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 red 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 ofplicity.


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


    Instead of fanning the mes, 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 Bet,” 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 y along? Do you really think a child could hurt you?”


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


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


    Rachel knelt down and gently invited Ted to y with the other children.


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


    Rachel, ying peacemaker, dispelled the tension with a gentle pat on Alicia''s hand.


    "Miss Bet, don''t let something so insignificant dampen your spirits, okay? The girl didn''t mean anything by that."


    Alice gently removed her hand, her voice soft but firm. “If you say so, Mrs. Gray.”


    There had been a time when Alice 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 face tightened slightly.


    Alicia''s aloof attitude, in Rachel''s eyes, was nothing but arrogance. They were from different worlds, after all. Alicia was beneath her in every way. Even after Alicia humiliated Randolph, Rachel had let it go. However, Alicia still looked down on her.


    Under Rachel''s skillful mediation, the tension in the air began to dissipate as everyone slowly returned to their previous activities.


    However, Mrs. Reyes'' makeup was running down her face, making her look like a soaked rat. Rachel, ever the gracious hostess, guided her into the house to fix it.


    Furious, Mrs. Reyes gritted her teeth. “No wonder no man wants her. With that attitude, she deserves everything thates her way.”


    Rachel hummed softly, her fingers working skillfully on Mrs. Reyes’ face. “Do you want to teach her a lesson?”


    A sharp gleam 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 clever ideas?”


    Rachel''s lips curved into a subtle smile. “Oh, yes I do. But unlike her, we won''t stoop to crude antics. “We have ss.”


    Later, with time to kill before dinner, Rachel set up a few tables for card games, the perfect fun.


    She deliberately coaxed Alicia to join Mrs. Reyes and the others, as if the previous dispute had never happened. With a warm smile, Rachel invited her. “Mrs. Bet, do you y cards?”


    Alice immediately sensed the trap, having anticipated this moment.


    Now, sitting at the table, there was no way she could leave gracefully.


    "No," Alice replied coldly, not wanting to be drawn into their game.


    Raquel''s eyes sparkled with false delight. “Perfect! Mrs. Reyes can teach you. It’s just a friendly game.”


    Alice remained silent, sighing inwardly.


    Good.


    Now she understood why older men oftenined about being forced to do things they didn''t want to, because she was in their ce.


    She felt trapped, powerless against a force that left her no easy way out.


    The minutes passed and it was getting closer to ten.


    She looked at her watch. Was Cadening or not?


    Sensing Alicia''s difort, Mrs. Reyes leaned back in her chair, her smile almost predatory. "What''s wrong, Mrs. Bet? Are you afraid to y with me?"


    Alicia''s gaze sharpened and she met the challenge. "Mrs. Reyes, how much do you want to y?"


    Mrs. Reyes smiled with satisfaction. “Not much. Just three thousand dors.”


    The corners of Alice''s lips twitched. Three thousand dors? She should have expected the same.


    Alicia had 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 behind their perfectly manicured facades – were professionals at exploiting her weaknesses.


    Mrs. Reyes''s eyes glittered as Alicia fell silent, herughterced with cruelty. “What''s wrong, Mrs. Bet? Is it too much for you? I thought Mr. Yates would have left you plenty of money after the divorce. Surely you have some left over for some entertainment.”


    Alicia''s expression remained cold, her voice firm. "Then you must teach me how to y, Mrs. Reyes."


    Mrs. Reyes’ lips curved into a mocking smile. “Oh, no problem. “I’ll be happy to teach you again.”


    As the cards shuffled with a soft rustle, Alicia discreetly reached for her phone under the table, typing a message to Caden with quick precision.


    “Where are you? You better get your ass here right now! “I’m in trouble!”


    Meanwhile, Caden was still at the airport. He had hoped to be at the Gray family estate for nine, but fate had other ns. Just as he was about to leave, a call from his butler threw his evening into disarray. Apparently, Ciara had suddenly arrived in Warrington and insisted that Caden pick her up personally.


    It was his first time in the city and, despite the inconveniences, Caden could not refuse the old woman''s request.


    Looking at Alicia''s message, he swiped his thumb across the screen and frowned. He turned to Hank, who was standing beside him. “Howte is the flight?”


    “About half an hour,” Hank replied.


    "You still don''t know when it will arrive?"


    Hank, sensing his boss''s agitation, quickly made a call to check on the status.


    When he returned, his expression had darkened. “Mr. Ward, the flight never took off because of weather problems. Mrs. Ward’s n is still on the ground and they don’t know when it will take off.”


    Caden let out a frustrated sigh, his patience wearing thin. “I thought they said it was about tond.”


    Hank shrugged helplessly. “Mrs. “Ward isn’t always… precise.”


    Still, Caden couldn''t stay mad at Ciara. Despite her unpredictability, she always treated her with a tenderness that few saw. Even now, his expression softened as he thought of the older woman.


    He stood up, his voice low but firm. “Take the car. “We’re leaving.”


    At that moment his phone range.


    Caden looked it up and saw Alicia''s name on the screen.


    His message was brief but sharp: “Forget it. I know now what kind of person you really are, Mr. Ward. “I swear we will never cooperate again.”


    Caden stared at the words, his mind racing for an answer. But for the first time in a long time, he found himself lost.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.


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