?<strong>Chapter 694:</strong>


    With an order from Forrest, Elyse was freed.


    She moved her hands and arched an eyebrow at Thea, her eyes twinkling with pride.


    Unbeknownst to Elyse, her look was like a provocation in Thea’s eyes.


    Thea was clenching her teeth, nearly grinding them to bits. She was baffled by Forrest’s sudden warmth towards Elyse.


    Trying to mask her irritation with a forced smile, Thea inquired curiously, “Elyse is Rickey’s daughter. You’ve always despised their family. Why are you treating her kindly now?”


    Elyse looked at Thea, taken aback by her boldness and forthrightness.


    In front of everyone, Thea had exposed Elyse’s identity. It seemed like she was challenging Forrest too, wasn’t she?


    Elyse quickly nced at Forrest. As she expected, he looked dissatisfied.


    Forrest’s eyes grew colder as he looked at Thea. He responded indifferently, “This is my home. Here, my words arew. Are you questioning my authority?”


    Thea was scared.


    This was the first time Forrest had treated her so coldly, and it shook her sense of security. She desperately wanted an exnation from Forrest. But she knew better than to press him.


    With her lip quivering, trying to hide her distress, Thea muttered, “Sorry, I spoke out of turn.”


    Forrest dismissed her and turned to Elyse, saying, “You can go now.”


    Elyse nodded, gracefully gathered her dress, and exited under the watchful eyes of everyone.


    As Elyse departed, the atmosphere in the banquet hall lightened, returning to its previous harmony.


    But Thea was restless. She hurried upstairs in her high heels to confront Forrest.


    When Forrest saw Thea following him, his disdain grew. He attempted to walk away, but Thea caught up to him.


    Panting, Thea demanded, “Why are you so kind to Elyse? You even let her walk free. Have you forgotten what her father did to your mother? Weren’t you determined to make Rickey’s descendants pay?”


    Forrest listened to Thea’s words and let out a chuckle. “You think you know me well. It seems you’ve studied my mind thoroughly to gain my approval.”


    Detecting an unusual tone in Forrest’s voice, Thea said, “Aren’t we friends? Why are you speaking to me like this? We don’t have any issues, do we?”


    Forrest scoffed at Thea’s naivety. “Do you really not understand? How could I be friends with you? You are just like a pet to me. Having someone from the Benson family as my pet amuses me greatly.”


    Thea’s face was drained of color. She shook her head in disbelief and said, “How can this be? Nothing has changed between us. Why this sudden shift? Did Elyse say something to you during that half-hour she was away that made you turn against me?”


    Forrest looked at Thea with a mix of pity and dismissal.


    He was well aware of Thea’s background and motives when she first approached him, which made it easy for him to boss her around.


    Now, he was tired of the charade.


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