Chapter

183

The Miller mansion was glowing with lights as guests began streaming in, dressed in their finest attire. Inside, the grand hall had been carefully decorated for the evening.

Linda Miller walked around, a smile etched on her face as she greeted and welcomed guests, her eyes scanning the room to ensure everything looked as perfect as it could.

Spotting a small group of women standing near a corner, she smirked as she made her way towards them. She had been closest with them, but ever since her company's crisis got worse, they'd begun avoiding her because she apparently wasn't on the same level as them anymore. Tonight, she wanted to show them.

"Ladies," she greeted warmly, offering brief hugs to each of them. "I'm so glad you could make it." One of the women, an older brunette in an emerald dress, gave Linda a polite smile, but there was something mocking in her tone. "The decorations are beautiful, Linda. But it does feel... different from what you used to do. Quite a change.'

Linda's smile faltered slightly as she glanced around at the room. "Different? How do you mean?" she asked, her voice tight.

Before the woman could respond, another lady in the group, a blonde with sharp eyes, cut in. "Oh, don't bother her, Ana. You know Linda's had to make some... financial adjustments. She can't be expected to make everything as extravagant as before."

Her words were cloaked in sympathy, but the jab was clear. Linda's teeth clenched behind her tight smile. "Thank you. I've worked hard to make sure everything looks perfect," she replied through gritted teeth. "Well, don't worry," the blonde added, patting Linda on the arm. "It looks wonderful."noveldrama

Knowing full well she was being mocked, Linda nodded stiffly. "Enjoy the party," she muttered before turning to leave.

As she walked away, she could hear the faint snickers from the group behind her, and one of the women whispered, "Remember the last party we went to? That was on a budget too, but even those decorations were better than this."

Linda's nails dug into her palms as she moved through the crowd, forcing her smile to stay in place. She stopped by another couple, exchanging the usual pleasantries.

"Thank you for coming," Linda said to the couple, shaking hands.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," the man said with a grin, his arm wrapped around his wife.

"I hope you enjoy the party," Linda added, ready to move on when the woman's voice stopped her.

"Linda," she began, a curious frown on her face. "Is it just me, or is the wine you're serving a bit... cheaper than usual?"

Linda's jaw tightened, but she forced another smile. "You must be mistaken. The wine is one of the best," she said sweetly, though she was seething inside.

The couple exchanged looks but didn't press further. Linda excused herself quickly, moving on to greet another pair of guests, this time two women standing near the bar. She offered her usual pleasantries, but one of the women quickly cut to the chase.

"Tell me, Linda," she began, her voice filled with curiosity. "Is your ex-daughter-in-law, Thalassa Thompson, going to make an appearance tonight?"

Linda's smile stiffened again, but she nodded. "Of course. She's just running a bit late."

The other woman chipped in. "You should really be grateful to her, you know. Without her, your company would have gone bankrupt. You're lucky she has such a kind heart as to clear your name."

Linda's lips twitched. "Yes, I suppose I am," she replied through clenched teeth, but her smile remained perfectly in place.

She left the women and headed straight to Susan and Cynthia, who were standing by the staircase. As soon as she was out of earshot of the guests, she started venting under her breath.

"I hate them so much," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "They're all such hypocrites. They used to bow down to me, and now they think they can mock me."

Susan, dressed in a sleek silver gown, glanced at her mother with a sigh. "Mom, calm down. They'll come back to respecting soon."

"Yeah," Cynthia added, patting Linda's arm. "You don't need to deal with them. We'll handle the rest of the guests. Just try to enjoy the evening.

Linda took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Just then, her eyes landed on Kris as he entered the room, alone. Her mood shifted immediately, and she rushed over to him.

"Kris, where's Thalassa? I thought you said she agreed to come."

Kris's expression was calm as he replied, "She has. But she wanted to come alone."

Linda's brow furrowed in suspicion. "Alone? Why? I thought you two were back together."

Kris glanced around, lowering his voice. "Karen is making the divorce difficult, and Thalassa doesn't want

to be seen with me until it's finalized. Where's she?"

"She's with your daughter upstairs. I told her it would be best if she didn't come down tonight. I don't want her to cause any trouble for Thalassa," Linda explained.

Kris gave her a nod. “Thanks for thinking of Thalassa's comfort, mum. But next time you talk to Karen, remind her that I won't allow her to continue using our daughter as leverage to stall the divorce any longer."

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Before Linda could respond, a murmur suddenly swept through the room, drawing their attention. Kris turned, his breath catching as his eyes landed on Thalassa.

She was walking in, looking

absolutely stunning in a floor-length,

form-fitting black dress that

shimmered under the lights. The neckline was elegantly low, showing just enough to make heads turn without being overly revealing, and her dark hair was pulled back into a steek, sophisticated bun A single diamond necklace glittered at her throat, catching the light with every step she took.

Kris's feet itched to move towards her, his arms itched to wrap around her, and his lips itched to kiss her.

It took everything to hold himself back, remembering that she didn't want them to be seen together.

Beside him, Linda clenched her teeth, seeing how everyone's eyes were drawn to Thalassa.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to welcome her." She muttered under her breath.

She began walking towards Thalassa. The entire room seemed to fall silent, everyone watching as the two women approached each other.

The tension was thick in the air as

they came face to face, staring at each other with unreadable expressions. The air around them crackled as they stood there, their gazes locked, and everyone held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.