"Marianne, keep your voice down. Let’s go." Zuri Ginger tugged at her sleeve urgently.
"What’s there to be afraid of?" Marianne Jackson glared angrily at Mia Ginger, "You’re just too easy to bully, that’s why those shameless people are so complacent."
"Who are you calling shameless?" Mia Ginger sneered as she stepped forward.
"Whoever’s shameless, I’m talking about them!" Marianne Jackson snapped, raising her chin to glare at her. "Clearly, it was Zuri who liked Brother Koa first. What are you doing butting in?! Just like a wretch raised, all you know is to shamelessly throw yourself in front of men..."
"Smack!" Mia Ginger raised her hand and slapped her directly.
Marianne Jackson, wearing thin-heeled sandals, stumbled back a step with a sharp cry from Zuri, instinctively covering her burning cheek with one hand.
"How dare you hit me!" She had never been slapped since she was a child, and coming back to her senses, she was furious, cursing through gritted teeth as she lunged at Mia Ginger.
Zuri Ginger quickly pulled her back and soothed, "Marianne, don’t be impulsive. Your brother will be here soon."
"It’s perfect if he comes, let him see how this bitch hit me!" Marianne Jackson, held back from lunging, was both angry and embarrassed, tears streaming down her face.
"You’re the bitch." Mia Ginger dismissed her without concern, looking with disdain at Zuri Ginger, who was earnestly trying to pacify, and sneered coldly, "Can’t stop pretending for a second, can you?"
Zuri Ginger was taken aback, releasing Marianne Jackson’s hand in surprise.
Marianne Jackson raised a hand to swing at Mia Ginger.
Before she got close, Mia Ginger sidestepped and lifted a foot, and Marianne went straight down toward the marble floor.
"Mia Ginger!" Zuri Ginger shouted in anger, and with a loud "smack," a slap came to her face.
She was stunned by the hit.
"Have you had enough of this act?" Mia Ginger sneered at her, "Koa Jackson said he doesn’t know you. Until when are you going to play the scared white lotus game? Not enough with causing a ruckus at home with Bob Ginger? Is it not enough embarrassment in the family but to bring it to the marketplace? Did Amelia Miller tell you this? Are you performing in some damn spy drama?"
"Bitch!" Zuri Ginger’s chest heaved violently, and she came at her waving a hand.
Mia Ginger sidestepped, turned, grabbed her hair, and they started to brawl.
It was just mealtime, and more people were gradually coming and going around them, many startled by the commotion, yet most were well-dressed adults.
Some frowned, pointing, but were too lazy to intervene.
Koa Jackson came up in the elevator with five or six people, and from afar, they heard Marianne Jackson’s shrill cries, calling someone a "bitch," utterly disgracing the Jackson Family.
He quickly stepped forward, grabbed Marianne Jackson by the arm, and with a cold expression, delivered a slap.
Marianne Jackson had always been a bit afraid of him. She had not gained the upper hand even with Zuri Ginger, and this unexpected slap directly stunned her.
The tussling Zuri Ginger and Mia Ginger also abruptly stopped.
"What do you think you’re doing?" Koa Jackson, towering with a fair and handsome face, yet as cold as ice at this moment, with brows tightly furrowed, his voice cold and severe.
Marianne Jackson, slapped by him, felt wronged and started to cry.
Koa Jackson’s stern words forced her tears back, and he turned his cold face to Mia Ginger, "You tell me. What exactly were you doing?"
"Fighting." Mia Ginger looked up at him, brushing a hand through her hair.
"I’m not blind." Koa Jackson retorted in frustration, sweeping a gaze over the disheveled Zuri Ginger, and he directly pulled out his phone.
He called Lydia Williams.
"...at Shining International," he went straight to the point upon connecting, "Please send someone over to pick her up, and have a good talk, the Jackson Family’s reputation has been thoroughly disgraced."
His expression remained indifferent.
The three who had no semblance of their previous image dared not make a sound.
"Go downstairs and wait to be picked up." After the call, Koa Jackson looked at Marianne Jackson.
"Brother, I..." Marianne Jackson looked at him, feeling wronged, "It was Mia Ginger who hit me first, only then did Zuri and I fight back."
"That’s not important." Koa Jackson cut her off, "You’re a Jackson, not a shrew. Go home and reflect, don’t bring shame to the Jackson Family again."
Marianne Jackson was startled by his tone, and crying, she headed downstairs, with Zuri Ginger hurrying to catch up.
Mia Ginger grabbed her by the wrist, looked up at Koa Jackson, and said, "She’s Zuri Ginger, Marianne Jackson said you’d like her, would you?"
Koa Jackson’s gaze fell on Zuri Ginger’s swollen cheek.
Mia Ginger released her immediately, and Zuri Ginger hesitated for a second before quickly rushing off to catch up with Marianne Jackson.
The few spectators, murmuring and sighing, drifted away.
Mia Ginger let out a breath.
Under Koa Jackson’s calm gaze, she slowly lowered her head.
"So, uh," George Davis, who had been watching, cleared his throat with a couple of awkward laughs, glanced at this strangely tense pair, and brazenly asked, "What are we eating?"
"Weren’t you supposed to come up and keep an eye?" Koa Jackson lowered his gaze to Mia Ginger, his voice slightly low, "What do you want to eat?"
"Ah," Mia Ginger instinctively raised her head, her gaze searching around uncomfortably, and she said sheepishly, "Wang’s... crossing bridge noodles?"
"No." Koa Jackson frowned slightly.
"..." Mia Ginger felt sure that he was still angry, and softly said, "Um..."
She reached out and pointed, "Hot pot?"
"Mm," Koa Jackson snorted lightly, "Even less nutritious."
"Pfft." George Davis couldn’t hold back, letting out a low chuckle.
"We’ll wait for you at Southwest Restaurant," Koa Jackson nonchalantly scanned the area and stared at her untidy hair, "Go to the restroom over there and tidy yourself up."