?Chapter 627:


    Hanging up, Nina spotted Cedric making his way into the hall, dressed in a sharp ck suit. She straightened her dress and confidently approached the gathering.


    Dani, observing Nina’s reentry, allowed a slight curl of disdain to touch her lips.


    When Katrina finished mingling, she found her ce at the dinner table,forted slightly by seeing Joyce’s name next to hers.


    Yet, what she saw next caught her off guard.


    Katrina furrowed her brows in confusion as she grabbed Joyce by the arm, her voice filled with disbelief.


    “Joyce, are you out of your mind? Keeping Alexander as a lover is one thing, but why would you bring him to the banquet? If Doug finds out, not only will your marriage be over, but your life will be in danger too.”


    Joyce calmly took a seat.


    “Mom, don’t make it a bigger deal than it is. Doug thinks little of anyone in Olisvine except Dani. He barely interacts with anyone here and onlyes home for two days each month. When he does, he’s too wrapped up in having sex with me to care about rumors.”


    Joyce spoke with unshakable confidence.


    “And let’s not forget, Doug’s desires are endless. Do you really think he’s being faithful? Why can he step out, but I can’t?”


    Katrina’s expression darkened.


    “Joyce, don’t you get it? Whoever controls the money controls everything. Men can be unfaithful, but they won’t tolerate their wives stepping out. It’s not about love—it’s about ownership. By being his wife, you’re his image, and if he finds out you’ve betrayed him, he won’t let you go.


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    You’ve got a good life, yet you’re throwing it away for Alexander. I heard he charges a million per night for a night with you. Is he some kind of goldmine?”


    Joyce nced over at Alexander. The sharp edge that once defined him had softened, reced by a docile, submissive aura. She was oddly drawn to this state of submission. Being the center of Alexander’s universe thrilled her.


    “Mom, you’ve never been through it, so you wouldn’t get the satisfaction,” Joyce replied, her tone casual.


    Katrina paused, shutting her eyes for a moment.


    “Fine. I didn’te here to argue. Dani promised to let me stay in the Harper family’s vi if I give her a million dors.”


    Joyce frowned slightly upon hearing that.


    “You’ve been asking me for money a lot recently. I remember giving you some just a couple of weeks ago. Mom, I might have married a rich man, but he doesn’t treat me like a person. Money doesn’te easy, you know?”


    Her frustration was evident in her voice.


    Without another word, Joyce quickly wrote out a check and tossed it toward Katrina.


    The checknded awkwardly, pping Katrina’s face, a clear sign of Joyce’s impatience.


    Katrina was shocked. She looked down at the check on the floor, then stared at Joyce in disbelief.


    Unmoved, Joyce turned her head, catching sight of Dani making her way to the table. A smirk spread across Joyce’s face, as if eager to unt a rare prize.


    “Alexander, peel a shrimp for me,” shemanded, her tone firm. The nearby onlookers, who loved a bit of drama, eagerly watched to see how the once-proud man now knelt for money under Joyce’s control. They wondered if Dani, his ex-wife, still had any sympathy left for him.


    Alexander gripped the shrimp in his hand, already numb from the many humiliations he had endured. Joyce took pleasure in showing him off, unting how the man who once rejected her now groveled like a dog desperate for her approval.


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