But it wasn't really her fault. If it weren't for Runa, she'd have been sitting at home waiting to die. She wouldn't be here.
Luana didn't plan to hide anything. She just told it like it was. "I was trying to stay away from Calvert. But Runa insisted I host him. If I didn't, she'd make me pay. So I had to do it."
She was basically saying, "Blame Runa, not me."
Cline sneered, "If you hadn't gotten into Calvert's bed, would she have made you host him?"
He was implying it was her own fault.
Typical Cline—his perfect woman. No matter what she did, he'd never blame her.
Luana decided to keep quiet.
Cline took a step closer, pinning her against the wall. He propped one hand above her head and looked down at her.
"Calvert just publicly called off the engagement to the Moriarty Group. Did you say something to him?"
Calvert called off the engagement?
Luana was stunned. Then she felt like a huge load of blame was being dumped on her.
She had no idea she was that powerful—able to make Calvert call off an engagement.
She pursed her lips and stayed silent. Explaining herself to Cline was pointless.
Cline leaned in a bit more. His faint scent filled her nostrils and made her mind go haywire again.
She awkwardly turned her head, and her lips accidentally brushed against his cheek.
A tingling sensation, like static electricity, spread between their skin.
Cline's body stiffened, and his expression got a little complicated.
Luana felt embarrassed. "Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to do that."
Cline looked at her blushing face, pushed aside his complicated thoughts, and said coldly, "So this is how you seduce a man?"
Luana's embarrassment faded, replaced by a sense of defeat. She felt drained.
After a long pause, she said, "Mr. Moriarty, you don't need to worry. I won't seduce you. Ever."
Cline's expression turned colder again.
He stared into her eyes, but he couldn't read anything in them—just a hint of indifference.
He couldn't name his feelings right now. He just felt annoyed.
After a moment of silence, his cold, distant demeanor returned.
He said, "Good. If I ever find out you're trying anything with me..."
Luana didn't budge. "Mr. Moriarty, you can rest easy. I haven't thought about you in years. Now that we're apart, I definitely won't."
Cline was speechless for a second. His cold eyes started to look a bit menacing.
Luana was a little scared. Her chin, which had been held high, slowly dropped under his intense gaze.
They fell into another long silence.
It was like whoever spoke first would lose.
After a while, they heard Calvert and Prunella talking outside the door.
Cline finally let go of the hand he had propped above her head, straightened up, and took a step back.
Before leaving, he glanced at Luana coldly.
"Calvert calling off the engagement doesn't mean the Coburn Group is calling it off. He'll still be the Moriarty's family member. Don't think a few whispered words will make him fight his whole family for you."
He left those words hanging and walked off toward the men's room.
Luana let out a deep breath as she watched his proud, distant back.
Every time she was around Cline, she felt an unnameable kind of tension.
She didn't know if she was afraid of him or afraid of showing her feelings for him.
Thankfully, she'd just blurted out that she never had feelings for him.
If Cline had seen through her, who knows how he'd mock her.
Luana shook off her jumbled thoughts, turned to the sink, pretended to wash her hands, and then walked out.
On his way to find Luana, Calvert had been pestered by Prunella the whole time. He was so annoyed.
When he saw Luana walking out of the restroom, he quickly pushed Prunella aside and went over.
"Miss Hammond, let's head back," he said.
Luana nodded, her indifferent gaze flickering toward Prunella for a second.
Prunella remembered slapping Luana earlier and was afraid she'd tell Calvert. Her eyes flashed a warning.
Luana found it kind of funny. Prunella had slapped her and was now afraid she'd talk.
Luana wanted to slap Prunella back, but this was Adams' territory.
If she made a scene in front of everyone, people would think she was the bully.
She didn't want to be the center of attention or get on the Adams family's bad side.
So, she decided to wait for a better chance to get back at Prunella.