Jeffery nodded. Take care of yourself. We ll be heading home now.

As the couple walked away, Linsey exhaled quietly, the weight of the evening momentarily lifting off her shoulders.

One piece of the night s puzzle had safely exited the board. Now, it was Dustin s turn to play his role.

Inside the dimming banquet hall, Hester was still performing her hostess duties, elegantly guiding the remaining guests toward the exit.

Mrs. Wade, congratulations! Mr. Wade and Ms. Ellis make a lovely pair, one guest complimented.

Hester s smile faltered for a brief second before returning with practiced grace. Thank you. I m glad you could join us.

Joanne, who usually played along with Hester s performances, stood unusually withdrawn. She kept her distance, remaining behind with Dustin.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dustin noticed her distracted demeanor. Leaning slightly toward her, he murmured, I went to great lengths to give you a chance to impress Jeffery. Why didn t you take it?

Joanne turned to him, her expression a mixture of disbelief and anger. So it was you behind that stunt.

Of course, Dustin replied with infuriating calm. Didn t I make it clear? I can t stand Collin and Linsey. When I saw them tonight, I couldn t help but provoke them a bit. And since Jeffery was around, I figured I d hand you a perfect opportunity to shine by saving him.

You re insane! Joanne hissed, her fury barely contained. We re supposed to be allies. Shouldn t you at least tell me before pulling something like that? She took a breath, then added through gritted teeth, And for your information, I really thought that chandelier was going to crash down. I threw myself at Jeffery right in front of Hester! Can you even imagine what she s thinking of me right now?

Dustin gave a shrug, blinking innocently. But you never cared about me, did you? So why keep up the act?

In that moment, the pieces finally clicked. Joanne s breath caught as realization dawned.

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A bitter smile played across her lips. Her voice, when it came, was low and cold. Dustin are you playing tricks with me?

And there it was the truth she had been too distracted to see until now. Dustin had never truly trusted her. He had let her drop her guard, pushed her into revealing herself before Hester, and used her to further his own strategy. She wasn t sure if there had ever been a real falling-out between him and Collin at all.

He had spun an elaborate illusion. And she had played right into his hands.

Dustin watched Joanne s face twist in disbelief, raising an eyebrow with an air of calm detachment. Joanne, I must admit, I genuinely admire your courage. In that moment, you didn t hesitate you ran straight to Jeffery s side. Honestly, before the banquet even began, I was nervous, wondering what I d do if you didn t care about his safety at all.

Utterly shameless, Joanne hissed, her voice trembling with fury.

She couldn t believe it what she thought was an opportunity to draw closer to Jeffery had turned out to be a trap set by Dustin himself.

At that moment, Hester turned toward them with a face carved from stone. Her voice rang cold and sharp. Joanne.

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