Chapter: 242

Of course, that was a lie.

She wasn't afraid of saying too much; she was afraid of bursting into laughter.

"Let's end the call," she suggested, her voice light. "You said it yourself—it's a sensitive time. Best to be careful."

As soon as she put the phone down, a mocking thought slid into her mind.

Back when he had threatened to let those drunks rape her, did he ever once stop to ask if she still loved him?

Rachel had meticulously planned a garden party.

Most of the guests were women from Rachel's elite social circles.

Though laughter and casual chatter filled the air, an undercurrent of subtle power plays and veiled negotiations ran beneath the polished surface.

The women, who were all smiles, all knew one another-at least, on the surface. No one truly let their guard down, each interaction carefully measured.

Rachel graciously handed a sleek velvet box to Mrs. Reyes.

"I couldn't make it to your birthday last time, so here's a belated gift. I hope you don't mind."

Mrs. Reyes accepted the box with a practiced smile, her fingers gliding over the soft fabric. "Oh, Rachel, you really shouldn't have," she said, a light Laugh escaping her lips.

She opened the box, and inside lay a delicate necklace-its diamond centerpiece catching the afternoon sun, sending shimmering sparks of light in every direction.

“My goodness," Mrs. Reyes gasped, her eyes widening with genuine surprise. "This must have cost a fortune, Rachel. You're far too generous!" Mrs. Reyes admired the piece, slipping it back into the box with a pleased expression.

Then Rachel turned her attention to Mrs. Reyes's young son, gently patting him on the head.

She pulled out a limited-edition toy from behind her, its glossy packaging catching the boy's attention.

The child barely glanced up from the game on his tablet as he snatched the toy from Rachel's hand.

Mrs. Reyes's smile faltered for a moment before she turned to her son, her tone now firm. "Ted, what do you say to Mrs. Gray?"

But the Little boy didn't answer. Clutching his new prize, he dashed off without so much as a glance back.

Mrs. Reyes forced a light chuckle, her smile now slightly strained.

"I've spoiled him terribly. Sorry about that."

Rachel's smile remained polite. "No worries."

She glanced again at the gate, a sliver of concern creeping into her otherwise calm demeanor.

Where on earth was Alicia?

When Alicia finally arrived, she thought about sending Caden a message, advising him to keep his distance today-appearances, after all, were everything in their world, and misunderstandings could spread like wildfire.

But to her surprise, Caden wasn't there yet.

She looked around, but there was no sign of him. After a moment's hesitation, she shrugged it off and made her way into the party.

Inside, a group of women were huddled together, their conversation lively, with bursts of laughter echoing across the garden.

Rachel had casually mentioned Alicia would be coming, and naturally, the conversation turned toward her.

"I only found out she was married when Joshua proposed! Can you believe they'd been married for two years? He kept that under wraps pretty well."