Chapter 74

The moment Yvonne stepped into the office, an icy wave of unease swept over her. Eyes followed her from every corner, sharp with judgment, some openly mocking, others dripping with contempt.

She tightened her grip on her purse and quickened her stride toward her desk, but the spiteful whispers still threaded through the air. It was plain they weren't hiding it, speaking just soft enough to sting while lettíng the gossip seep into every corner of the office.

"Did you hear? Someone here's flaunting her affair right under the wife's nose."

"Unbelievable, isn't it? She made the husband forget his wife and whisk her off in public. That bitch knows what she's doing."

"No wonder she managed to become the mistress of a wealthy guy. She's got schemes stacked higher than anyone else."

"And even if she served those tricks to me on a silver platter, I wouldn't touch them.I've still got more shame than she does."

Laughter rippled through the office, sharp and mocking, while Yvonne stood frozen in place, eyes shut tight,forcing herself to steady her breath.

Trevor had warned her this would happen-that once she returned, every stare would rip her apart,every whisper would hit like a fist.

She also understood that even if she shouted the truth-that she was Julian's lawful wife and Rita was the interloper-no one would buy it. They would dismiss her as hysterical, accusing her of spinning delusions.

Drawing in a slow, controlled breath, she willed herself to tune out the voices as she crossed back to her desk.She had to stay composed--for the fragile life quietly taking shape inside her.

But fresh cruelty trailed after her. Two employees sauntered past, lowering their voices just enough for the barbs to land. "I heard they dumped her fromn the 'Cold Summer' crew without a second thought. They're filming nonstop now while she's stuck here, useless."

"That's what she gets for whoring around as the mistress. If she didn't have that affair to lean on, the company would've tossed her out long ago."

"Cold Summer" had been the project Yvonne was attached to.

Hadn't that production already been scrapped for lack of funds? Why was it suddenly back in full swing? A flicker of confusion crossed her face, but she disguised it by fussing with her desk.

Only then did she notice the surface was bare-her laptop and bag were still at the filming site.

Since most of the production had been based in the neighboring studio, she decided to head over and retrieve her things.

To her astonishment, the set was still alive with activity, cameras rolling as though nothing had ever been halted.

Stepping inside, she was greeted by Rocco's booming voice echoing through the space. His words were sharp,slicing through the air as he berated a trembling young actress for screwing up her movement.

Tears streaked the young actress's face, and then a lilting, almost languid voice cut in, "Rocco, don't waste energy on this. Just blur her out in the background later. Let's keep filming."

The speaker was a woman in full costume, her makeup flawless, perched like a queen amid a retinue of attendants. One fanned her with a paper fan, another dabbed her lips, a third held out a water bottle. Dark-suited bodyguards in mirrored sunglasses stood nearby, forming a wall of silent intimidation. The entire scene radiated the aura of a star.

Rocco's fury vanished in an instant, replaced by a wide, eager smile. "Couldn't agree more, Rita! No need to waste time on extras. We'll move on immediately!"

Frozen at the doorway, Yvonne felt her complexion drain of color.

The same suffocating pressure she'd felt beneath the water days ago closed around her chest again, choking the breath from her lungs.

Julian had sworn that anyone who wronged her would face consequences, and he had promised Rita would never stand in her way again.

Yvonne had assumed he would at least ship Rita overseas to stay out of sight for a while.

Instead, only a few days later, he had rushed off to meet Rita in the dead of night, and now, here Rita was-parading around the set as if nothing had happened-working openly on the very project Julian once claimed he had shut down.

His so-called compensation project was nothing more than a diversion, a convenient excuse to keep her occupied while concealing the truth.

Realizing this, Yvonne let out a hollow laugh, her chest tightening. She had been nothing more than a pawn,strung along and deceived by Julian's carefully woven lies.