Elissa arched an eyebrow, didn’t bother replying, and simply turned on her heel.


    Her dress kept tangling around her ankles as she walked. Annoyed, she kicked her leg back, bent slightly, and scooped the skirt up into her hand before striding into the ballroom.


    A nuisance.


    This dress, she thought, was just as much a nuisance as the divorce papers Carm kept waving in her face.


    But the moment she entered the ballroom, Elissa froze.


    te stood across the room, winking at her before strolling over at a leisurely <i>pace</i>.


    A chill crept down her spine. Instinctively, she dodged out of his path and walked straight into the auction hall.


    An attendant led her to the VIP section. “Mrs. Frank, right this way.”


    “Thank you.”


    Elissa sank into her seat, finally able to breathe.


    te followed her in, but as he tried to push further, someone yanked him back.


    He was, after all, the Murphy family’s second son. In Vistapeak City, everyone treated him with courtesy, if only out of respect for his cousin Rowan.


    He jerked his arm away in irritation. “Watch it! Are you blind-”


    “Mr. te.”


    Marcia released him, her tone soft and calm, “Patience, darling. If you rush in now, you’ll only make her more guarded. What’s the point?”


    “What’s that supposed to mean?”


    “I’ve got everything set up.”


    Marcia’s lips curved in a sly smile as she poked his chest with her slim finger. “As long as you don’t mess things up at the crucial moment, you’ll get exactly what you want.”


    “Seriously?”


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    <b>11.12 </b>


    “Of course.”


    Marcia nced toward Elissa, her eyes narrowing with confidence.


    After tonight, let’s see how that woman manages to keep her ce in the Atwater family.


    When she saw te give up on approaching Elissa for now, Marcia allowed an attendant to escort her to a seat, leaving only one empty chair between herself and


    Elissa.


    After sitting, Marcia took out apact mirror to touch up her makeup, sneaking a sidelong nce at Elissa. “You’ve always seemed so serene. I suppose you won’t mind if I hold Frank’s arm in public?”


    Elissa kept her eyes on her phone, not even bothering to look up.


    “If you enjoy announcing your mistress status to the world, I’d feel embarrassed to even watch the spectacle.”


    Marcia’s hand trembled, and her lipstick smeared across her lips. She sucked in a breath, forcing a coldugh. “Elissa, I hope you can always keep that calm fa?ade.”


    She didn’t believe for a second that after te had his fun with her, Elissa would still


    look so unruffled.


    Just as she finished, Frank finished his pleasantries and walked over, taking the seat


    between the two women.


    The scene didn’t go unnoticed.


    A few guests couldn’t help but gossip.


    “Mr. Atwater really is lucky–wife on one side, mistress on the other, both within arm’s reach.”


    “Hah! They make adultery and being the other woman sound so ssy. Marcia must be desperate if she’s chasing after her own brother–inw.”


    “Honestly, can you believe Mr. Atwater? Who brings a mistress to such a public event? He clearly doesn’t care about his wife.”


    “Elissa’s got some patience, I’ll give her that. Marcia is basically rubbing her face in it, and she just sits there, totally unfazed.”


    “How do you know it’s patience? Maybe she just doesn’t care. If Mr. Atwater gets to fool around with his sister–inw, who says Elissa can’t enjoy herself with a male


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    model? People at our level–how many couples are actually faithful?”


    “If you ask me, Mr. Atwater’s only fault is his taste. If he’s going to cheat, at least pick someone younger and prettier. Marcia can’t hold a candle to Elissa…”


    That, at least, struck a nerve with several onlookers.


    They’d never put the two women side by side before, but now that they did, Elissa was clearly in a league of her own.


    Not just her looks and figure, but the effortless grace she carried herself with…


    Every scattered remark found its way to Marcia’s ears, and her manicured nail snapped clean off in her clenched fist.


    She’s supposed to be less than Elissa?


    At any other event, she would have been the center of ttery and praise. These people were just jealous because Frank preferred her.


    The more she thought about it, the more resentful she felt. She turned to Frank, ready to unleash her anger, only to find he hadn’t heard a word of it. His gaze was gentle, fixed entirely on Elissa.