Chapter 101:

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Rachel had meticulously planned a garden party.

Most of the guests were women from Rachel's elite social circles. Though laughter and casual chit-chat filled the air, beneath the polished surface ran an undercurrent of subtle power plays and negotiations. The women, all smiling, knew each other, at least on the surface. No one let their guard down, each interaction carefully measured.

Rachel kindly handed an elegant velvet box to Mrs. Reyes. “I couldn't attend your birthday last time, so here's a late gift. “I hope you don’t mind.”

Mrs. Reyes accepted the box with a practiced smile, her fingers sliding over the soft fabric. “Rachel, you shouldn't have done that,” she said, letting out a light laugh. She opened the box and inside was a delicate necklace whose diamond centerpiece caught the afternoon sun and threw bright sparks of light in all directions.

“My goodness,” Mrs. Reyes exclaimed, her eyes wide with genuine surprise. “This must have cost a fortune, Rachel. You are too generous.” Mrs. Reyes admired the piece and put it back in the box with a pleased expression.

Rachel then turned to Mrs. Reyes's little son and patted him on the head.

She pulled out a limited edition toy from behind her, its shiny packaging catching the boy's attention.

The boy barely looked up from his tablet game as he took the toy from Rachel's hand.

Mrs. Reyes' smile faltered for a moment before she turned to her son, her tone now firm. “Ted, what do you say to Mrs. Gray?”

But the boy didn't answer. Grabbing his new prize, he ran off without even looking back. Mrs. Reyes forced a light laugh, her smile now a little strained. “I've spoiled him so much. “I’m sorry.” Raquel’s smile remained polite. “Don't worry.

He looked back at the fence, a hint of worry creeping into his calm demeanor.

Where the hell was Alice?

When Alice finally arrived, she thought about sending a message to Caden, warning him to keep his distance today; After all, appearances were everything in her world, and misunderstandings could spread like wildfire. But to her surprise, Caden had not yet arrived.

She looked around, but there was no sign of him. After a moment of hesitation, she shrugged and headed for the party.

group of women were huddled together, their conversation animated, with bursts of laughter echoing throughout

Alicia was coming, and naturally,

Can you believe they had been married for two years?

so irresistible to men?” another woman mused, her

if Joshua hid her because she's a precious treasure or a humiliating disgrace!” Mrs. Reyes giggled, a high-pitched sound that cut through the air. “Every man likes to tell what he

comments had been scathing, but Ms. Reyes' words were the

their giggles bubbling with a kind of

got dumped, her heart was broken, and now she's struggling to make a name for herself in showbiz. Just when she’s trying to move

her face and figure were fine I guess.

they would have taken her away already. Nowadays, it's all about

enjoying

She had seen Alice not

truth, Alice had heard

the laughter died down, Alice made her move. With a graceful stride, she

and, with a silent clink, clinked his

slowly, her smug smile faltering as she saw Alicia standing

her soft shoulders. Her skin

a rare flower in full bloom amidst a

Reyes blinked, evidently

if Alice had heard her cruel jokes, while another part of her

image they had painted moments ago,

even more stunning than

Alicia's smile was warm and radiant, enough to light up any room. “And what, may I ask, has made you laugh so much?”

own thoughts, blinked as Alicia's question brought her back to the

flickered through her mind, but it disappeared just as quickly. After all, Alice was a woman dealing with her own burdens, with hardly any support to fall back on.

made too much noise? “You must have heard our conversation.” The words were condescending, a clear attempt to dismiss Alice

has become softer with

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