Chapter 102:

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Mrs. Reyes let out a shrill scream.

She spent no time fixing her smudged makeup and immediately rushed to help her son, Ted, who was sprawled across the soft grass.

Her breathing hitched as she knelt beside him, her hands quickly but gently feeling for any signs of injury. “Are you okay?”

The grass beneath him was more forgiving than anything else, but Ted's flushed face was a storm of anger. His round cheeks, red from embarrassment or frustration, puffed out as he glared at Alicia. “It's all your fault, you stupid girl!”

Alicia blinked, her eyes widening slightly at the outburst. Ted was only eight, face still chubby, brow still furrowed, but the sharpness of his words stung.

Mrs. Reyes, who had already pulled Ted to his feet, turned to Alicia with a hard look.

"Alicia, if anything happens to Ted today, I won't let you go so easily," he said, his voice warning.

Alice responded to the boy's gaze with a slight smile, not of amusement, but of complicity.

He understood that such petty disputes as that could spiral out of control if given the chance.

Instead of fanning the flames, he turned his gaze to Rachel, the host of the meeting.

“Mrs. Gray,” Alice began softly, her tone deliberately calm, “surely you can tell me… have I done anything wrong here?”

Rachel, ever serene, let out a soft sigh, her expression one of gentle reproach.

“Miss Bennett,” he said, his voice lilting like the wind brushing through the trees, “why argue with a little girl?”

Alicia hesitated, her smile hardening as Rachel walked past her, reaching out to smooth Ted's tousled hair with motherly tenderness.

“I was just messing with you,” Rachel continued lightly. “Why didn't you just play along? Do you really think a child could hurt you?”

Alice's smile disappeared, replaced by a shadow of disappointment that crossed her features.

She studied Raquel for a moment, waiting for some flash of understanding, but Raquel's attention had already wandered elsewhere.

Ted to

join the others, gave Alice a devilish grin and waved her off. “Wait,” his eyes seemed

playing peacemaker, dispelled the tension with

so insignificant dampen your spirits, okay?

hand, her voice soft but firm. “If you say

had felt a pang of pity for Rachel, but now, she could see that Rachel was the one who had gotten caught in this web of superficial pleasantries. Sensing Alice's withdrawal, Rachel's

beneath her in every way. Even after Alicia

the air began to dissipate as everyone

running down her face, making her look like a soaked rat. Rachel, ever the gracious hostess, guided her into the house to

her teeth. “No wonder no man wants her. With that attitude, she deserves everything that comes her

fingers working skillfully on Mrs. Reyes’ face. “Do you want to

lit Mrs. Reyes’s eyes as she caught the insinuation in Rachel’s tone. She was not alone in her disdain. “Do you have any

lips curved into a subtle smile. “Oh, yes I do. But unlike her, we

up a few tables

coaxed Alicia to join Mrs. Reyes and the others, as if the previous dispute had never happened. With a

the trap, having anticipated this

there was no way she could

not wanting to be drawn into

“Perfect! Mrs. Reyes can teach you. It’s just a friendly

remained silent,

Good.

forced to do things they didn't want to, because she was in

a force that left her no easy

minutes passed and it

looked at her watch. Was

chair, her smile almost predatory. "What's wrong,

met the challenge. "Mrs. Reyes, how much do you want

with satisfaction. “Not

Three thousand

been in enough high-stakes games to know the rules of the table: one bad round and you could lose tens of thousands in an instant. And these women – smiling

with cruelty. “What's wrong, Mrs. Bennett? Is it too much for you? I thought Mr. Yates would have left you plenty of money after the divorce. Surely you have some

remained cold, her voice firm. "Then you must

mocking smile. “Oh, no problem. “I’ll be happy to teach you

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