?Chapter 174:


    The senior sales assistant didn’t get to finish. The sharp crack of a p silenced the room.


    Leona’s eyes zed with fury, her voice cutting through the room like a de. “You still think you can fool me? Do I look like an idiot to you?” She stepped forward, her re unrelenting. “Hand over your phone. Right now. If there’s nothing incriminating, I’ll apologize in front of everyone—and I’ll even give you a house aspensation.”


    The senior sales assistant’s jaw clenched, her teeth digging into her lip. But she didn’t move. She couldn’t. The messages between her and Clifford were still there. Their exchanges weren’t just explicit—they were dripping with contempt for Leona. She’d mocked Leona in the worst ways and said things far crueler than what Christina had hinted at. If those messages were seen, it wouldn’t just ruin her career—it might destroy her.


    The senior sales assistant’s hands trembled, her eyes darting around the room like a trapped animal searching for an escape. Then, suddenly, she bolted. Rushing toward the entrance, she let out a desperate, theatrical scream. “Help! Someone help me! They’re attacking me!”


    Gasps rose in the room, but Leona didn’t chase after the senior sales assistant. She didn’t need to. Everything was clear now. The panic, the refusal, the shameless performance—it all pointed to one undeniable truth. That saleswoman must have really had an affair with her husband. The weight of betrayal struck Leona like a physical blow. She swayed as her knees buckled, and her vision blurred at the edges.


    Christina reached out just in time, steadying Leona before she could copse. “Easy now, Mrs. Frazier,” she said gently.


    “Thank you,” Leona murmured, clinging to Christina’s arm with more than just physical support—there was genuine gratitude in her eyes.


    Moments ago, Leona had nearly defended that vile saleswoman. If not for Christina, who had intervened, she might have wrongly turned on Christina. The weight of that near-mistake pressed heavily on her chest, like a stone.


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    “I’m grateful, Miss Jones,” Leona said earnestly. “You’ve helped me see certain people’s true colors today. If you ever need anything—anything at all—just say the word.”


    Christina smiled. “Right now, the best thing you can do is go home and take care of your household matters. You may not be able to win your husband’s heart back—but don’t let go of your wealth.”


    The words hit like a quiet thunderp. Leona exhaled. At her age, if divorce had been an option, she would have taken it years ago. She knew she couldn’t control her husband’s wandering heart, but Christina was right—she could certainly control the purse strings. For herself. And for her children.


    “Thank you for the advice,” Leona said softly, looking at Christina with newfound respect.


    Christina smiled. “And take care of your health, Mrs. Frazier. That’s your greatest asset, after all.”


    It sounded like a casual remark, almost too casual. But something about the way Christina said it—the glint in her eyes, the subtle weight in her tone—made Leona stiffen. She felt as if Christina’s clear and sharp gaze had seen through something.


    Lately, Leona had been constantly tired, brushing it off as stress, poor sleep, and age. But now, unease prickled along her spine. She couldn’t ignore it. Not anymore. If she didn’t get an answer, she feared she wouldn’t find any peace tonight.


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