As night fell, the Kate Hotel started being filled with celebrities. The upper-class ladies were all dressed to kill and constantly evaluating each other's luxurious attire. After glancing around the large crowd of elite men present, the rich girls instantly knew their backgrounds and assets quite well. Keen on finding the perfect match for themselves, they desperately wanted to earn the favor of the certain rich men who were known for their handsome looks and financial status. But none of them had shown up yet, even when the party started. No wonder the women were a bit disappointed.
While the women hunted for the perfect husband, the men were glancing around to check the female party guests. They were all dazzled at the sight of Jessica who wore a long revealing gown. Her big breasts aroused their wildest fantasies. They had been longing to get an eyeful of her curvy figure for a long time. But with Edward at her side, they dared not stare at her. Today, they could finally feast their eyes on her. Despite how attracted they were, no man stepped forward to flirt with her. After all, Edward hadn't announced their break-up. They didn't want to cross Edward and risk their company for a woman. So they remained in place and continued fantasizing without taking any action.
Seeing Jessica in the limelight made Mary huff angrily. She intentionally chose an elegant and conservative dress to impress Edward, but every man's eyes were glued on Jessica's captivating figure. Not even the slightest bit of attention shifted to her. It seemed her orthodox outfit was her biggest mistake tonight.
In contrast to Mary's regret, Jessica was quite delighted with all the attention. As if on purpose, she stroked the precious 'Soul of Tears' necklace several times around her neck. It was a present from Edward. She wanted to wear the necklace as a reminder of her place in Edward's heart. She smiled and moved gracefully, exhibiting her charm and allure. She was determined to win over Daisy tonight, then Edward would see who was the perfect woman to stand by him.
The story behind the 'Soul of Tears' necklace had widely circulated in the upper-class society. It was difficult to forget indeed. After all, Edward paid ten times the original price for the necklace, just to make Jessica happy. His generous purchase made the headlines in S City, bringing quite a lot of readers to outlets and plenty of pride for Jessica. But things had changed. A lot had disappeared, including Edward's affections for her.
Jessica strode through the hall and glanced around, but didn't find the figure she was looking for. A trace of displeasure crept up her face. But she remembered that Edward usually came to these events late. Of course, he wouldn't be here yet. As she roamed the room, she felt a pair of harsh eyes boring into her. But when looking around, she didn't find anything amiss.
Jessica's senses were right. Someone was glaring at her figure the whole time, more precisely, at her stomach. It was as if the observer was trying to check if she was really carrying a baby. The observer didn't even blink her eyes, she didn't want to miss a thing. Then, she started wondering if Jessica's shoes were a bit too high for a pregnant woman.
"You're not even looking at where you're going, " Duke complained. Belinda was too busy staring at Jessica to pay any attention to herself. She didn't take back her gaze until she almost tripped over her dress. But luckily, Duke caught her in his arms. In her lavender trailing gown, Belinda looked noble and elegant. She emanated strength, beauty, and innocence as she walked through the crowd.
"Thank you!" Belinda immediately pulled out of Duke's arms. She was still mad at him. With her problem with Duke in mind, she wasn't in the mood to ask Daisy how she was doing after her return from the military exercises. This was why she arrived at the party so early, to see Daisy as soon as possible. She wanted to check if the tension between her and Edward had diminished. But her goal was stalled once again.
"Belinda, do you have to act so indifferent towards me? You should at least tell me what I did wrong before you shut me off." With Rachel's harassment and Belinda's anger, things had been tough for Duke recently. Now, Belinda even stopped preparing for the wedding that they had been planning together, and he couldn't figure out why.
"You did nothing wrong. It's me. I'm just not in a good mood." Belinda answered hesitantly. Her tone showed her reluctance. She was mad at him and Rachel. She knew about their history. Although she didn't mind their romantic past, it didn't mean that she could just accept this self-important woman waltzing into her life. She couldn't believe that Duke was over Rachel. If he didn't have feelings for her anymore, he would've deleted her number. But he still kept her number in his phone. It could only mean that he still liked her. Why else would he put up with her harassment? She really hated the way his phone rang endlessly in the past several days. Every time it rang, Duke purposefully hung up in front of her. What was he trying to prove?
Have I ever told you that you're a terrible liar?" Duke fixed his cold eyes on her. He had enough of her surly and odd behavior in the past several days. He wanted to discuss their problems, instead of pushing them aside.
"You have to let me go first." Noticing that they were gaining some attention, Belinda was embarrassed to stay in Duke's arms. After all, only close friends knew about their marriage. She didn't want to make their relationship public and become the topic of gossip in S City.
"What if I say no?" Duke looked up, meeting the women's shocked eyes. They should be surprised. After all, he never flirted with or approached any woman, let alone display his affections in public.
"If you want to be tomorrow's headline, then hold me as long as you want." Knowing how much Duke hated exposure, Belinda used it against him.
"I wouldn't care about being on the news if you're with me." Duke curled his lips into a mischievous smile, winning the hearts of all the women present. Duke was no less popular than Edward, but nobody ever flirted with him due to his indifference. No matter how many woman wanted him, his cold eyes instantly extinguished any idea about approaching him. They wouldn't even dare to talk to him.