Chapter 170
And yet, the lights that illuminated Presgrave Manor were as bright as day,
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Macon and Dayanna Presgrave had weathered the odds together for decades and were celebrating their 30th anniversary. Theirs was an arranged marriage between two equally powerful families that had made the Presgraves one of the most prestigious households in Castenea.
As such, the dinner party thrown in their honor saw the attendance of many important folks from Castenea.
Even the press had been invited to broadcast and photograph the event. With all the major media outlets promoting the luxurious affair, the party quickly became the most anticipated event of that evening
Everything about the party stirred up unprecedented buzz. It was even being broadcast live on television.
Anathea was greeted by the live broadcast of the dinner party at Presgrave Manor the moment she clicked on the remote and turned on the television. She also caught the dashing figure in a black suit that appeared on camera for only a second.
Unreadable emotions flickered in her eyes.
“What are we watching?” The hospital room door opened, and in strolled Hannah.
“Mommy!” Chloe’s doe eyes sparkled with delighted surprise when she saw Hannah. “Mommy, what are you doing here?”
Anathea was surprised as well. Normally, Hannah would disappear for days on end if she were suddenly called away for a job. She didn’t expect Hannah to return so soon.
“Have you settled everything at work? That was rather quick.”
“Yeah.” For a moment, Hannah looked a little evasive, but she quickly resumed her usual countenance. She stopped before Chloe and pinched her pretty little face.
“I just miss Chloe too much, you know? I can’t stand being away from her for that long.”
It had been half a year since she and Chloe last saw each other.
Hannah missed Chloe a whole lot, and she’d been planning to return to spend more time with the latter. But she was also terrified that Chloe’s identity would be exposed.
As such, Hannah had always been conflicted about returning to see Chloe, not that she ever talked about it. The fewer people who knew about Chloe, the better; she didn’t want to lose the little girl. Besides, Hannah didn’t want Anathea to worry.
Anathea was oblivious to Hannah’s complicated thoughts and only aimed the remote at the television, ready to switch channels. “Chloe, shall we put on a cartoon or something?”
“Yes, please!” Chloe replied happily. “I want to watch cartoons with you and Mommy!”
However, the remote seemed to be running on low battery. Anathea pressed the button several times, but the channel remained
- on.
Chloe asked, “Mommy, where are the batteries?”
“I’ll look for them.” Hannah turned to do just that, but the next second, the channels switched.
Chloe’s eyes lit up as she asked curiously, “Who’s that pretty lady?
Anathea glanced in the direction Chloe was pointing and saw Natalie’s delicately made–up face on the television screen.
The scar on Natalie’s face was basically invisible at this point, even under the scrutiny and harsh lights of the media’s cameras. She must have taken great pains to have the scar removed or hidden.
Meanwhile, over at Presgrave Manor in Castenea, Natalie wore a one–shoulder, lilac dress that accentuated the slope of her fair
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Chapter 170
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neck. She looked like a poised, elegant white swan.
The delicate butterfly–wing embroidery on her bodice added a touch of mischief to the otherwise feminine dress. Peacock feathers had been woven into the embroidery, too.
Depending on the angle, the feathers glimmered in different colors under the lights, turning her visage ethereal.
Natalie caught nearly everyone’s attention the moment she showed up.
“Tsk, why do we keep seeing that hussy everywhere we go?” Hannah frowned in annoyance when she returned with fresh batteries and saw Natalie’s face on the screen.
She also cut a worried look at Anathea. Even she knew that the attendees at the Presgraves‘ dinner party were mostly married couples.
Natalie was making her intention clear by deliberately wearing that dress and making a statement. All she had to do was link arms with Gregory on the red carpet, and all of Castenea’s attention would be on her.
She was practically marking her territory.
Hannah couldn’t care less whether Natalie was playing sly tricks or not, but she was worried that Anathea would be upset if she saw it.
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