Chapter 633:
Bella lingered nearby, her gaze fixed on Yelena chatting effortlessly with Austin. A simmering jealousy bubbled inside her.
She couldn’t fathom why Yelena always seemed to draw people in, winning their admiration and respect with such ease.
A flicker of determination crossed Bella’s face—she would find a way to take Yelena down a peg or two.
When Yelena and Austin strolled out of the banquet hall together, their easy camaraderie unmistakable, Bella’s resentment surged like a tidal wave. She watched their retreating silhouettes, her heart brimming with envy and bitterness.
Yelena cast a sideways glance at Austin, a trace of exasperation in her eyes. “Why are you trailing me like a lost puppy?”
Unbothered, Austin replied smoothly, “And why shouldn’t I?”
Yelena cocked an eyebrow, a mischievous glint dancing in her gaze. She pointed to the restroom sign just ahead. “You’re welcome to follow me, but are you planning to join me in the ladies’ room?”
Austin, usually unflappable, felt the heat rush to his cheeks. “You—go on ahead.”
He’d been so caught up in shadowing Yelena and talking to her that it hadn’t even dawned on him—she was making a beeline for the restroom!
Flustered and utterly mortified, Austin spun on his heel and bolted, his composure crumbling with every step.
Yelena watched Austin’s retreating figure, a playful smile curling her lips. Her eyes sparkled, as if they held a galaxy of stars within them. Pushing open the restroom door, Yelena was greeted by a commotion. Two figures—one of them being none other than Sonya—loomed over a middle-aged woman, cornering her against the wall.
Sonya’s sharp eyes caught sight of Yelena, and she let out a disdainful snort. “Yelena, this doesn’t concern you. Keep your nose out of it.”
Before Yelena could respond, the cornered woman turned her desperate gaze to her. “Please, help me, dear! You’re my daughter-in-law!”
𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝖈𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘃𝗶𝗮 gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀⩶𝖼𝗈𝗺
Yelena froze, her brow furrowing in disbelief. The middle-aged woman didn’t look like an ordinary waitress despite her uniform—there was an air of privilege about her.
“Quit the dramatics and hand over those earrings,” Sonya snapped, lunging for the pearl studs gleaming on the woman’s ears.
The woman held her ground, clutching her earrings protectively. “Please, Yelena, help me! Call the police—they’re trying to rob me!”
Sonya turned back to Yelena, her tone dripping with condescension. “As if a waitress could afford jewelry like that. She must’ve stolen them, and I’m just doing my civic duty.”
Yelena sauntered over, her lips curling into a sneer as she fixed her gaze on Sonya. “Oh, how virtuous you are!”
Sonya’s eyes flickered, darting away from Yelena’s penetrating gaze. She couldn’t bring herself to meet it, knowing all too well that her own intentions were far from noble.
Her gaze lingered on the woman’s earrings—elegant and undoubtedly expensive. The sight sparked envy in Sonya. The fact that the woman wore a waitress’ uniform only fueled her assumption: surely, this woman must have stumbled upon them by chance. Emboldened by her own reasoning, Sonya decided to take the earrings for herself. If the woman truly had found the earrings by chance, Sonya reasoned, she wouldn’t dare speak up—even if they were taken from her.
However, the woman stood her ground, fiercely insisting the earrings were hers. She resisted with unexpected strength, refusing to let them go without a fight.
Sonya huffed. “Yelena, this woman claims to be your mother-in-law. Can you believe that? She’s either delusional or playing some ridiculous game. What’s the deal here? You’re not actually siding with her to cover up her thievery, are you?”
Yelena wasn’t fazed by Sonya’s threats; after all, she didn’t even know the woman.
She calmly replied, “I’ll call the police. The truth will come out once they’re here.”
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