Chapter 1119:
And yet, he couldn’t for the life of him understand how the screws on that chandelier had suddenly come loose. Thank goodness the main chain had held up. If that thing had actually fallen and hurt someone, even selling the whole hotel wouldn’t cover the fallout. Just thinking about it made him break out in a cold sweat. He wiped his forehead, equal parts relieved and mortified.
Hester didn’t say a word. She just stood there, unreadable.
Dustin—who, of course, had planned the whole thing—put on a cheery act to smooth things over. “It’s all good, no need to panic. Nobody’s hurt. Stuff breaks, it happens,” he said with an easy shrug.
After all, this so-called accident was his doing. Obviously, he couldn’t go blaming the hotel staff for something he had staged.
Dustin glanced at Hester, careful not to push too hard. “Mom, no one got hurt. Maybe we should just keep things moving and make sure the rest of the guests are okay?”
Hester locked eyes with him, silent for a long, loaded moment.
Dustin kept his grin intact, as if he hadn’t just set off a bomb in the middle of the banquet. Up until now, Hester had always seen Dustin as a bit soft, not exactly sharp or cunning.
But right then, she realized—he was learning to play the game. And worse, he was starting to play her.
Dustin stood his ground, calm as ever. He knew Hester had figured it out. Of course she had. With instincts like hers, there was no way she hadn’t sensed he was the one behind the whole thing.
But he wasn’t trying to hide it. This was all part of the plan—to open her eyes to what Joanne was really up to.
Luckily, Joanne had reacted exactly as he had hoped. No surprises there.
The Wade family’s grand banquet came to an unexpected and awkward end. One by one, the guests began to trickle out, their murmurs echoing beneath the chandelier that had narrowly avoided becoming headlines.
Alicia, who had become accustomed to early nights ever since her pregnancy began, yawned discreetly. Jeffery, always attentive, took her gently by the arm and led her toward the exit.
But just before they left, Jeffery paused and pulled Linsey aside. His gaze was sharp, laced with quiet suspicion. “Tell me the truth,” he said in a hushed voice. “Is there something going on tonight that I should know about? You guys are acting… odd.”
Linsey’s lips curled into a subtle smile. “Seems you’re more perceptive than you let on.”
At her words, Alicia’s curiosity was piqued. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Linsey, what’s really happening tonight? Jeffery mentioned earlier that something felt off, but I thought he was overthinking things.”
Glancing around to ensure no one was within earshot, Linsey gave a reassuring smile and murmured, “Let’s just say we were carrying out a small operation. And thanks to you—though you didn’t know it—we pulled it off.”
Alicia blinked in surprise, while Jeffery raised an eyebrow. Linsey added warmly, “I’ll explain everything once the dust has settled. Promise.”
Alicia and Jeffery exchanged a quick look. Though curious, they decided not to push further.
“Very well,” Alicia replied, smiling knowingly. “We’ll wait for your full confession later.”
