle the score with Leah later.

"I'm sorry, Leah. I shouldn't have hit you."

Leah remained dead silent. She simply couldn't bring herself to forgive someone who had routinely humiliated and battered her.

"Let's go."

Alistair laced his fingers through Vanessa's and pulled her into the elevator.

Nolan quickly shuffled in after them.

Zachary shot Willow a chilling glare. "Who permitted you to come here?"

"Zach, I just missed you so much. I heard you were at Azure Club tonight..." Willow attempted to play her usual gentle angle.

"Did you tell her?" Zachary's gaze flicked to the manager, a cold sneer on his lips. "You're getting entirely too comfortable making your own decisions. One more stunt like this, and you're banished from Azure Club."

The manager turned bone-white in terror. "Mr. Rhodes, I swear, it will never happen again."

He was practically going to be executed because of Miss Royce's antics.

"Come with me."

Zachary commanded Leah before turning and stepping into the adjacent elevator.

Watching them disappear behind the metal doors, Willow bit her lip in a panic. "Zach, what about me?"

"Go back to wherever you crawled out from. Unless I summon you, do not come looking for me." Zachary's face was a mask of cold apathy, his words cutting like razors. "Next time you forget your place, we're completely done."

The blood instantly drained from Willow's flawlessly sculpted face.

For the past two years, she had clung to Zachary's side, constantly parading around as his official girlfriend. Since he had never openly denied it, she had genuinely started believing she was special to him. After all, among the endless parade of women coming in and out of his life, she was the only one who had managed to stay this long.

As the elevator doors slowly slid shut, Willow's eyes filled with pure, unadulterated venom.

It was all that miserable wretch Leah's fault.

If she hadn't shown up, Zach would never have treated her like this.

Her face stone-cold, she commanded Stella, "Look into who that woman was just now."

It had to be another seductive bitch banking on her looks to bewitch powerful men!

...

"Was Miss Royce your girlfriend, Mr. Rhodes?"

The background report she had commissioned clearly stated Willow was single.

Coming from an extremely average background, it was impossible for her to skyrocket to stardom and secure premium resources so fast without heavy capital backing her up.

A faint suspicion had already started taking root in her mind.

"She's just a little pet I've kept around. Definitely not a girlfriend." Zachary took a slow sip of his drink. Every casual movement oozed a reckless, flippant arrogance that he didn't even bother attempting to hide.

Judging by his phrasing, she wasn't even classified as an official mistress.

Vanessa lowered her eyes, masking the disgust swirling within.

It looked like Vittini would be needing a completely different ambassador.

Leah stood nervously off to the side, a flicker of shock registering on her face.

She had never imagined that Willow wasn't even Zachary's actual girlfriend.

Nolan clicked his tongue. "Rein it in, Zach. Be careful, or one of these days you're going to crash and burn over a woman."