The horse neighed loudly as the helpers holding its ropes tried to pull it towards where Elara stood, waiting for her horse.
The loud neighing caught everyone's attention, and they looked at the back of the lady standing at the corner of the arena.
George Frost, who had been talking to the arena's owner, also turned in that direction, his gaze darkening when he saw his sister standing there.
"What is she doing there?" He seethed under his breath before looking at his guards, who looked down at their feet, ashamed.
"Where is Antonio?" George asked.
Daniel Macros, who heard him clearly, looked at the woman before looking back at him.
"You know that woman?" He asked.
George paused. How could he forget that he was standing in a public place and everyone could hear him? Remembering how Elara had pleaded to him to keep her identity a secret until she solved all the mess, he took a deep breath.
"Yes. Why?" George said, not elaborating on the relationship.
Daniel's expression darkened.
"She is the same woman who left this girlish horse for our boss and took that black horse," the assistant explained.
George tilted his head before he looked at the back of his sister.
He hummed vaguely before walking inside the lounge to talk to his bodyguards in private.
"Sir, I shall assure you that you made a good decision by not taking that horse. It's called Black Beast because he never lets anyone ride on his back. He had an owner who put him here under our care. We just get a monthly allowance to take care of him," the owner of the arena said to Daniel, knowing he was a big shot.
Daniel looked at the woman with interest.
Was he about to witness some misfortune? He wondered, a smirk appearing on his face since he always loved chaos.
On the other hand, Andrew, who thought Elara was putting on a show because she was clearly jealous of Beatrice, walked over to her.
"Elara, what is the meaning of all this? Must you take things so far?" Andrew asked while still on his horse.
Elara had wanted to ignore him, but when the black horse neighed even louder when Andrew's horse got closer to her, she couldn't help but want to send him away quickly.
"I am here to ride a horse. Is that such a big issue?" She asked.
Andrew scoffed. Andrew's friend, Kevin, walked over to the duo on his horse before he mocked Elara.
"You want to go horse riding in this attire? Who are you fooling, Elara? Why are you always so uptight about competing with Beatrice? She is an elegant lady," Kevin scoffed as he circled on his horse.
"Rather than competing, if you focus more on becoming half elegant, that would look much better. What rotten luck my friend here got that he had to marry you." Kevin's words were harsh, like a tight slap on Elara's face.
Watching the man she loved for almost four years stand there with no reaction to his friend's words, Elara closed her eyes for a brief second before taking a deep breath.
Who needed his support to take down such yapping bastards? She could do it herself.
"Get lost," Elara said before looking up.
Kevin froze for a second. Did he hear it right?
"I think something is wrong with my ears. Your wife must be apologizing to you, but I only heard 'get lost.' I heard wrong, right?" Kevin asked before looking at his friend.
However, when he saw the stoic expression on Andrew's face as the man pinched the bridge of his nose, he understood that he had heard it right.
At the same time, seeing the girlish horse beside Daniel Macros that everyone knew he would never ride, people started coming over to exchange their horses with the man to curry favors.
Beatrice saw this opportunity too and rode her horse closer to where Daniel was standing.
"Mr. Macros, if you are fond of this black horse, you can ride this one. It was pure luck that I got my hands on this one," Beatrice said, blinking her eyes innocently.
People felt amazed and struck by her beauty. The little sunshine falling on her body made her look even more enchanting.
Paired with her soft and kind voice, she looked like an angel descending from heaven.
Daniel looked at the black horse Beatrice was on. As someone fond of horses and riding them, he knew that the woman before him wasn't boasting.
The black horse was indeed well-maintained and one of a kind.
However…
He briefly glanced at it before turning his gaze to where the keepers were still trying to hold that black beast back.
"If I have to make another choice, I want no other horse but that one." Daniel made his stance clear, and everyone immediately turned to the horse that was beyond control by the keepers.
Many business aristocrats who knew how to ride horses wondered whether they could take their chance and exchange their token with the lady they had yet to see.
"What did you just say?" Kevin glared at Elara, who shrugged.
"Unlike you guys, who are here to lick the boots of Mr. Macros to strike a deal, I am not here for any such purpose. I just want to ride a horse. So go yap somewhere else and let me ride in peace." Elara's words were loud, bold, and clear.
People who were about to approach her to exchange their token paused when they heard her unfiltered remarks.
Candice chuckled at her friend's words. She was happy that her friend was back to her feisty self, something she had missed over the years.
It was true she was here to strike a deal, too, but rather than with Mr. Marcos, she was here to meet Mr. George.
Daniel raised his brows, merely intrigued.
Kevin's face turned red at the blatant disrespect.
"You! Andrew, get your wife in control, or I won't shy away from teaching her a lesson." Kevin glared at Elara.
"Elara, I think you have made quite a scene. You should leave," Andrew said.
Elara furrowed her brows.
"And who are you to order me around? When I said get lost, I said that to both of you," Elara said before she pulled her hair into a ponytail. Her slender, swan-like, thin neck and slim figure with curves in all the right places caught everyone's attention.
Though they had yet to see her face, it wasn't hard to guess that she was a beauty just from her back.
"I pity that lady. She is choosing death," the owner said. and
"Miss, I think you should give up on the idea of riding him. He is out of control. He can not only harm you but others, too." The owner shouted as he began walking towards Elara.
Beatrice pressed her lips into a thin line and rode to where Elara was standing.
"Miss Elara, I understand that you are jealous because Andrew here came with me, but must you jeopardize this important meeting for us? Are you really going to act like that and risk others' lives just because of your emotions?" Beatrice's voice was soft, but the cutting meaning behind her words was precise.
Elara raised her brows.
"Beatrice, you have an awful habit of interpreting things no one asked you to and putting your nose where it doesn't belong. I understand you have a passion for seducing men, but I am a woman. I don't need your unsolicited advice. So you, too, get lost," Elara said the last sentence slowly, not at all keeping a filter on her mouth.
Her choice of words made Beatrice's smile falter, and she looked at Andrew briefly, her eyes watering.
"Elara! That's enough! You are taking it too far!" Andrew couldn't bear to see tears in Beatrice's eyes.
Elara looked at the irony of the situation before shaking her head and looking at the owner.
"Ask your man to lose his ropes," she said.
The owner swallowed hard.
"But Miss,"
"Does it look like I want to repeat myself? That's my horse, the one I chose, and I have the right," Elara said.
Seeing the stubborn woman, who did not care about her life, the owner shook his head before nodding at the keepers to signal everyone to empty the main arena for a few seconds to ensure safety, as they did not want any accidents.
"Loosen the ropes," the owner said, and Elara looked at the horse's eyes that turned slightly sharp as it looked straight at her, almost looking like it would crush her.