Chapter 104
The music and voices never stopped, but Zachary’s voice stood out clearly above the re
He was so anxious that he grabbed her cuff and squeezed it until it was all crumpled. His tousled ha gelled to the side, had come loose, and his eyes were full of worry
Gwyneth felt as if a lifetime had passed.
In the past, when Zachary tried to comfort her, it was always with urgent explanations about how weak Bella was, hoping Gwyneth would understand, hoping she would step aside.
Now, Zachary brushed past Bella to stand in front of Gwyneth, as if to say, “Gwyneth matters more than Bella right now” But Gwyneth no longer cared.
Facing an ex–boyfriend who was convinced she was the mistress, she simply felt he was a fool. “This is my rightful place, she said coldly.
She took out her exclusive gold–embossed VIP invitation. These invitations were all custom–made by the organizers, reserved exclusively for VIP
guests.
A flicker of surprise crossed Zachary’s eyes. ‘Harrison would really go this far for a mistress he thought.
Gwyneth flicked the invitation between her fingers before letting it drop onto her lap. She smiled coolly. Tve always known my place, Mr. Flynn Maybe you should figure out yours.”
There would be no rekindling of old flames, no looking back, Gwyneth’s eyes turned frosty, putting an ocean of distance between them.
“Gwyneth, Zachary was just worried Mrs. Lopez might target you. Please don’t blame him, Bella said sweetly, seizing the chance to slip to her side, still playing up her innocent, delicate act
The emerald green off–the–shoulder gown accentuated her beauty, making her look even more radiant.
She picked up a glass of champagne, leaned in with feigned concent, and said, “Gwyneth, last time Zachary misunderstood you because of my asthma attack. I want to apologize today–oh.”
The glass wobbled, and half the champagne splashed onto the silver sann of Gwyneth’s dress, trickling down. Gwyneth frowned.
Bella’s eyes welled up with fake tears. “I’m so sorry. I accidentally stepped on my own hem and got your dress dirty. Let me wipe it for you” With that, she started to kneel dramatically before the crowd to clean Gwyneth’s dress,
Zachary, seeing his date about to kneel and wipe another woman’s dress in front of everyone, immediately grabbed Bella, unable to stand the humiliation
“That’s not your job,” he said, then caught the flicker in Gwyneth’s eyes and belatedly realized Bella should clean it up since she got it a mess. But it was not proper in this humiliating manner.
Trying to jusufy himself, he added, “Gwyneth, Bella just got out of the hospital. She’s stillweak. She didn’t mean to dirty your dress. I’ll compensate you, but this really isn’t the right occasion.”
Gwyneth stood up abruptly, flicking aside her damp skirt, her gaze icy. “If she’s too frail to function, she should stay home instead of making a spectacle here.”
“Gwyneth, Bella just he tried to explain.
“Bella is weak, not mute. She doesn’t need you to speak for her. If she’s that useless, you’d better keep her locked away at home as a specimen, Gwyneth mocked
She couldn’t be bothered to listen to his excuses. She brushed past him and asked a server to show her to the lounge to clunge.
At a party like this, there were always spare gowns prepared for guests. Only Bella and Zachary were left rooted in place, their faces burning with humiliation.
soon as Gwyneth stepped into the lounge with the attendant, Melanie sneered, “Wow, sis, how did you manage to
to get your dress so filthy?
“I thought the Lopez family adored you. Even if your dress got ruined, surely they’d have a few spares for their new wife. Turns out, you’re just like the rest of us, digging through backup gowns.”
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