Chapter 252

Thinking of Joanna, I instinctively stopped in my tracks, staring at the couple disappearing behind the hotel's automatic doors.

The hotel had large, transparent glass walls, and I could clearly see them walking to the front desk, seemingly checking in.

I hesitated for a moment.

Should I take a photo and send it to Joanna?

Although we weren't close to her husband, I never thought he would cheat on Joanna with another woman...

And with someone like Maeve!

Just then, Maeve suddenly turned her head in my direction.

Our eyes met.

I instinctively looked away and started to walk, but I knew Maeve had already seen me...

As I hesitated, I heard someone call out from behind.

"Caroline!"

Maeve had actually come after me.

I finally got a good look at her. She was wearing a sky-blue knit dress that accentuated her already seductive figure.

From the first time I saw Maeve at that party, I knew she wasn't a good person, especially after hearing all those rumors about her.

"Still playing the mistress role, Maeve?" I asked coldly, my tone dripping with disdain.

Maeve took a deep breath, stepped closer, and smiled. "Caroline, it's been a while, and you're still as feisty as ever."

"No wonder Brandon once said he should have poisoned you mute first; it would have made things much easier."

Hearing about Brandon's plot to harm me again after all this time still made my blood boil!

"Shut up. You had a thing with Brandon too, didn't you? Were you his mistress as well?"

Maeve just smiled without answering, sizing me up for a moment.

"Do you realize the consequences of sneaking around with Joanna's husband?" I couldn't help but ask, thinking of what I had just seen.

Maeve adjusted her bag and her curls, smiling sweetly. "I came out to tell you to mind your own business."

Her smile seemed to turn cold.

"It's a mutual arrangement. Joanna isn't like you. You divorced Brandon because he was a jerk, but Joanna might not leave her husband. It's better if she doesn't know about this."

I stared at Maeve suspiciously, unable to refute her words.

What she said...

But knowing Joanna's personality, I had to admit Maeve might be right.

"Think it over, Caroline. By the way, I got a call from Brandon recently. You actually got him thrown in jail. Impressive."

Maeve's words didn't make me happy at all.

Brandon deserved to be in jail, but it was for trespassing and theft, so he wouldn't be in for long. He'd probably be out soon.

Maeve leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Caroline, be careful. Brandon is desperate. He called me, begging for money to get him out. He's completely lost it!"

"Do you believe he won't come after you again? I have something that could help. If you keep today's events a secret from Joanna, we can make a deal."

Something? What kind of something?

Maeve's words left me puzzled. I was about to ask when she handed me a small piece of paper.

"This is my contact information."

She winked at me. "Remember, keep today's events a secret."

I stood there, feeling like I was in a cold sweat as Maeve walked away.

I had planned to give Maeve a piece of my mind, but now she had me on a leash.

But I was curious about what she had that could bring Brandon down...

Brandon definitely had secrets, and I knew he'd come after me again once he was out. I had considered this before.

But Maeve's words made me think of another possibility.

Why wait for things to happen before dealing with them?

If Brandon caused trouble again, I'd always be on the defensive!

If Maeve had something that could completely destroy Brandon, it would be a one-time solution...

On my way home, I kept thinking about these things.

I repeatedly opened my chat with Joanna but still didn't send a message.

When I got home, I planned to check on the kids first, but my phone suddenly buzzed.

Startled, I thought I had accidentally sent a message to Joanna. But it was a text from an unknown number.

I opened it and saw the words "old woman," immediately frowning as I read on.

[You old woman, how dare you hog Royce? Do you know how many people like him? You're divorced with kids, getting old and wrinkled. What makes you think you deserve him?!]

The audacity!

I smirked and kept reading. The messages were all in the same vein, attacking me from every angle, saying I didn't deserve Royce.

I quickly realized who it was from.

It was Yvonne from the recent party!

The young girl held grudges and had a sharp tongue.

I stared at the messages for a while, sighed, and didn't reply. But I didn't delete them either, keeping them just in case.

Who knows, she might cause trouble again?

Soon after, another message came from the same number, this time with a photo.

[Guess who I'm having dinner with?]

In the photo, a man sat across from her.

Even though his face wasn't visible, his demeanor and outfit made it clear it was Royce...

I clenched my phone, my heart sinking.

Just days ago, Royce had acted like a puppy around me, and I had fallen for his sweet talk.

He said he'd distance himself from Yvonne and other female friends, but now it seemed he was lying?

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I didn't reply to the message or plan to confront Royce. Instead, I called Kathy.

When Kathy heard about Joanna's husband and Maeve, she immediately started cursing. "Can you believe these men? What is it about Maeve that attracts all the guys in our circle?"

"At least Royce is young. He probably doesn't like women like Maeve!"

I hadn't even mentioned what Maeve told me, but Kathy's words distracted me.

If Royce didn't like Maeve, could he really like me?

Young girls like Yvonne, full of life, were probably more his type!

As we chatted, the doorbell rang.

I told Kathy to keep quiet about this for now and promised to explain everything in person later, then hung up.

When I opened the door, Royce stood there, dressed in a black casual outfit.

Different from the photo Yvonne sent.

But the faint scent of perfume on him made me feel sick!

I frowned at him. "What are you doing here?"

Royce looked taken aback by my tone. "Hey, I just wanted to see you. Is everything okay?"

I crossed my arms, trying to keep my cool. "I got a message from Yvonne. She sent me a picture of you two having dinner. Care to explain?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Caroline, it's not what you think. She just showed up at the restaurant. I didn't even know she was going to be there."

"Really? Because it sure looked like you were having a good time," I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Look, I can't control where she goes. But I promise you, I didn't invite her. I was just being polite," he insisted, stepping closer.

I took a step back, not ready to let him off the hook. "Polite? Royce, she called me an old woman and said I don't deserve you. And now you're telling me you just happened to run into her?"

He looked genuinely hurt. "Caroline, I had no idea she was going to do that. I swear. You're the one I care about."

I wanted to believe him, but the doubt lingered. "You need to prove it, Royce. Actions speak louder than words."

He nodded, determination in his eyes. "I will. Just give me a chance."

I sighed, feeling the weight of the day's events pressing down on me. "Fine. But don't think for a second that I'm going to let this slide easily."

Royce reached out, gently taking my hand. "I understand. I'll do whatever it takes to make this right."

As I looked into his eyes, I hoped he meant it. Because I couldn't handle another betrayal. Not after everything I'd been through.