Forced Marriage: My Wife, My Redemption by Lilyheart

Chapter 281: Who do you think you are?

Jessica took a deep breath and stood rooted at the spot, her ears perked up and her sense of hearing heightened. Her eyes subtly scanned the hallway, alert to every flicker of movement.

Then she noticed another restroom, just beside the one she had exited from moments earlier.

A strange feeling crawled down her spine. She couldn’t shake off the sense that someone had been waiting for her. Watching her. Maybe they lacked the courage to approach, or perhaps they were simply waiting for the right moment.

Her instincts screamed for caution, but then she decided to create an opportunity for the person. Taking a deep breath, she stepped backward, retreating into the restroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

She turned toward the sink, her expression hardening. Her heartbeat slowed through sheer willpower.

She twisted the faucet. The water gushed out with a steady stream, splashing against the porcelain.

Slowly and calmly, she began to wash her hands, her eyes locked on her reflection in the mirror. She wanted to see the person and possibly meet her enemies sooner.

It had been clear at the table that she wasn’t welcomed by them. She had an inkling they were afraid she would take over the leadership, but she didn’t care.

From the mirror’s surface, she watched. Still, no one approached. The hallway remained silent.

She pulled the hand towel from the rail and dried her hands with quiet precision. Then, she stepped back out into the hallway with controlled grace and shut the door behind her with a firm click.

"Who’s there?" Her voice rang out, sharp and cold.

The door to the other restroom creaked open, and a tall, slender woman emerged. Her face was round but with sharply defined cheekbones, plastered in thick makeup that seemed more like armor than adornment.

Her fingers and wrists were weighed down with gold bangles and rings. Her designer gown shimmered with gold accents, catching the hallway light like a curtain of stars.

But her eyes were icy and unwelcoming, carrying no sparkle.

gaze was still and observant, noting every flicker of emotion that passed through the woman’s

Cassandra Santiago.

of the more vocal extended family members

humorless chuckle. "Seems you’re not as clueless as I thought. I was actually waiting for you.

raised one brow slowly but said nothing. Silence was her armor now. Her eyes calmly took in the other woman, her pose,

the head of the table had spoken louder

disrupted something and seemed to challenge a

curious that it had

weight, waiting for a response that didn’t come. Irritated, she snapped, "Young lady, are

day. But this wasn’t the moment

a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips, she said, "Don’t you think it’s strange, Mrs. Cassandra, that a family as old as the Santiagos

her side, her long manicured nails digging into

quickly," she said, voice

her

let the restroom door shut behind her. "Who

Jessica frowned slightly. "Disrupt?"

Lady Matilda at dinner wasn’t just a seat," Cassandra spat. "It was a declaration. She had subtly made you the heir of the Santiagos. That seat has never been given

her tone firm but composed. "I have no quarrel with you, Cassandra. But you shouldn’t mistake

Cassandra mocked, folding her arms. "You’ve taken your time plotting this moment, haven’t you? Spent weeks feeding stories to

a headache coming on, yet she couldn’t start now to explain her innocence in this matter

I only honored it."

laugh was bitter. "Honored? My daughter has spent her life under Lady Matilda’s watchful eye. She’s earned every chance, every recognition. While you—where were you all these years? What

up at her sides. Now, things seemed clearer. It was a selfish plot, but then a thought settled in her heart. "Isn’t

on her, but then she would let her

closer, her perfume—a cloying, overwhelming floral—invading Jessica’s space. "You may hold Lady Matilda’s attention now, but don’t think you’ve won