?Chapter 319:


    Her voice was soft, her smile perfectly controlled, her presence so polished that it was hard to associate her with the disheveled figure from the engagement party.


    Mnie shot her a disdainful look. “And who might this be?”


    “The legitimate daughter of the Morgan family, Rosanna,” Mariana said casually, lifting her coffee cup to her lips.


    Recognition shed across Mnie’s face, quickly giving way to a smirk.


    “Oh, isn’t she the one whose fiancé abandoned her at their engagement party? Quite the scandal.”


    For a fleeting second, Rosanna’s expression tightened, but she recovered almost instantly. She approached with quiet dignity, picked up the coffee pot, and poured coffee for the two women as if she hadn’t heard the insult.


    Her tone remainedposed. “I apologize for the scene at the engagement party. My older sister Maia has always been difficult. After serving time for theft, she became even more vtile. I’ve tried to maintain peace between us, but she’s never been willing. She resents our parents for favoring me andpetes with me over everything, even seducing my fiancé just to ruin my engagement and embarrass our family. I only wish for a quiet life, but she keeps making it impossible.”


    Rosanna’s voice carried a hint of grievance, painting herself as the innocent victim.


    “Enough. That’s all in the past now.” Mariana waved her hand, signaling Rosanna to sit. She turned to Mnie and added lightly, “Rosanna is a close friend of mine. Please don’t mock her anymore. She’s suffered enough.”


    Mnie shrugged indifferently but chose to drop the matter out of respect for Mariana. She smiled at Rosanna and said, “My mistake. I didn’t realize your elder sister was so malicious. What a schemer! A criminal causing trouble even after prison, trying to steal her own sister’s fiancé. That’s truly despicable.”


    Rosanna bit her lip delicately and dabbed at her slightly reddened eyes. “Maybe I just didn’t treat her well enough.”


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    “She even tried to steal her own younger sister’s fiancé. What kind of sister would do something like that?” Mariana couldn’t hold back any longer. She ced her coffee mug down, letting out a soft scoff. Her eyes lingered on Rosanna, who looked fragile yetposed. With a faint, protective smile, she said, “From now on, think of me as your elder sister. If anyone dares toy a finger on you, juste to me. I’ll make sure they pay for it.”


    “Thank you so much, Mariana. You’re so kind to me.” Rosanna’s voice brimmed with gratitude, yet instead of sitting down, she leaned in, her attention even more focused than before.


    Mariana seemed to relish the attention, a faint smile ying on her lips as a shadow flickered in her eyes. “As for Maia… I’ll make sure she’s properly dealt with.”


    Once dinner wrapped up, Maia waved goodbye to Kathie and Ethan, her mind already set on returning to her apartment for some much-needed rest. A faint, yellowish haze clung to the road under the tired streetlights, while a chilly breeze stirred the air, carrying whispers of theing night.


    Tilting her head, she scanned the sky, but the moon was absent, hidden behind thickening clouds that warned of rain. She stepped closer to the curb, lifting her arm to g down a taxi.


    Right then, her phone buzzed in her pocket. A new alert popped up: “You have received a new friend request.” Curious, she retrieved her phone and slid her thumb across the screen to unlock it. The message included a brief note: Hurst Cooper. The name made her eyebrows knit together as she traced it back to a memory from the underground ck market.


    That evening, she had caught sight of a fake wine bottle just in time and had saved Hurst from falling for an expensive scam. Grateful, he had handed her his business card and offered his help whenever she might need it. Since that night, there had beenplete silence between them. Now, out of nowhere, he was sending her a friend request? And at this odd hour, what could he possibly want?


    Her thumb hovered in hesitation before she finally tapped to ept it. As soon as she epted, his profile picture filled the screen, and almost immediately after, a video call request lit up her phone. Maia arched an eyebrow, taken aback, but decided to answer the call anyway.


    Hurst’s voice, low and slightly slurred, filled the speakers. “Miss Watson, I’m in desperate need of your expertise!”


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