Chapter 201

The probing gazes from the surrounding crowd made Frederick Von and his wife feel their faces burn with humiliation.

The longer this standoff continued, the more disgraceful it became.

Lucy White's sudden appearance had caught them completely off guard.

Frederick vividly remembered the girl's sharp confrontation during the jade auction.

Unable to hold back, he demanded, "What's your relationship with Grace?"

Lucy linked arms with her mother. "I'm her daughter."

Frederick's expression darkened instantly.

Grace had not only remarried but also had a grown daughter.

It suddenly dawned on him—the girl must have recognized them during the auction.

The fact that his own daughter had provoked the conflict was conveniently ignored.

Lucy frowned in disgust. "Are you leaving or not?"

"If not, I don't mind digging up what happened twenty years ago and letting everyone judge for themselves."

Frederick realized then that Grace's daughter was no pushover.

He gave Grace a long, meaningful look. "Grace, our families have been close for generations..."

Before he could finish, Giselle's eyes flashed with malice.

She forced a smile. "Father has missed you all these years."

Grace cut her off coldly. "My affairs are none of your concern."

Bruce Patel interjected smoothly, "Mr. Von, the gala is about to begin."

Zachary Stone chimed in, "Please, the two of you should go."

Frederick's face twisted with displeasure, but he had no choice but to leave.

As he turned away, he cast one last glance at Grace.

The woman he had once loved now carried an even more captivating grace.

Giselle clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Once they were gone, Lucy asked softly, "Mom, are you okay?"

Grace patted her daughter's hand. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

A steely glint flickered in her eyes. "If they dare come again, they’ll regret it."

Lucy leaned against her shoulder. "I'll always stand by you."

Grace gently tucked a loose strand of Lucy's hair behind her ear. "I know."

After the gala officially began, Lucy left early with her mother.

At eight that evening, Lucy drove alone to a secluded café she frequented.

A text from Ian Stone lit up her phone: [Here. Booth 308.]

Pushing open the door to the private booth, she found Ian reviewing documents.

He closed the folder when she entered. "Your coffee just arrived. Still hot."

Lucy took a sip. "My usual."

Ian smiled. "You asked to meet. Something on your mind?"

Lucy met his gaze directly. "I saw you at the gala today."

"You said you were going to pursue me." Her tone was eerily calm.

Ian's smile froze.

After a beat, he exhaled and chuckled. "I should’ve known I couldn’t fool you."

"So," Lucy cut straight to the point, "you're twins?"

A long silence followed before Ian finally answered, "Yes."

"Our father was the heir to a European warlock family."

"According to tradition, one twin had to be... eliminated."

His voice turned icy. "Ian was the elder brother. More talented."

"Our mother smuggled me back to the country, thinking we’d escaped."

Ian's lips curled into a bitter smirk. "But..."

(To be continued...)