?Chapter 959:


    Melinda had always been Chloe’s loyal sidekick, paying close attention to everything she said and did. At that moment, she couldn’t ignore the pointed nce Chloe threw in Derek’s direction. There was something unusual, something Melinda couldn’t quite put her finger on.


    Curious and bold as ever, Melinda approached Chloe and asked outright, “Have you discovered some dark secret about that bitch, Tiffany? You keep looking at Derek. Is it rted to him?”


    The question made Derek’s stomach churn with unease. He had worked tirelessly to guard the secret Melinda was unknowingly alluding to. If it were toe out now… He couldn’t begin to fathom the consequences.


    Aelfric, fiercely protective of his sister, would never tolerate any injustice against her. If he discovered Derek’s past engagement to Marissa, his fury would be inevitable. He might even call off the engagement between Derek and his sister, Chloe.


    ???€$? ?н???€?$ 1? g??l??ov?l??.????m


    Though he had been expelled from the Doomsday Base and stripped of a significant portion of his influence, Aelfric remained the head of the Warren family—a man of considerable power. Only a fool would risk offending him.


    Derek knew he couldn’t afford to lose Aelfric’s support before sessfully forging his connection with ck Mallow.


    “Chloe,” Derek said hastily, forcing a disarming smile, “Tiffany has nothing to do with me, so please stop looking at me like that. I wouldn’t want Melinda to get the wrong idea.”


    Chloe’s lips curled into a smirk, her eyes glinting with an inscrutable expression that only deepened the mystery.


    Melinda nced back and forth between Chloe and Derek, her suspicion growing with every passing second. Despite her feelings for Derek, her loyalty to Chloe remained unshakable. If it ever came down to a choice between the two, Melinda knew she would stand by Chloe—no questions asked.


    “Please tell me,” Melinda pleaded with Chloe, her voice filled with urgency.


    Chloe threw another sharp nce at Derek.


    “Look, Derek, I never intended to expose your secret, but this concerns Melinda’s future happiness. I’m afraid I have no choice.”


    Derek’s expression stiffened. There was no mistaking it now—Chloe had discovered his past engagement with Marissa, and she was about to expose it to everyone in the room. He was powerless to stop her.


    His heart raced wildly in his chest, and he felt all the color drain from his face. The sheer terror of what would happen if this secret were revealed consumed him.


    Unfortunately, his visible reaction didn’t go unnoticed. It only confirmed everyone’s suspicions that Chloe’s revtion was tied to him in some way.


    “What is it, Chloe?” Aelfric asked, his tone darkening with each passing moment.


    .


    .


    .