?Chapter 474:


    Katelyn suddenly jolted awake from her unsettling dream, barely realizing she had been asleep. The lingering haze from the nightmare clouded her vision, the chilling scream still echoing in her mind, warning her of danger and urging caution.


    She wiped the sweat beading on her forehead and sighed deeply, reassuring herself that it was just a bad dream.


    At that moment, Lise walked in.


    Despite the recent miscarriage and her frail condition, Lise had managed to apply a subtle touch of makeup, attempting to enhance her paleplexion. She regarded Katelyn with an air of haughty arrogance. “Did you have a nightmare? Maybe it’s because you’ve been up to no good, and now it’s catching up with you.”


    Katelyn, having steadied her nerves, took a sip from the cup on the table before meeting Lise’s gaze. “Why are you here?”


    “I stopped by to check on you and bring some good news,” Lise replied, a gloating smile ying on her lips, her sense of triumph unmistakable.


    In this whole ordeal, she considered herself the clear victor, and the wedding invitation she held was proof of her sess. With pride swelling in her chest, Lise extended the invitation to Katelyn. “Neil and I are getting married soon. I’d love for you to offer your good wishes at our wedding.”


    The invitation was sleek, gold-foiled, and designed in ck with delicate golden embellishments—a testament to the thought put into it. It bore the names of Neil and Lise.


    There was a time when Katelyn’s name had appeared alongside Neil’s on such invitations.


    Realizing the full picture, a sly grin spread across Katelyn’s face. She slowly replied, “Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, you’re here seeking my blessing? Seems like you’re proud to go from being a mistress to Mrs. Wheeler, officially.”


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    Her words hit their mark, but Lise quicklyposed herself, retorting provocatively, “Katelyn, no matter how you look at it, you’re just a failure. You’ve lost the Bailey family’s support, you have no influential connections—you’re nothing but a sad, divorced woman.”


    “Divorce isn’t a stain on me,” Katelyn replied, her voice calm and measured. “You seem to think that avish wedding will shift public perception and secure your ce among the elite. But is that really true?”


    Elite society, while bonded by shared interests, was deeply hierarchical, and this was especially evident in the silent rivalries among the women. A woman carrying a handbag worth fifty thousand wouldn’t even have the chance to share a photo with someone whose bag cost a million. That was the harsh truth.


    In these circles, one thing was universally scorned—the mistress. Prominent men attracted attention, and many wives chose to turn a blind eye to such affairs in order to preserve their family’s fortune and status. Compromises were often necessary. However, if a mistress openly disced the original wife and took her ce, it became an entirely different story.


    Katelyn could clearly see the tough road and exclusion Lise was heading toward. The very things Lise had coveted would soon prove to be harsh and unforgiving.<fn71c1> For more chapters visit Find?Novel</fn71c1>


    Katelyn’s tone remained even, but her words cut deep. Lise’s expression shifted dramatically.


    “If it hadn’t been for you, I would have been with Neil long ago,” Lise spat out, her anger briefly shing before she quickly masked it with a victorious look.


    “But none of that matters now. I’m back on track, the future Mrs. Wheeler and the heiress of the Bailey family. You don’t need to pretend to be unbothered or hide your jealousy. After all, you and Vincent have been together so long, yet he’s still not made things official.”


    Lise burst intoughter, her voice dripping with scorn. Katelyn eyed her skeptically, wondering if the recent car ident had affected her reasoning.


    Lise continued tough, and then added with spite, “To him, you’re probably nothing more than a casual fling.”


    Lise’s sharp words failed to anger Katelyn. Instead, she looked at Lise with growing curiosity. Katelyn then asked seriously, “Is there something wrong with your head? Should we get you checked out with a CT scan?”


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