?Chapter 548:


    With the invitation in her hand, the disguised Elliana moved through the venue with ease and led Levi straight into the banquet hall.


    Most guests huddled tightly around Jarvis’s bedside, their attention fixed on the imposter Milena, who carried out a sham examination, never once noticing Elliana’s quiet arrival.


    Cole, refusing to join the spectacle and rooted to the spot, immediately spotted Elliana at the entrance.


    To be precise, Cole had been watching the banquet hall entrance, waiting for her return. He had expected she’d be back soon and cause a stir in some surprising way, but it never crossed his mind that she’d walk through the door dressed as a man.


    A fleeting nce at Elliana, disguised and sporting a convincingly fake Adam’s apple, nearly broke hisposure. That prop was so expertly crafted that, had he not known every detail of her face or spent countless nights beside her, he might have mistaken her for a man.


    Elliana always found new ways to leave him stunned, and he wondered how often she had secretly practiced these disguises. But calling her “his wife” no longer felt right. Those words belonged to the past now—she was nothing more than his ex-wife. A hint of sorrow slipped into his chest as the thought took hold.


    At that moment, Elliana shot Cole a look, but her eyes glided over his features, not settling on him for more than a heartbeat. Yet, that nce was meaningful. She was fully aware of his presence and let her gaze pass by in a challenge he couldn’t quite read.


    One eyebrow lifted in confusion, Cole tried to decipher her message.


    Jason, meanwhile, had chosen to keep his distance from the chaos around Jarvis, remaining firmly in his seat. Unlike Cole, his gaze wasn’t fixed on Elliana but was instead observing “Milena” from afar.


    The moment Elliana and Levi stepped inside, however, Jason’s attention shifted. That single look left him frozen, unable to believe what he saw. Death Thorn was here? Could it really be that she hade for him?


    Jason’s heart pounded, excitement sparking alongside a happiness he struggled to put into words. Ever since his return to Ublento, the thought of meeting Death Thorn again had circled his mind endlessly. Should she not appear, what excuse…


    Would he invent excuses just to cross her path? Each day found him hoping, longing for even the smallest chance that she’d show up. To see her materialize right in front of him today, like this, was beyond any dream he dared imagine. Not only was she here, but she’d chosen a man’s disguise, transforming herselfpletely. Had he not recognized her features, free of any disguise, he might have been fooled by her transformation. Did she want to dodge the crowd’s attention, or was this an borate ruse meant to throw him off bnce?


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    Overwhelmed by a jumble of curiosity and anticipation, Jason pushed himself out of his seat and made his way over. His face, hidden beneath a mask, allowed him to conceal the flush creeping up his cheeks.


    Watching Jason draw closer, Elliana raised an eyebrow. She couldn’t quite guess his intentions. Uncertainty flickered in her chest as his footsteps closed the distance, leaving her to wonder if he had somehow seen through her disguise. Her nerves faded just as quickly, though, because she remembered Jason had never actually glimpsed her real features. Regal Grove’s staff had caught a glimpse of her real appearance, but their loyalty to Cole ensured their silence around Jason. Still, it made no sense for Jason to approach—he had no way of connecting her current self to Elliana.


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