Chapter 297 A Frigid Distance
Their bravado wilted like frostbitten eggplants, their courage shriveling in the face of Malcolm’s commanding presence. They appeared utterly subdued, their audacity evaporated under his stern gaze.
Alyssa, her pride still intact, was acutely aware that Everly had unnecessarily stirred the pot. If it hadn’t been for her meddling, would Alyssa have been the target of her fans‘ ire? The only barrier between her and an irate mob was her well–guarded contact information, which prevented them from descending upon the Flynn residence.
Alyssa was the first to break the silence, pointing an accusatory finger at Everly. “Malcolm, this isn’t my doing. You’re aware of the lies Everly has been spreading online. Now my fans are on the warpath. If my contact details weren’t so well–protected, they’d be pounding on our door, frightening Grandpa. Can she take responsibilty for that?”
Everly returned Alyssa’s glare with equal venom. “Am I slandering you, Alyssa? Which part isn’t the truth? Tell me, when have you ever faced opponents without Reese fighting your battles? When have you actually played the game yourself? You’re deceiving your fans, and I’m merely exposing your dirty little secrets.”
With that, the two were at each other’s throats again, their voices escalating in a cacophony of discord. “What’s it to you, huh? Did I step on your toes or something? We’re not even in the same field, and I’m certainly not your competition. What it boils down to is, you’re just jealous of how close Reese and I have become.”
Even if Everly secretly agreed, she’d never admit it out loud.
“Oh, cut the crap! When have I ever thought that?”
Reese watched, alarmed, as the argument reignited and nudged Malcolm with her elbow.
“Your sisters are like ticking time bombs, just waiting to explode at the slightest touch.”
Malcolm shot her a wry glance, half–joking, “It’s not just them that have a short fuse…”
He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Obviously, he was including Reese in that assessment too. To him, dealing with Everly and Alyssa was child’s play compared to his sharp–witted wife, who can turn any trick you play on her right back around.
Reese couldn’t tell if he was praising or criticizing her, but for the moment, she’d take it as a compliment.
“Do something about those two, will you?”
If Grandpa Flynn caught wind of their squabbling, it would only lead to more trouble.
Malcolm didn’t have the patience for petty disputes and pointed at Alyssa and Everly.
“If you two don’t stop arguing, take it to Grandpa’s room.”
They both clammed up.
Alyssa approached Malcolm, grabbing his arm and laying on the charm.
“Malcolm, you’ve got to back me up here. If it weren’t for Everly stirring up trouble, would I ever get in the way of you and Ree
As soon as she finished, Reese and Malcolm gave her a look that could kill, but Alyssa pretended not to notice. Her real intention was to get under Everly’s skin. After all, losing hair was easy these days, but growing it back? Not so much.
Everly should realize the effort it takes for hair to regrow.
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Chapter 297 A Frigid Distance
Malcolm knew the score and was not about taking sides, but this time Everly had indeed gone too far.
“Everly, apologize to Alyssa,” he said.
Everly’s eyes flashed wide with indignation. “Why should I apologize to her?”
Malcolm’s tone sharpened, and he gave her a stern glance.
“You know very well you were in the wrong this time!”
Deep down, Everly always had a certain fear of Malcolm, especially when she felt alone and unsupported.
Seeing Alyssa strut around filled her with the urge to march right up and slap some sense into her. But the cold, hard reality reminded her that it just wasn’t possible or even remotely acceptable.
“Fine,” she sighed inwardly. “There’s no point in burning bridges when you live to fight another day.”
Feeling resigned, she followed Malcolm’s advice and offered an apology to Alyssa.
“Okay, sorry, happy now?” she said stiffly.
Alyssa grossed her arms, lifting her chin in Everly’s direction. “That’s your apology?”
Through gritted teeth, Everly replied, “I’ve apologized, Alyssa. What more do you want? Don’t push it just because Malcolm’s here to back you up today,”
Alyssa remained steadfast in her view, “What can I do if you’re the one causing all this trouble? If you’d thought about the consequences, you wouldn’t have done things that hurt others without gaining anything yourself.”
“Am I the reckless one? It’s clearly you who’ve made this mess, Everly. You’re just too selfish.”
Everly was ready to retaliate, but the sight of Malcolm’s piercing gaze, sharp as a blade, silenced her once more.
“Alright, I apologize. It was my fault, and I won’t do it again.”
This time, Alyssa found Everly’s concession somewhat sincere, at least not as reluctant as before.
She wasn’t the type to hold a grudge when she had the upper hand. Knowing that Everly had been a part of the Flynn family for so long without any major issues, Alyssa realized that it was really just this one thing about Malcolm that Everly couldn’t let go of.
Malcolm was eager to move past the petty squabbles. He turned to Alyssa and said, “Since apologies have been made and the issue is resolved, let’s get on with it.”
Alyssa’s face lit up with a smile at the mention. “Sure, Malcolm. Let me tell you, landing Reese is probably the best thing that could happen to you.”
Malcolm perked up, intrigued. “What do you mean?”
“Reese got a pro gamer to train me, King, you know him, right? The legend who led his team to championships for years. Eve was all politeness when talking to Reese. Just goes to show how renowned Reese used to be in the gaming community.”
Malcolm nodded thoughtfully. “And then?”
*Reese got him to coach me so I can improve my skills. That way, I can make a comeback in front of my fans and restore my lost pride.”
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Chapter 297 A Frigid Distance
But Alyssa was oblivious to the fact that at that moment, Malcolm’s mind wasn’t on her coaching or her fanbase. It was on this guy named King, who had somehow been conversing with his wife.
He never denied the charm his darling wife possessed when it came to other men. In fact, he was well aware of the attention she
attracted.
So now, he had to stay vigilant at all times, especially regarding the men who approached her.
“Is that guy, you know, handsome? Malcolm inquired.
Whenever Alyssa spoke of King, she would go pn endlessly.
“Handsome? More like infuriatingly handsome.”
Reese could sense that Malcolm’s aura was off and quickly stepped in, pulling Alyssa’s arm firmly.
“Don’t you have some skills to practice? Get back to your room, and think about how much time you’ve got left.”
Alyssa, not fully grasping Reese’s implications but catching onto the urgency regarding time, quickly got the message.
“Right, right, I don’t have much time. Malcolm, I’ll head back to my room now, and we can catch up some other time
