?<strong>Chapter 403:</strong>


    M remained seated for a moment, unmoving. Despite winning, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feeling that, in some way, she had lost.


    The group made their way to the grand dining room, where a ten-meter-long table stretched before them, filled with guests.


    M chose a seat across from Joelle.


    She observed as Adrian, with meticulous care, attended to Joelle’s every need—pulling out her chair, handing her a napkin, his eyes fixated on her, as if she were the only person in the room.


    “So, Joelle, I heard you and Adrian divorced at one point, and you were seeing Rafael. Did I get that right?”


    Everyone at the table was well-versed in the unspoken rules of their social circle. Scandal was asmon as the expensive wine on the table, but decorum dictated that as long as appearances were maintained, no one would drag skeletons out of closets without good reason.


    M wasn’t oblivious, and even Dunn, at five years old, had likely caught wind of such things. So, it was impossible that M hadn’t.


    Joelle knew instantly that M’s question wasn’t innocent; it was meant to put her on the spot, to make her squirm.


    Before Joelle could formte a response, Adrian shot back, “And what if we did divorce? Ever heard of remarriage?”


    M arched an eyebrow, her tone teasing. “Oh, so you two got remarried?”


    All eyes at the table turned toward them, and Joelle felt the unwee weight of their attention. This was supposed to be a celebration for Stephen’s eighty-eighth birthday, yet here they were, turning the dinner into a yground for gossip at her expense.


    Adrian’s voice turned cold. “This isn’t any of your business!”


    M, far from cowed, gave him a knowing smile. “Ah, so you’re still avable then?”


    Adrian ignored her bait, realizing there was little point in sparring with someone who had no intention of ying fair.


    Fred, sensing the tension, intervened to defuse the situation. “Alright, that’s enough of that. We’re here for Grandpa’s birthday, not for gossip. Grandpa, how about you say a few words?”


    “Of course!” Stephen beamed warmly at the crowd, clearly amused by the spirited exchanges among the younger generation.


    As dinner began to wind down, the children started to drift away from the table, leaving the adults to continue their conversation.


    Aurora, noticing Dunn getting up to leave, hurriedly finished her food and piped up, “Mom, I’m done! Can I go y with Dunn?”


    “Go ahead,” Joelle replied, giving her permission.


    From the nearby seat, Rnd let out a grunt, drawing the attention of Adrian and Joelle.


    Joelle caught the look on his face. Rnd had always been his sister’s shadow, never far from her side.


    “Alright, I get it—you want to go too,” Joelle said as she untied Rnd’s bib, allowing him to hop off the chair.


    Across the table, M’s voice rang out once more, her tone thick with insinuation. “Both kids are yours, right? Howe the little one doesn’t look like either of you?”


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