Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After Novel

Chapter 1118: At once, Jeffery moved to her side. "Slow down, Alicia. There's no need to hurry," he said, concern evident in his tone. Joanne felt her features go rigid, remaining rooted where she stood, uncertain what to do. Her gaze followed Jeffery as he walked away, her thoughts tumbling in confusion. In just a few strides, Jeffery reached Alicia, clasped her hand gently, and, with practiced tenderness, brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. "Why do you look so freaked out?" Jeffery asked, his eyebrows raised in concern.

Alicia's eyes scanned him quickly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I heard two loud bangs just now. Linsey said the chandelier upstairs almost fell. I got scared... Thought you might've been under it." Jeffery let out a quiet laugh, trying to ease her worry. "I'm good, seriously. Not even a scratch." They weren't standing particularly close, but something about the air between them felt personal, as if it wrapped them in a space no one else could enter. Joanne noticed the shift in energy between them, and her face slowly fell into a quiet, heavy frown.

Linsey saw Jeffery drift closer to Alicia. Without rushing, she turned and made her way over to where Dolores and Dustin were. Dolores and Dustin were still locked in each other's arms, lost in their own world, completely oblivious to Hester walking straight toward them, her face blank and unreadable. Just then, Collin quietly stepped up next to Linsey. He leaned in and muttered, "Let's just watch for now. No need to jump in." Linsey gave a subtle nod, deciding to hang back without saying a word. "Get up.

Everyone's staring," Hester murmured, her voice low but tight, fighting to stay composed. Dolores, still in Dustin's arms, seemed to snap out of a trance. She scrambled to her feet, avoiding Hester's gaze like it burned. gⱯlnσνs․com holds stories for every mood "I... I'm sorry," Dolores mumbled, flustered. Dustin pulled himself together fast. Standing tall, he looked Hester straight in the eye. "I'm fine, Mom." Hester's lips twitched in a bitter half-smile. Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Oh, I'm sure you are." Her eyes flicked upward to the chandelier, which was still wobbling faintly, like a warning. The banquet hall manager came sprinting over, clearly panicked. "Mrs. Wade, we're so sorry. We failed to double-check the fixtures. Turns out the screws holding the chandelier were loose." Hester shot him a cold, sharp look. Her voice was raspy, edged with fury. "You should count yourself lucky no one ended up in the hospital tonight." "We're truly sorry, Mrs. Wade. We'll give you a full explanation-and make it right," he promised, almost breathless.

The manager's eyes darted nervously to the big shots standing nearby, anxiety written all over his face. "If anyone's hurt, we'll get you to a hospital right away. All the bills, any damages-everything's on us." His gaze swept over the crowd: Collin, the big shot behind CR Corporation; Dustin, next in line for the Wade fortune; and Jeffery, son of the Lawsons. Not a single one of them was the type to mess with. . . .