Chapter 95

From the balcony next door, Marissa overheard Brenden's words and instinctively stilled. A knowing spark flickered in her eyes as she exited Twitter, her fingers already switching to the camera app to start recording.

"What? Shocked to hear my voice?" Rita's tone cut through the receiver, sharp and biting, her gaze fixed on the glowing screen before her.

Brenden's hesitant silence only made her frown deepen, her features hardening into something cold and unforgiving.

"You..." he said, his voice faltering.

A sly smile replaced Rita's earlier sternness. Her lips curved playfully as she tilted her head, voice softening."What's wrong? Don't tell me you weren't hoping to hear from me."

Beside her, Holley blinked in puzzlement, unsure what to make of the sudden change in Rita's tone.

Wasn't that her phone ringing a moment ago?

And wasn't the call from Brenden?

Holley's eyes widened as she studied Rita, confusion etched across her face.

Despite her age, Rita carried herself with the poise of a woman far younger. Her skin still glowed with vitality,and her figure remained as graceful as ever, the kind that turned heads without effort.

Could it be that Rita was having an affair with Brenden?

Holley's lips parted as if to question it, but no words came out. Instead, she simply gazed at Rita in awe, a flicker of amusement dancing in her.eyes. It seemed Rita shared the same spirit as her.

Though she had feelings for Theodore, she was determined to live without restraint, to take what she wanted from life. Inside the hotel, attendants moved about quietly, yet Brenden's startled voice broke the stillness. He instinctively cupped his hand over the phone's microphone, whispering, "Mrs. Curtis... are you feeling alright? I heard you went to the hospital earlier. Is everything okay?"

His tone carried genuine concern, though the words were nearly lost to the faintness of his voice. Had the call not been on speaker, they might have gone unheard entirely.

"The last time you visited, I never got the chance to greet you properly. You..." Brenden stopped himself,biting back the question about the gossip circulating in the Curtis household. With Holley nearby, it wasn't the time to ask.

Marissa listened from her seat, her posture perfectly composed. The tone between the two struck her as unusually intimate.

"I'm fine. I only fainted because Marissa made me furious!"

The memory of that day still made Rita's chest tighten. Marissa had gone to see Rayden at the hospital, yet hadn't bothered to check on her, even though her ward was next door. That act of disregard was unforgivable.

Marissa would never have her support!

In her heart, there was only one true daughter of the family, and that was Holley.

If Marissa refused to yield, then Rita saw no reason to stay gentle.

Her features hardened as she remembered her own past. She had once triumphed over Callan, Curtis's many lovers to secure her place by his side. If she could outwit them, surely she could handle a willful girl like Marissa.

"I'm glad to hear you're well," Brenden said cautiously, hesitating before continuing. He had meant to discuss the banquet with Holley, but found himself faltering.′′|sMiss Curtis nearby, by any chance?"

"Are you ignoring me now?" Rita's tone lifted, carrying the faint edge of challenge beneath her words.

Brenden stiffened at once. With a quick motion, he signaled for the nearby staff to clear the room, the unease in his chest warring with a private eagerness to speak with her alone.

"You've got it wrong. That's not what I meant," he muttered, easing into a chair as he pulled out his work phone.Lowering his voice to a near whisper, he let a familiar warmth seep into his tone. "Honey, will you come to the party?"

The sound of that endearment drew a spark of pleasure to Rita's face. Her lips curved into a radiant smile."You actually want me to come?"

Whatever reply came from the other end, Holley couldn't make it out. She only noticed Rita rise from her seat, her tone brimming with youthful delight. "We'll be there soon."

Curiosity burned at the tip of Holley's tongue, yet she swallowed it back after seeing how happy Rita looked.

Better to stay out of it. Rita's business wasn't hers to question, and pretending not to notice felt safer.

After all, when a person was already having an affair, what difference did a few more make?

And besides, she still had her own reasons for keeping Brenden on her side.

Behind her wide, innocent eyes, thoughts churned like hidden waves.

At the banquet hall, Farris stood frozen for a brief moment before his senses kicked back in. He had a clear purpose that night-his task was to keep a sharp eye on Theodore.

More than that, Theodore had practically handed him a golden chance to stir trouble.

The thought alone made Farris's pulse quicken. If the Curtis family discovered that Theodore had shown up with a woman, chaos was bound to follow.

Everyone knew about the engagement between the Curtis and Brooks families. How could they possibly overlook such an offense?

Without wasting another second, he began firing off messages to his Curtis family connections, urging them to come and witness the unfolding drama for themselves.

Breaking into a brisk pace, Farris hurried toward the first-floor lobby and stopped beside the elevator. "Where did the person who just went in head to?" he asked one of the staff, his tone impatient.

Farris and Theodore shared blood through their mothers' side, making them cousins.

From childhood, Theodore had always carried himself with quiet confidence, his intelligence and composure setting him apart early on.

On the other hand, Farris had a streak of mischief that often landed him in trouble and kept him at odds with his cousin.

Although their ages were close,the constant comparisons from relatives created a rift between them.

No one liked being measured against someone who always seemed to come out ahead.

For Farris, it had been a bitter experience he never forgot.

Their families had always been intertwined, livingpractically next door to one another. Farris had spent his entire childhood being measured against Theodore's achievements, and now that he'd discovered a weakness, he clung to it with satisfaction.

His goal was simpole-to make sure everyone knew that Theodore was impotent.