?Chapter 1110:


    Yvonne’s gaze wandered across the crowded ballroom, but she barely registered Shelly’s triumphant smirk as the woman swirled her champagne, her lips curling like a cat toying with a cornered mouse. Whatever Shelly was up to, Yvonne had no intention of ying along.


    Shelly leaned closer, her voice a venomous whisper. “Congrattions, Yvonne. How’s it feel to be Norton’s wife?”


    Her eyes glinted with malice, daring Yvonne to flinch. Yvonne’s jaw clenched, but she refused to take the bait. She tilted her head, meeting Shelly’s gaze with a cool, unflinching stare. “What do you want, Shelly? I have better things to do than entertain you.”


    With a slow, deliberate sip of her drink, Shelly’s expression hardened, her tone dripping with disdain. “I am just curious—does it sting, being tethered to Norton? Knowing you are second best?”


    Yvonne’s lips twitched into a smirk, her voice sharp as a de. “Why would it? I am living a life you could only dream of, while you are still scrambling in the shadows.”


    Shelly’sugh was soft, almost pitying, as she pressed a manicured hand to her lips. “Oh, Yvonne, you are putting on such a brave face. But deep down, you are crumbling, aren’t you? I can’t imagine the misery you endure in that sham of a marriage.”


    Yvonne’s patience frayed like a worn thread. She set her ss on a passing waiter’s tray, her movements deliberate. “Stop circling like a vulture. Say what you mean, or I am walking away.”


    With a tilt of her chin, Shelly’s sneer deepened, her voice cutting through the hum of the crowd. “You are nothing to Norton. You know it, and it terrifies you. Admit it—you are scared he will toss you aside for someone better.”


    Shelly tilted her chin up, her face brimming with smugness.


    Yvonne’sughter was low, icy, and utterly unyielding. In the past, Shelly’s barbs had stung, her presence a thorn in Yvonne’s side. But tonight, Shelly was merely an irritation, a fleeting nuisance in a world Yvonne had fought to im.


    “You misunderstand,” Yvonne said, her smile sharp enough to cut ss. “I am not the one clinging to Norton. He is the one who refuses to let me go.”


    Her gaze flicked to Norton, standing across the room, as heughed with a group of investors.


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    Their eyes met, and warmth flickered in his gaze, a silent promise that steadied her. She lifted her champagne flute, the liquid catching the light as she took a sip.


    “Besides, whatever happens between my husband and me is no concern of yours. Focus on your own messes.”


    Shelly’s eyes narrowed, her confidence faltering. Convinced Yvonne was bluffing, she tossed her head back, her voice rising to carry across the room. “Oh, please, Yvonne. Everyone knows you and Norton are just a marriage of convenience!”


    Herughter rang out, sharp and gleeful, as she nced at the nearby guests, relishing the attention.


    Murmurs rippled through the crowd, heads turning as curious eyes darted between the two women.


    Yvonne’s lips curved into a faint, unperturbed smile. “Where do you dig up these absurd rumors?” she asked, her tone light butced with steel.


    Across the room, Norton’s conversation tapered off. His gaze locked onto Yvonne, and he began weaving through the crowd, his strides purposeful.


    Yvonne’s heart quickened, not with fear but with anticipation. “Honey,” she called, her voice warm, inviting, as she extended a hand toward him.


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