"In this weather, a hot pot is just perfect. Karina made the dipping sauce herself, you all have to try it."


    Noah set up the induction cooker and brought various ingredients to the table.


    Karina busied herself setting out the tableware. Yvonne pitched in to help, and the atmosphere finally eased.


    Once the hot pot was simmering, Noah realized he''d forgotten to bring any wine.


    Bet had some in the trunk of his car; a friend had brought him a couple of bottles from abroad a while back, and he''d left them there.


    While Bet went to his car to get the wine, Yvonne sat at the table, dipping vegetables into the pot.


    Noah made small talk with Yvonne, discussing things happening in their social circle, and the mood grew noticeably warmer.


    Karina was busy putting meat and vegetables into her daughter Nic''s bowl.


    Watching Noah and Yvonne chat so pleasantly, she felt an inexplicable knot of resentment forming in her stomach.


    Yvonne was such a vixen. She used that innocent-looking face of hers to seduce men everywhere she went.


    First Thomas, then Bet. After that, she led her brother on, and now she was flirting with her husband right in front of her.


    Karina was so angry she wanted to ssh the boiling broth from the pot onto Yvonne''s face, ruin that vixen-like beauty, and see who she could seduce then.


    "Noah, why did your assistant prepare so much meat? The four of us can''t possibly eat all of this. And Nic is just a child, it''s not good for her to eat too much."


    Karina ced some cooked meat into Noah''s bowl as she muttered.


    Noah frowned at her. There were five people at the table, yet she insisted on saying four. Noah didn''t think she was bad at counting.


    Karina, as if suddenly realizing her mistake, turned to Yvonne with a smile and exined, "Ms. Jones isza famous actress, so she has to maintain her figure. If she weight, all those men won''t like her anymore."


    ga


    Thement was getting nastier by the second. Even Noah couldn''t take it anymore. He put down his fork


    dsnapped


    "What nonsense are


    you talking about?"


    "Am I wrong? Ms. Jones is a big star, so most of her fans must be men, right? If she gets fat, her fans won''t like her anymore."


    Her words seemed logical on the surface, but no one at the table, except for Nic, was foolish enough to miss her malicious intent.


    Noah red at her, warning her with his eyes to stop.


    Yvonne smiled faintly and asked suddenly, "Mrs. Thompson, how is your brother doing?"


    "Thanks to you and Bet, he''s still lying in a hospital bed, his broken ribs haven''t even healed yet,” Karina retorted sarcastically.


    How dare this vixen Yvonne bring up her brother? He was seriously injured, and she hadn''t even settled the score with them yet.


    "It was all Bet''s fault for being so impulsive and kicking your brother. Even though we were acting in self-defense, hurting someone is nevergood. I''ve already told Bet he shouldn''t be so rash next time. For someone like your brother, whomits attempted rape a crime of such a vile nature, we should just call the police and let them handle it. A few years in prison would teach him a better lesson than a couple of kicks."


    Yvonne''s words were calm and measured.


    "You dare call the police on my brother? You were the one who seduced him!" Karina snapped, mming her fork on the table with a loud tter.


    Yvonne narrowed her eyes at her, a cold glint in her smiling eyes. “Would you like to find out if I dare, Mrs. Thompson?"


    Although Karina had always told herself that the vixen Yvonne had seduced her brother, deep down, she knew exactly what kind of person he was.