Marrying A Secret Zillionaire: Happy Ever After Novel

Chapter 1126: Reining in her anger, Hester closed her eyes, a sudden thought creeping into her mind. "Are you afraid that Kase will hold it against you later?" Hester asked, her voice calm but perceptive. Joanne didn't even try to deny it. "Of course I am." She turned away, her movements slow and deliberate, walking toward the window. Her voice dropped to a soft murmur. "Kase acknowledges me as a Walton. That status grants me access to Grester's elite circles. But in truth, he doesn't care about me.

I'm just a pawn to him-a tool to bring greater benefits to the Walton family." As the words fell, Joanne paused by the window, her silhouette outlined by the fading light. She stared blankly into the distance. "Even for tonight's engagement party, he declined to attend, citing poor health as an excuse." The room fell into an almost reverent silence. The only sound was the faint rhythm of their breathing. Linsey remained seated on the sofa, directly facing Joanne's figure by the window.

Just two hours earlier, she had mockingly downplayed the importance of the engagement party to defend Dolores, using its simplicity to strike at Joanne. But now, she realized the truth cut deeper than she had imagined. Joanne hadn't merely been slighted by the Wade family-she had long grown used to being undervalued. Instead of fighting for her own identity, she had reduced herself to the image of an ideal partner, desperately chasing validation through love, not self-worth. Linsey exhaled quietly, unable to find the right words to respond.

Hester, however, had far less tolerance for sentiment. The longer she listened, the more her suspicions grew. A new concern began to gnaw at her. If Joanne had fallen for some other wealthy bachelor, she might have been able to convince her to stay with Dustin, to stand beside him as a supportive partner. But never had she expected Joanne to be harboring feelings for Jeffery. Jeffery was not only married, but about to become a father, and his relationship with Alicia was widely known to be stable and loving.

мσяє υρ∂αтєѕ ιи gαℓиσνєℓѕ.¢σм What alarmed her even more was that Joanne, fully aware of all this, still harbored deep feelings for him. She could vividly recall Joanne's lingering gaze on Jeffery earlier that night. It sent a ripple of dread through her. This wasn't just a passing infatuation-this was dangerous. Joanne would not let go easily. And when things spiraled out of control, Dustin would be dragged right into the chaos, humiliated as the jilted fiancé in front of all of Grester's elite. As Dustin's mother, Hester couldn't allow that. He was her only son.

And so, she made her decision. The engagement had to end-tonight. "I'm willing to spare you public embarrassment," Hester said coolly. "I won't expose your feelings for Jeffery. Let's just part ways quietly-it benefits both families." Joanne turned from the window, her brow furrowing. "Kase will demand a reason. If I can't give him a convincing explanation, he won't let it go." Hester's expression hardened. "You keep refusing. Do you really think I'm easy to negotiate with?" Her voice turned sharp. "You paraded your affection for Jeffery tonight, plain for all to see.

That alone is reason enough to dissolve the engagement. What leverage do you think you have left?" . . .