?Chapter 802:
“I advise you to abandon those thoughts,” Andromache said mockingly. “Your little schemes are nothing to him. If he wanted to crush you, it would take less effort than swatting an insect.”
Leah froze, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment at being exposed so bluntly. She had always believed herself to be clever, but next to Andromache’s ruthless insight, her ambitions felt embarrassingly transparent.
Andromache knew her nephew well. Nate was raised by Ralph and had once dared to stand against him in his fiercest moments—and survived. He had wed his way to the top by stepping over his kin without hesitation. To provoke him was to court death.
“I was just curious,” Leah muttered, swallowing hard.
“Some curiosity is harmless. Some is not.” Andromache’s eyes darkened, her voice dropping to something almost ominous. “I understand.”
Leah lowered her gaze.
As night fell, the city’s nightlife came alive in full splendor. Towering skyscrapers shimmered against the dark sky, their lights dazzling like constetions in an urban gxy.
Amid them, the Dreamscape Hotel stood out,manding attention with its grandeur. Every inch of its opulent decor exuded luxury.
At the entrance, sleek luxury cars arrived one after another. As their doors swung open, men in tailored suits and women in breathtaking gowns stepped out. Their movements were poised, their arms intertwined in effortless intimacy as they glided toward the hotel’s grand doors under the watchful eyes of onlookers.
shes from photographers’ cameras punctuated the night. The media was stationed strategically to spin stories from stolen glimpses. Amid the spectacle, Leah felt a thinyer of sweat forming in her palms.
This was her first public appearance since Luna had publicly dragged her name through the mud. Despite Burgess Group’s relentless efforts to repair the damage, Leah’s reputation remained bruised. The whispers never ceased.
Discover new releases gα?ησv???s
News of her attendance at this charity g had only fanned the mes of controversy. Some believed she was there to y the sympathy card, using charity as a convenient shield to rehabilitate her image. Others argued she was sincere, pointing to her past involvement in charitable causes. But most remained skeptical. Like unseen predators lurking in the shadows, they watched and waited, ready to pounce at the first misstep that could send her crashing down for good.
Leah knew this event was significant for her. Every move, every outfit had been meticulously nned.
Tonight, she wore a champagne-colored tiered dress, its strapless design entuating her delicate corbones and graceful shoulders. Her chestnut curls were swept into an elegant updo, save for a single wisp that framed her face and softened her features.
Leah smiled softly, offering aposed greeting to the assembled reporters. But the response was cold. The media staff carried on as if she were invisible. They kept chatting among themselves, adjusting their cameras, making it clear she was no longer of interest.
.
.
.