nothing, not even an incident like this, was going to derail it.
His beady eyes darted across the group of guests on the stage. Finally, his gaze landed on me, and a sly, almost predatory smile
spread across his face.
“Yunice, isn’t it interesting how you share the same surname as Jimmy, Harvey, and Alicia? What a coincidence!”
+15 BONUS
Alicia’s eyes lit up. She glanced at me with a smug expression.
Her health wasn’t great, so her brothers were worried she would be upset. Before I came back, they had already agreed in private not to reveal my true identity. At most, they would mention I was an adopted daughter.
‘But she’s been waiting for this moment, hasn’t she? She’s probably got the smear campaign ready to go. Soon, my brothers will
deny my identity, announce that she’s the only legitimate daughter of the Stone Family, and I’ll end up being dragged through the mud, accused of riding the wave for attention, and torn apart online.”
‘Not that I even want to admit I’m their sister,‘ I said inwardly with a cold laugh. “If I refuse now, I’ll just take a few insults and move on. Quietly cutting ties later would be simple enough. But if I acknowledge them now and get thrown out later, I’d be humiliated on a much grander scale.‘
Alicia’s fiance, Jeremy, was watching us thoughtfully, his sharp eyes darting back and forth between us.
When I raised my head, our eyes met. He flashed me a smile.
Alicia immediately noticed this subtle interaction. Her face darkened, and she shot me a glare before clutching his arm tightly as
if to make a statement.
The two of them were gearing up to market themselves as the perfect couple. On the show, they didn’t bother hiding their over- the–top displays of affection.
I instinctively stepped a little closer to Donald.
“What bad luck,‘ I muttered inwardly. “That over–excited little terrier has the nerve to think he’s male lead material? He’s not
even worth a single strand of Donald’s hair.‘
The man in question, Donald, let out a soft cough, his lips curling into a faint smile as he cast a quick, dismissive glance at
Jeremy.
But I wasn’t done yet. ‘Alicia treats that worthless man like a treasure, thinking everything will magically work out once she
marries him. She doesn’t realize his stepmother is a seasoned schemer, and there’s even a so–called ‘younger brother‘ in the family ready to cause trouble.‘
Alicia whipped her head around to look at Jeremy, who seemed anxious. Her eyes were blazing with fury. Standing next to him,
Henry couldn’t help but cover his mouth and winked playfully at Jeremy. “Dude, you’re playing a risky game here.”
I shot a glance at Henry, who was grinning foolishly.
“Look at this joker,‘ I muttered inwardly. ‘He’s clueless–getting cheated and still acting all carefree.”
Henry quickly averted his eyes, his expression suddenly serious as he fixed his gaze on me with exaggerated focus.
But my attention shifted back to the main couple. The atmosphere between Jeremy and Alicia had grown even tenser. Just moments ago, they had been basking in their sweet, romantle harmony, but now, it was clear something was wrong. Their faces flushed red, and they looked like they were struggling to breathe.
“Huh? What’s going on with them?” I asked inwardly, puzzled. ‘Why do they look like they’re
suffocating?”
