Chapter 488

The silence stretched between them like a taut wire before Giselle whirled on Vivian with a venomous smirk. "Enjoying yourself, Vivian? Does my humiliation entertain you?"

It had all started with one drunken night at Mirage Lounge. Victor had never intended to sleep with Giselle, but the tequila had blurred his judgment. When she announced her pregnancy weeks later, his sudden attentiveness made sense - he only cared about the heir she might carry.

Giselle's face paled. "How dare you! There hasn't been anyone else since we got together! If you doubt me, we'll do a DNA test!"

Victor's laugh was ice. "Oh, we absolutely will. And we won't wait until birth. The moment we can determine the gender, we'll test." His implication hung heavy in the air - a daughter wouldn't be worth acknowledging.

Her stomach dropped. The charming man she'd fallen for now seemed like a stranger, his handsome features twisted with cruelty. He released her chin with a rough shove. "Stay out of sight this month. I have important matters to attend to. Reflect on your stupidity."

His mind already wandered to other women - more beautiful, more sophisticated. Giselle's dramatics and constant threats had trapped him longer than he'd wanted. This pregnancy mess provided the perfect escape route.

Pulling out his phone with a smirk, Victor headed for the elevator. Giselle didn't need to hear the call to know he was dialing his latest fling. The doors closed on his smug expression.

Vivian paused with her fork halfway to her mouth, genuinely perplexed. "Why would that make me happy?"

The innocent question struck Giselle like a physical blow. Vivian's tone held no malice, only sincere confusion - proof that Giselle's entire existence barely registered on her radar.

All these years, Giselle had nurtured this one-sided rivalry. Their chance encounter at Opal Galleria had only fueled her obsession. But to Vivian, she was nothing - just another face in the crowd.

In school, Vivian had been the golden girl - top of her class, effortlessly beautiful. Now she was a celebrity married to Adrian Blackwood, Crestwood's most powerful man. How could someone at those heights even see someone like Giselle, still scrambling in the dirt?

Defeated, Giselle slumped in her chair. The reunion dinner had taken an awkward turn. As plates were cleared, someone suggested karaoke - though everyone knew it was just an excuse to stay near Adrian and Dominic.

Vivian opened her mouth to decline when suddenly she gagged, hand flying to cover her mouth. Adrian was at her side instantly, his large hand rubbing soothing circles on her back. "What's wrong?" His voice held barely concealed panic.

She sipped some water, composing herself. "I'm fine." But the knowing glances exchanged around the table suggested otherwise.