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.

staircase, Athena’s pulse quickened. She caught sight of Antonio waiting below, his posture deceptively casual,

gaze lifted, his jaw slackened, then tightened again

with emotion, and his lips parted into a smile that was at once proud and tender. Relief washed over his features—relief that they had made peace, that she stood before

pressed a gentle kiss to her

of cheers startled her, and she blinked in surprise as her friends and children spilled out from a side corridor. Their applause filled the air, playful whistles mingling with laughter. Her children rushed forward, faces lit with pride, hugging her before stepping back to

a queen, Mom," Kathleen whispered,

and she reached out, brushing a hand across the little one’s hair, her

.

The hallway they took curved away from the main living room, its polished marble floor gleaming

detour that built anticipation before the main reveal. At the end of the corridor, tall glass doors opened to the yard, where fairy lights draped from tree to tree, twinkling like

vision that stole Athena’s breath when she stepped inside. It was as though the space had been plucked from a modern dream of grandeur. The ceiling soared, a sweeping dome illuminated

and flickering candles. Guests, their attire immaculate, mingled with glasses of

air buzzed with low laughter, the clink of glass, the swell of a string quartet in

was, unmistakably, a ball—but stripped of outdated formality, refreshed into something

Guests began to approach, each eager to greet her, to extend congratulations

Athena couldn’t ignore the subtle shift in

but doubt flickered beneath it. Was this

when familiar faces emerged from the