Dark Revenge Of An Unwanted Wife: The Twins Are Not Yours!

Chapter 423: Party Time II

Athena hadn’t expected the sight that greeted her when she stepped out of her room. Her breath caught as her gaze fell on Areso and her mother, Jessica, waiting patiently in the hall as though they had been standing guard for her.

Was something wrong?

Areso straightened instantly when she saw her, eyes widening, then softening in admiration. Her lips parted, and the words tumbled out unrestrained.

"You always make my clothes look... magnificent. Thank you."

Her sincerity painted Athena’s cheeks with color, and she found herself smiling, despite the nerves curling in her stomach. "You are always doing too much, Areso. Thank you for this."

Areso chuckled softly, shaking her head at the sight before her, like she hadn’t commandeered it.

Jessica, elegant as always in a deep blue gown, stepped forward with a graceful clasp of Athena’s hand.

"Darling, you’ve outshone every expectation," Jessica whispered warmly, leaning in close enough to plant a fleeting kiss on Athena’s cheek. Then, with a conspiratorial glint in her eyes, she winked. "Antonio is waiting for you. At the bottom of the staircase."

Heat rose unbidden to Athena’s cheeks, and she allowed herself a small laugh, shaking her head. The warmth of the compliment and Jessica’s teasing steadied her nerves in a way the mirror had failed to do moments before.

Together, the three women began moving down the long hallway, their steps cushioned by a velvet runner the color of wine. The corridor was adorned with delicate touches—fresh arrangements of lilies and orchids perched in silver vases on antique side tables, tall sconces lit with golden light, and paintings framed in dark oak, each a testament to the Thorne family’s history. The air itself seemed scented, a soft blend of roses and cedarwood that followed their progress.

of Antonio waiting below, his posture deceptively casual,

jaw slackened, then tightened again

and tender. Relief washed over his features—relief that they had made peace, that she stood before him not as someone distant but as the woman

reached him, Antonio extended his hand, his expression softening further. He didn’t wait for words; instead, he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. The touch was reverent, lingering just long enough to send a tremor

and she blinked in surprise as her friends and children spilled out from a side corridor. Their applause filled the air,

like a queen, Mom," Kathleen

reached out, brushing a hand across the little

.

hand remained steady at the small of her back as they began walking together. The hallway they took curved away from the main living room, its polished marble floor gleaming

reveal. At the end of the corridor, tall glass doors opened to the yard, where fairy lights draped from tree to tree, twinkling like captured

hall, a vision that stole Athena’s breath when she stepped inside. It was as though the space had been plucked

flickering candles. Guests, their attire immaculate, mingled with glasses of champagne in hand. Waiters in crisp uniforms wove through the crowd, balancing silver

the clink of glass, the swell of a

ball—but stripped of outdated formality,

began to approach, each eager to greet her, to extend congratulations that blurred between her and Antonio. Compliments spilled as naturally as wine, their gazes alternating between admiration for her poise and approval of the

a polite handshake there, his smile unwavering. Yet Athena couldn’t ignore the subtle shift in his stance—his hand tightening slightly around her waist, as though

forced her own smile, but doubt flickered beneath it.

uncertainty deepened when familiar faces emerged