Se connecterAlthea's head felt light with excitement as she returned to the house. She had never experienced anything like this in her adult life. The only moment she could compare it to was her tenth birthday, when her late father had thrown a special celebration for her. It was the same breathless, childlike happiness she had felt back then, and today, that same joy was rushing through her veins all over again. She had never imagined that a nobody like her would ever live to see a day like this."Mrs. Gable!" she shouted as she entered the house, jumping excitedly in the foyer. "I did it! I really did it!"Hearing her scream, Mrs. Gable came rushing out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a napkin."Oh my goodness, Althea!" she exclaimed, hurrying towards her with the same excitement on her face."I did it!" Althea repeated with a huge grin. "I actually faced him today. I stood up for myself in front of everyone!""I knew it!" Mrs. Gable beamed, pulling her into a tight hug. "I knew you had a
Immediately, the grand doors of the Cross mansion swung open. Mrs. Beatrice quickly stood up, dressed extravagantly as if she had been waiting for a spotlight. Vivienne and her brother also rose from the dining table, where a lavish celebratory spread had already been set up. They all rushed to meet him, with Mrs. Beatrice wearing a smug smile as she moved ahead of everyone."Goodness me, Julian, you're home already!" Mrs. Beatrice exclaimed, holding Vivienne's hands as she beamed. "I know the world has finally seen the kind of wife you married. I can't wait for you to introduce our sweet, dearest new daughter-in-law to the world.""Hey, baby," Vivienne murmured, sounding a bit too shy as she smiled up at him.Julian didn't answer. Right now, words couldn't even find him. His face was stark white, his tie violently ripped open and his chest heaved with barely contained rage. Sweat poured down his face despite the freezing cold of the air conditioning."I have been refreshing the tablo
Althea shifted uneasily, her palms already sweating. She knew what had happened in that suite could become one of the biggest humiliations of her entire life. If Julian had the video, there would be nowhere for her to hide.And Derek... She still didn't know if she could trust him, even now.What if he had been working with Julian all along?The assistant aggressively clicked through the timeline, but the video didn't change.For the entire five-minute recording, the camera showed nothing more than Althea sitting quietly, her shoulders shaking as tears streamed down her face.The assistant aggressively clicked through the timeline, but the video didn't change. Throughout the entire five-minute block, the camera only captured Althea sitting idly, her shoulders shaking as tears tracked down her face. There was no lookalike. There was no gigolo. There was no compromise.Althea looked up at the screen, and for the first time, a small, bitter smile touched her lips. She turned her head back
I may have made the biggest mistake of my life by signing away my freedom to Derek...The same thought had been echoing bitterly in Althea's mind since yesterday, ever since she signed the document.My freedom may be gone, but I still have one thing left... Revenge.If she could make Julian pay for everything he had put her through, maybe losing her freedom wouldn't feel like such a terrible price to pay.She wanted revenge so badly that she no longer cared what it cost her. She wanted him to feel every bit of the pain, humiliation and silent suffering she had endured while he made her believe that her suffering was normal.The driver pulled up to the private VIP entrance of the corporate tower."We are here, Ms. Evans," the driver murmured.Althea took one deep, trembling breath and smoothed down the front of her bright red blazer. Her hands were freezing cold, and her chest felt tight.When the car door was opened for her, she stepped onto the sidewalk. She looked up at the tall glas
"How dare you call me your mother-in-law!" Beatrice hissed, quickly scooping her phone off the floor and dialling Julian's number.The line connected instantly."Julian! Julian, you won't believe it!" Beatrice shrieked into the phone while looking at Althea, who the guards pinned down. "That trash, Althea... she tracked us down! She just tried to kill Vivienne and the baby at the mall! She pushed her to the floor! I've already had the guards lock her down!"Through the speaker, Julian's furious, arrogant voice boomed loudly."How dare that bitch! Put her behind bars immediately! Throw her to the local precinct, Mother. Call the chief right now. I will personally make sure she rots in a cell for trying to touch my heir! I'm on my way... FUCK!"Althea's heart broke into a million pieces as the guards aggressively pushed her out of the shop. She looked down at the floor, feeling so ashamed as everyone in the crowd watched her being dragged away like a criminal. Julian didn't even hesitate
By the time they reached the shopping district, Althea was still trying to understand what was happening. She hadn't expected to go shopping that day, certainly not with a man she barely knew paying for everything. Mrs. Gable, however, seemed completely comfortable with it, walking beside her with an easy, unbothered grace as they moved from one luxury store to another.The moment they reached the next corridor and Althea glanced up at the golden logo above the glass entrance, she slowed her steps.This was The Luminary, the city's most exclusive, closed-door shopping pavilion. For four long years, Althea had only ever come here to buy things for Julian or her mother-in-law when they needed something exceptionally high-class for their elite social circles. During those trips, she had always been forced to keep her own choices modest and plain to avoid Beatrice's lectures about her middle-class background.She knew how expensive this place was. The prices here reached unbelievable figu







