Chapter 252
Anyone who made eye contact with Vana gave a polite nod and a smile, though their gars Inevitably dried toward the car behind him. He, howner. showed little expression as he continuand walking forward.
Behind the crowd, a few socialites whispered among themselves, “Did Mr. Winifred come alopat
Another muttered, “Told you something was off about that public announce beforehand
How could the just suddenly get married without any buzz
Many of these women had once hoped to many their daughters off to Yann, seeing it as a way to secure their family’s standing through a well matched
aliance.
That wedding announcement had caused a brief stir on Instagram, but it quickly faded without follow–up. And since no one ever received a formal invitation to the ceremony, the whole thing remained a matter of speculation.
Lucia kept a pleasant smile on her face, thinking, ‘So Yann really didn’t bring Audrey. Good. The longer they keep this marriage under wraps, the more secure i stay in my place as Mrs. Winifred
“Once I pair Talia up with Yann, and he quietly divorces Audrey, she won’t take any public hit. And Talia will owe me one. She’ll respect me more as her husband’s mother, Honestly, it’s the perfect outcome for everyone!
“Yann-“Lucia started to speak, but the words caught in her throat. The satisfied look on her face faded fast.
Instead of walking up
ip the steps, Yann veered around the car and headed to the other side to open the door.
His posture stiffened, and his expression turned serious like he was about to greet an important partner from Darkshell International
Audrey, meanwhile, had been waiting in the car, clearly growing impatient. If Yann hadn’t specifically told her to wait for him to help her out, she would have stepped out long ago.
She muttered inwardly, ‘It’s not like this is Logan’s first or last birthday party. Why is Yann acting like it’s some life–or–death moment?
When the car door opened, Audrey quickly reached out to Yann. She gave his fingers a quick, annoyed squeeze before gracefully stepping out with his
help
Lucia’s composure slipped the moment she saw them. Behind her, she heard someone gasp softly, followed by a wave of hushed murmurs barely held
back
One amongst the crowd asked, “is that Mrs. Winifred? Oh, she looks pretty young.”
Another chimed in, “She doesn’t look familiar. Definitely not from the Ashbourne business circle
A third added, “Not a celebrity either, as far as I can tell Who is she, to have Mr. Winifred treating her like that?”
Someone else said, “Hey, don’t jump to conclusions now. We don’t even know if she’s really Mrs. Winifred. That could be some partner’s daughter. Though, she is stunning”
Another person joked, “Well, if she’s not Mrs. Winifred, maybe I should introduce her to my nephew.
Lucia dug her nails into her palm, trying to keep up the composed, elegant image of a high society wife.
She thought, “Oh, don’t get too smug now. Once they see that ridiculous dress and the chunky gold bracelet, they will start talking very differently Audrey stepped out of the car and tugged the hem of her dress free. As she leaned forward slightly, all anyone could see was the top of her head. Yann shut the door behind her, and the long Lincoln slowly pulled away, revealing the couple standing side by side. Lucia’s eyes widened in shock.
09:00 Fri, 13 Jun
Chapter 252
Audrey hadn’t worn the dress Lucia picked out. Instead, she wore a sleek, figure hugging mermaid gown, the fam cascading in three layers, auch densely embroidered with glittering stones that shimmered like waves
The gown dipped low in the front and back, but a layer of sheer fabric underneath caugh
disappeared as Audrey moved.
yeating subtle patterns that appesedi
Around her neck, she w
c a dazzling diamond necklace. The large centerpiece sparkled in sync with her diamond earrings and even nutched the accent tones on Yann’s lapel pin. Standing together, the two locked perfectly coordinated, almost like they had planned matching butfits.
“Watch your step.” Yann said gently, slowing down to let Audrey walk more easily up the stairs.
Normally, he took two steps at a time. But now, he moved carefully, one step at a time, not wanting to leave Audrey’s side for even a second
No one had ever seen Yann act so tender and protective. The female guests stood frozen in disbelief, momentarily forgetting whatever they had been whispering about. All eyes turned to the couple–some stunned, some curious, others green with emey
Lucia tried to hide the jealousy in her eyes, but it still bled through. Fuming, she pondered, Thad to grovel and father my way through life just to get I wanted. Why does Audrey get Yann’s affection so easily?”
Lucia had seen the dress Audrey was wearing recently in a fashion magazine while flipping through pages with Renee and Celeste
It was designed by a famous designer, who claimed he had been commissioned to create a custom piece called “J’adore” as a gift for someone’s beloved The magazine had also featured a photo of the gown,
The designer joked that he had originally planned deep V cuts on both the front and back, but the client wanted to keep that view private, so he added a layer of sheer silk underneath.
That black sheer silk was incredibly rare, making the dress outrageously expensive. But then again, for someone who could afford to have 10,001 diamonds sewn into the hem, the cost probably didn’t matter.
The designer had also said he was waiting eagerly for a photo of the person wearing it.
The diamonds on the hem sparkled and shifted like rippling waves with every step Audrey took With her graceful figure and lively eyes, she looked like a spoiled little mermaid princess who had come ashore to explore the world for fun
Right then, someone said with a grin, “Well, if it isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Winifred!”
“Audrey, you look amazing tonight. Better than any movie star Keith and the others came forward to greet them, confirming Audrey’s identity for everyone watching.
“You guys look great too,” Audrey replied. Then, she felt Yann’s arm tense slightly in her grasp, so she added with a grin, “Though just a little less handsome than my husband.”
“Let’s head in,” Yann said, striding toward the
e entrance.
Lucia was completely ignored. She wanted to follow, but there was no way to get close. Audrey was now surrounded by four men, completely out of reach. She was drawing far too much attention.
Lucia might be Logan’s wife, and even though it was his birthday party, she wasn’t the star of the evening. She wasn’t even somehow become the center of everything.
The group, flanked!
ed by curious guests, made their way to Logan. “Hay, Dad.” Yann greeted him first before turning to Audrey
With that, she quickly handed over a gift. “Happy birthday. May this compass guide you through many
Now Audrey had
more calm and meaningful years ahead.”
Keith let out a cheerful laugh. “Oh, an antiqué compass? Now that’s a thoughtful one. Mr. Winifred is going to love it”
“It’s meaningfulton,” Quentin added with a nod
Chapter 252
The people nearby chimed in with polite praise, and Login accepted the gift with a smile. “Thank you, Audrey, Treaty Ski”
“It was actually Yann who picked it out. He’s the one with great taste,” Audrey said, filling her head toward Yann, He looked at her with such tenderness, it practically clung to the air.
Passing the antique compass to Lucia for her to keep, Logan took the lead and walked everyone over to the main table,
Lucia, trembling with anger, thought, ‘Where’s that tacky, gaudy gold bracelet that only a clueless upstart would wear? Audrey must’ve swapped the bracelet picked for her with this antique compass instead.
I’m the one who paid, well, fine, technically I didn’t pay for it. But Talla only covered the cost because of my status! And yet somehow Audrey ends up with all the praise and goodwill?
Before Lucia could even pull herself together, something even more unbelievable happened.
Logan, Yann, and Audrey walked up to the stage for the opening speech before the meal. That part was normal. What wasn’t normal was that Lucia, the wife, hadn’t been called up there.
Lucia froze, realizing there was no way she could keep her place in their social circle after being excluded like that. So, she hurried toward the stage, only to see Yann already holding the mic..
