Vespera had only meant to tease Nancy a little, but she was far too easy to mess with.

    Fine, then.

    She took her to The Spicy Bistro. Maybe something mean in her got stirred up because she ordered a spread of dishes that were off the charts spicy.

    Nancy ended up chugging water nonstop, her lips and eyelids puffing up like crazy.

    After a while, Vespera noticed her taking pictures of herself, of the food, of Vespera, and then... It looked like she was sending messages.

    Vespera thought, "She better not be tattling to Dominic again, telling him I bullied her."

    She was half right.

    Nancy was messaging Fawn,ining about the malicious woman who, knowing full well she couldn''t handle spicy food, still insisted on eating it right in front of her.

    Two days, twoints.

    Yesterday, it was about seducing Dominic and shamelessly fooling around in broad daylight.

    Today, it was about poisoning Dominic''s ex.

    After reading the messages, Fawn looked practically heartbroken, but also kind of worried. Could Nancy really go head-to-head with Vespera?

    "Ms. Acosta, are you full?" Vespera asked, still smiling sweetly, making no mention of the phone.

    Nancy put her phone down. "Yeah, I''m good. The food tasted pretty nice."

    Vespera kept smiling. "d you liked it. But that swollen-lipped look of yours... Maybe cool it with the spice next time."

    Nancy pulled out a mirror and started touching up her makeup.

    The two of them walked out of the restaurant.

    Just as they were about to head down to the lower levels, Vespera spotted someone-not quite familiar, but definitely unforgettable. It was that dimwitted new girlfriend Luke had brought back to the apartment.

    It didn''t matter whether she was officially his new girlfriend or not. If he brought her home, Vespera counted her as one.

    Walking next to her was a woman Vespera had seen once before, outside the police station-Theodore''s second wife, Tina''s aunt, and someone... seriously terrifying.

    She hadn''t expected to run into them here.

    Nancy noticed Vespera''s eyes fixed ahead and instinctively nced in the same direction. "Ms. Gildon, do you know them?"

    "Not really," Vespera replied curtly. She had no intention of saying hello.

    Across the way, Selena and Carly had also spotted Vespera approaching.

    The two groups ended up getting on the esctor, one before, one after. "Bad woman!" Carly suddenly pouted and shouted at Vespera.

    Ever since Vespera had scolded her that one time and told her not to hug Dominic, Carly had decided she was the viin.

    Selena took the opportunity to ask, "You know thisdy?"

    "Yeah! Bad woman!"

    Vespera had originally nned to

    Nangem and keep walking, but

    Nancy acted like she''d just uncovered some juicy scandal.

    Not only did she turn around, but

    she also spoke up to Carly. "Wharet

    you mean, bad woman? Ms. Gildon is a very nice person. You shouldn''t say stuff like that."  fo

    Clearly, she was trying to stir the pot.

    Vespera was speechless.

    Someone couldn''t wait to dig up dirt and run straight back to Dominic with it, huh?

    She stopped walking and turned to

    face Selena and Carly. "Oh, it''s you, Ms. Locke. Sorry about leaving you with the building manager. And please, don''t call me a bad woman again, alright?"

    "Bad woman! I want the handsome guy!"

    "You already have a handsome guy, don''t you? Go y with him."

    "I don''t want to! You''re mean!"

    "I''m not mean."

    ...

    Vespera chatted along with Carly, her tone gentle and friendly.

    Nancy listened,pletely confused.

    But even she could tell that the one calling Vespera a "bad woman" clearly wasn''t

    all there.

    Then, suddenly, Carly reached out and tried to shove Vespera.