Chapter 368:
Elena scoffed. Unlike Sylvia, she was immune to his carefully crafted performances.
Without warning, Sylvia’s melodic voice drifted from behind them. “Darren, what are you doing here? I’ve been searching everywhere for you. The wedding celebration awaits our presence.”
Sylvia approached with practiced grace, entwining her arm with Darren’s in a subtle display of possession.
Sylvia’s demeanor appeared gentle, yet her words carried veiled barbs. “Oh, Elena, what a pleasure to see you again. Darren and I have been hoping to host you for dinner, but your busy schedule makes you nearly impossible to reach. Today is our wedding—please, enjoy the festivities we’ve arranged.”
A flash of thinly veiled impatience crossed Darren’s eyes. If not for the child Sylvia carried, he would have vanished from her life without a backward glance.
Darren extracted his hand from her grasp, fabricated a hasty excuse, and departed with evident relief.
Sylvia couldn’t wait to see Elena in trouble. “My grandmother wants to see you,” she said, her voice carefully measured. “Come with me.” After saying this, Sylvia turned around, confident that using Sheila as bait would draw Elena into her trap.
And indeed, it worked perfectly.
Noticing Elena following behind her, Sylvia allowed herself a cold, victorious smirk.
Sylvia led the way to the second floor but abruptly halted.
“Where’s Sheila?” Elena asked.
Sylvia crafted a convincing smile. “Why such impatience? We haven’t seen each other in quite some time. Shouldn’t we take this moment to reconnect?”
Elena remained a statue, her gaze sharp as winter frost and unwavering on Sylvia.
Beneath that penetrating stare, Sylvia’s smile began to falter. She consoled herself that Elena’s status as a Harper didn’t matter. Once Elena was drugged, that refined composure would shatter completely. Benjamin had secured the most potent aphrodisiac available—even the most dignified woman would transform under its influence. Elena had always maintained that cool, untouchable demeanor. Sylvia was eager to see how Elena would beg for a man’s caress by then.
With that anticipation, Sylvia’s lips curved into a predatory smile. She handed a wine glass to Elena. “Drink this wine, and I’ll take you to see my grandma.”
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Elena looked at the red wine in front of her. The crimson liquid swirled in the transparent glass, its rich color concealing whatever might lie beneath. Her eyes cooled with suspicion. The Reed family truly never gave up their schemes.
Sylvia raised an eyebrow, deliberately challenging her. “What’s wrong? Afraid to drink? It’s my special day. Do you think I’d cause trouble at my own wedding? I didn’t expect you to be such a coward.”
After a brief hesitation, Elena took the glass.
Sylvia’s face brightened with satisfaction, victory written across her features, but in the next second, all the wine cascaded into the nearby trash can.
Sylvia’s smile froze on her face as she stared at Elena in disbelief, her triumph evaporating instantly.
Elena set the empty glass aside with deliberate care and casually wiped her hands. “Did you really think I would drink it?”
“Elena, are you messing with me?” With barely contained fury, Sylvia glared, her chest heaving as the last vestiges of her carefully crafted pretense crumbled away. Blazing with undisguised disdain and jealousy, her eyes bore into Elena like sharpened daggers seeking flesh. Darren wouldn’t even spare Sylvia a single word, yet his face illuminated with warmth whenever Elena entered the room.
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