Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After Novel

Chapter 1113: Then, after a beat, Collin said more seriously, "At the end of the day, Dustin's a Wade. He's bound to play his part in the Wade Group." Dustin's lips curled into a cold, sarcastic smile as he replied, "Is that so?" That smile told Hester everything. It was years of resentment toward Collin, and she couldn't hide how pleased she was to see it. She thought all her pushing and advice had finally sunk in-Dustin was waking up to reality at last.

Meanwhile, Joanne, who had been watching Collin and Dustin's silent tension all night, found her gaze drifting to Jeffery without meaning to. It had been tough catching Jeffery over the past few days, let alone getting a good look at him like this. She was thrilled he had shown up at tonight's banquet. But Alicia being there put a damper on things. Joanne's expression darkened. When her eyes landed on Alicia's obvious pregnancy, irritation bubbled up inside her. She knew she had to make her move before the chance disappeared.

With the crowd around, Hester shifted the conversation toward Dolores. "Ms. Davidson, looks like you've had quite a bit to drink," Hester said, keeping her tone polite but edged with sharpness. "There are guest rooms upstairs if you want to rest. Just let the staff know. They can take you up." "No, thanks, Mrs. Wade. I'm fine." Dolores lowered her gaze quickly, almost as if trying to disappear from Hester's unreadable stare. Whether it was the alcohol or just nerves, her heart suddenly began pounding hard in her chest. Of course, Hester wasn't truly concerned about Dolores.

Her real game was testing Dustin, seeing how far he would tolerate this. She had known all along that Dustin wouldn't simply walk away from Dolores without a fight. So when she caught that quick flash of dark frustration in Dustin's eyes, she couldn't help but smirk slightly. His anger and refusal to back down were completely irrelevant to her. She had just gone public with Dustin and Joanne's engagement-along with their wedding date.

Find the latest releases gⱯlnσvs․com Hester was convinced that, despite all the love Dustin and Dolores shared, they didn't have the guts or the power to push back. She was certain that in a few years, they would see she had been right and thank her for her foresight. With that smug thought, she relaxed and said smoothly, "Good to hear." The second Hester's eyes slid away, Dolores let out the smallest, almost invisible sigh of relief. After everything lately, just hearing Hester's name or seeing her face in the news or in photos made Dolores' skin crawl like nothing else.

Hearing that cold, sharp voice sent a shiver straight down her spine. She bit her lip nervously, her hand reaching out without thinking to grab Linsey's sleeve, desperate for something steady to hold on to. Dolores' actions didn't go unnoticed by Linsey. She didn't let her expression slip, but she gave Dolores' hand a reassuring squeeze, noticing the coldness in her palm. Leaning closer, Linsey asked softly, "Do you feel cold?" The question snapped Dolores out of her thoughts, and she gave a small shake of her head.

"I'm okay." Linsey studied her for a moment, reading the storm swirling behind Dolores' calm exterior. Still, she kept up the pretense. All she could do now was hope tonight's plan would work, so Dolores would no longer have to endure all this pain. . . .