?Chapter 1553:


    Christina walked over, nced down, then lifted her onto the bed.


    The toxin would leave Vickie woozy and confused, trapped between illusion and reality.


    Vickie had plotted first; Christina had simply returned the favor. Whatever came next was the price she would pay.


    Christina gave her a cold, indifferent look before turning to leave.


    She took a small pill from her purse and swallowed it. Within seconds, the aphrodisiac’s effects faded.


    Slipping into a shadowed corner, she soon saw two men struggling to carry a half-conscious man toward a room.


    When she recognized the man, her brows drew together.


    So Vickie’s grand n was to toss her into bed with Brendon?


    Christina didn’t know the men had made a mistake—they had confused Brendon for Robin in the dim, crowded ballroom.


    She waited until they were gone, then stared at the closed door with a quiet, unreadable expression.


    She had no duty, nor the slightest desire, to save someone like Brendon.


    Now she simply wanted to watch Vickie deal with the chaos she had created.


    With a calm face, Christina returned to the ballroom, ready for the show to begin.


    The hall was alive with masked guests—men and women drifting together in elegant pairs across the polished floor. Soft music floated through the air, warm andnguid, like fingers tracing soothing circles over the scalp. It loosened every muscle before one even realized it.


    Christina lingered in a quiet corner, half hidden, watching the dancers while absently picking at a small piece of cake.


    Then a sharp presence brushed against her from behind, cold and unmistakably dangerous.


    Her brows drew together, the fork tightening in her grip. Without hesitation, she turned and struck, thrusting backward in one smooth motion, her faceposed and unreadable.


    ?????????????? ?????????? ????????: ?????????ν?????????????


    A tall man in a sleek ck suit sidestepped effortlessly, dodging her attack.


    A low chuckle followed, rich and faintly possessive, curling through the space between them.


    Christina recognized the sound instantly.


    “So, it’s you.” She withdrew the fork, irritation flickering across her tone.


    “Mydy’s eyes are as keen as ever. You recognized me that fast.” Terrence’s smile held an indulgent warmth, his gaze fastening onto her like he had every right to it.


    He advanced a step. She retreated one. The movement made his brows crease in quiet annoyance.


    Why did she always treat him like some kind of predator lurking in the dark?


    “Mind your words. There’s nothing between us,” Christina said sharply, her expression turning to steel.


    The rejection hit its mark, a splinter deep under his skin. What was so unbearable about him standing at her side? He’d protect her with everything he had if she’d only let him.


    “Mydy, you wound me,” Terrence murmured, his eyes dropping to the silver fork glinting in her hand, amusementcing his voice.


    .


    .


    .