?Chapter 262:


    Eloise’s message read, “I’m not interested. I don’t want to be friends with you, and I doubt we’ll cross paths again.”


    “Wait, Miss Hubbard—” Before Katie could get another word out, Eloise lifted her phone a second time, cutting her off with another typed message. What Eloise had typed clenched Katie’s fists in frustration.


    An ufortable storm of embarrassment, anger, and resentment twisted inside Katie, each feeling feeding the next until it all threatened to burst free.


    Eloise made sure Katie read her message before sweeping past her without a backward nce, her posture brisk and dismissive.


    After that hold-up, Eloise hastily scanned the bustling room, eyes flicking from face to face as she tried to locate Christina among the crowd again. But Christina was nowhere to be found.


    A scowl tightened Eloise’s features, irritation simmering just beneath her skin, her dislike for Katie growing by the second.


    Katie, meanwhile, clung to her wine ss so tightly that her knuckles whitened, ring daggers at Eloise’s fading silhouette, resentment simmering in her gaze. She’d humbled herself to offer that apology, but Eloise had brushed it aside like a minor annoyance.


    In Katie’s head, Eloise’s curt message looped endlessly, each word slicing deeper than thest. “I got your apology. My family won’te after you. Now quit bothering me unless you’re begging for trouble. Excuse me!”


    The more Katie stewed on those words, the deeper her grudge burrowed. Resentment twisted inside her, raw and searing. Born into money, Eloise strutted through life like she owned it. Without her family backing her, she’d vanish into obscurity. And barely weed back to the Hubbard family, Eloise had already put on airs. If she gained even more power, how unbearable would she be?


    Katie’s grip tightened around the wine ss. If she married into the Hubbards, she would be Eloise’s sister-inw. Eloise already had a firm grip on twenty percent of the Hubbard Group’s shares, and she would only gain more in the future.


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    Katie’s gaze turned sharp, something cruel flickering beneath the surface before she quickly suppressed it. She had made up her mind—Eloise needed to disappear for good. Once she finished squeezing out everything she wanted from Eloise, she’d have to eliminate her entirely. That was the only way to ensure her future child would inherit the Hubbard family’s fortune without rivals. “Don’t me me for getting ruthless, Eloise. You’re far too naive and spoiled. Your days are numbered,” Katie sneered inwardly. A twisted smirk danced across her lips, the thought echoing through her mind like a wicked vow.


    Elsewhere, Eloise finally caught sight of Christina and hurried toward her, a hopeful grin lighting up her face.


    Eloise’s lips parted in a breathy attempt to respond, only to remember she still couldn’t speak. The thrill drained from her face in an instant. The silence hit her like a p. Her joy faltered, crumbling into quiet frustration. She often wished she could speak up for herself, but her voice remained trapped inside—especially whenever anyone tried to push her around.


    Christina, catching the way Eloise’s smile flickered and faded, leaned in and asked softly, “Hey, what’s going on?”


    Eloise mustered a half-hearted smile and shook her head, trying to brush off the question.


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