Chapter 571: Clutch
With a cold expression, he removed his headphones and stood up.
The lively room instantly became quieter.
Looking at everyone present, he spoke in a flat voice. "I’m leaving."
After saying those words, he waited. Normally, Thessy would immediately follow him.
She always did. However, this time she remained seated.
Not only did she stay seated, but she did not even look in his direction.
Philip blinked. For a moment, he thought he had seen it wrong.
Suppressing the urge to explode in anger, he spoke again.
"Thessy. Let’s go."
Thessy finally turned around. To his surprise, she simply shook her head.
"Brother, you can go first."
A bright smile appeared on her face. "I’m planning to treat your friends to dinner."
She looked toward the others. "They treated me really well during the gaming session."
Before Philip could say anything, Clutch suddenly leaned closer to Thessy.
His arm casually wrapped around her waist. "What a sensible girl."
The smile on his face widened. "I like people who know how to appreciate others."
The moment he spoke, several esports players nearby immediately joined in.
Lion laughed. "That’s right."
Hovac nodded enthusiastically. "She’s way more considerate than someone I know."
The room instantly filled with teasing laughter.
Philip’s face darkened. The veins on his forehead nearly bulged.
Slowly, he turned toward Clutch.
"Are you really going to play this dirty?"
Everyone knew exactly what he meant.
Not long ago, Philip had used his influence to remove Clutch from a captain position after a major disagreement.
Although Clutch had never openly complained, Philip knew he had not forgotten.
Now it seemed that he was taking revenge in the most irritating way possible.
Clutch heard those words and immediately rolled his eyes.
"Brother, who do you think you are?"
His voice was calm, but every word carried sharp mockery. "Let’s be honest here."
He leaned back in his chair comfortably. "You’re nothing more than the young master of a wealthy family."
His gaze locked onto Philip. "Someone who spends money recklessly."
Then he pointed at himself. "Meanwhile, I earn it."
A confident smile appeared on his face. "I make hundreds of thousands of dollars every single month."
The room became completely silent. "So tell me honestly."
His smile widened further. "Why would I care about some tiny captain position?"
He shrugged casually. "You’re seriously overreacting right now."
As if those blows were not enough, Thessy suddenly chimed in as well.
"Yes, Brother. You are very impatient."
She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "In fact, you should learn from Brother Clutch."
The moment those words left her mouth, Clutch burst into laughter. "Well, that is quite the compliment."
His smug grin widened as he leaned back comfortably in his chair. Philip stood frozen.
For a moment, he genuinely could not understand what was happening.
’Why? Why did my sister change so much?’
His fingers tightened into fists.
’Wasn’t she supposed to be the little princess of the family? Wasn’t she someone who never needed anyone else’s attention because the entire family already spoiled her? Then why has she changed so much?’
A frightening thought suddenly crossed his mind. ’Or... was she always like this?’
Meanwhile, Thessy had thoughts of her own. ’Truly, he’s an idiot.’
Her expression remained innocent on the surface, but inwardly, she was sneering.
’Did he really think I would use him as a stepping stone forever? The Peterson family is no longer as reliable as it once was. How could I continue relying solely on them?’
She needed her own network.
’If he truly cared about me, he would have helped me long ago. But no. Every single time I asked for something, he denied me. He restricted me. He controlled me. Isn’t that enough proof that he never truly considered me his real sister?’
As those thoughts ran through her mind, she clenched her fists beneath the table.
Meanwhile, Clutch observed her expression and chuckled inwardly. ’Good. Very good.’
His eyes briefly landed on Philip.
’Now let’s see how calm you can remain. Didn’t you tell me to learn patience? Didn’t you take away my position and humiliate me in front of everyone? Then let’s see whether you can stay patient while I take away something important to you.’
The corners of his lips curled upward. The revenge was far more satisfying than he had imagined. Among everyone present, only Claw looked increasingly uncomfortable.
Finally, he frowned and looked directly at Thessy. "Thessy."
His voice was serious. "You don’t understand your brother’s good intentions."
He shook his head. "It isn’t too late. Listen to him."
However, Thessy simply rolled her eyes internally. From her perspective, Claw was not worth her attention.
His background was ordinary. His family lacked influence. Compared to someone like Clutch, who belonged to one of the wealthiest families below the Petersons, Claw was insignificant.
Not to mention, she was already planning far ahead. Even if Clutch eventually lost interest in her, she intended to make sure he would have no choice but to marry her.
How could she allow Claw to become an obstacle in her path? A sweet smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Brother Claw, sometimes I truly wonder if my brother has been too kind to you."
Her voice was polite, but her eyes carried unmistakable disdain. "How can you lecture me?"
She crossed her arms. "Do you not know that I am the future heiress of the Peterson family?"
As she spoke, she deliberately looked him up and down. The contempt in her gaze was impossible to miss.
Claw’s face darkened. For the first time, genuine anger appeared in his eyes. Before he could speak, Philip suddenly stood up.
"Thessy."
His voice was cold. "Is that really how you talk to my friend?"
Thessy immediately pushed back her chair. "You know what? I don’t want to stay here anymore."
She turned toward Clutch. "Brother Clutch, let’s go somewhere else."
Clutch immediately stood up. "Sure."
A victorious smile appeared on his face. Without hesitation, he grabbed her hand.
The moment Philip saw that, panic flashed through his eyes.