Chapter 947:
Brendon stood rooted in place, staring at his ex-wife as though seeing her for the first time. Christina seemed wrapped in a veil of enigma, drawing people toward her with a beauty that demanded discovery. Mysterious and magnetic, she radiated a brilliance that was impossible to ignore. Even Magnus had failed to restore the Half-Faced Warrior—so how had Christina succeeded? And how, since their divorce, had she started to reveal so many new sides of herself?
Once expected to remain humble before him, she now shone brightly, ascending ever higher. She seemed to drift further and further out of his reach, slipping beyond his grasp.
Brendon finally acknowledged that Christina seemed almost untouchable now, slipping further away like the fading remnants of a dream. The thought of the growing divide between them—one that extended even into matters of social standing—filled him with a gnawing unease. No. It couldn’t be.
He told himself that Christina wouldn’t truly leave him. This was nothing more than a ploy to draw his attention. No matter how cold or distant he had been with her, she would wait—patiently, stubbornly—for the day he finally noticed her again. It was never too late to turn back. Surely, when that moment came, she would still be there, ready to welcome him.
Clinging to that comforting notion, Brendon tightened his grip on Yolanda. Yolanda was the one he loved. She was right here, by his side. No matter how far Christina climbed, he would never fall for her. In his eyes, Yolanda was the finest woman in the world—the only one fit to stand beside him.
Brendon continued to feed himself these reassurances, refusing to acknowledge Christina’s worth or admit to his growing feelings for her. To do so would be to admit he had been too blind to divorce her—and that was something he could never confess.
“Folks, this is all just Christina’s side of the story. How can you take her word for it?” Katie cut in sharply, stepping forward with defiance. Her eyes locked on Magnus, her tone brimming with challenge. “Mr. Cruz, you’re a leading authority in antiquities restoration. How could you bow to an unknown woman based solely on her claims? Weren’t you just jumping to the conclusion that she was the mysterious restorer behind the masterpiece without thinking it through?”
𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲: g𝖺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀․𝖼𝗈𝗆
Her words cast a shadow over Magnus’s face, his expression turning dark and unreadable. The guests held their breath, worried she was pushing her luck too far. The Dawson family’s heiress was indeed as impulsive as the rumors had claimed—bold enough to challenge someone like Magnus on such an occasion. She had openly questioned Magnus and even suggested that he wasn’t thinking clearly, something that would surely offend both him and the Scott family.
“Are you suggesting that age has confused my mind and that I made a mistake?” Magnus’s voice was cold as his eyes fixed on Katie with a steely glare. Katie’s bravado faltered in an instant. She dropped her gaze, fear catching up with her at last. “I… I didn’t mean it that way…”
Magnus’s presence bore down on Katie, and her voice trembled under its weight. Her eyes glistened with frustrated tears as emotion caught in her throat.
“Mr. Cruz, I apologize for my sister’s impulsiveness,” Brendon interjected quickly, stepping in before things escalated.
Yolanda stepped forward, her tone soft. “Mr. Cruz, please forgive Katie’s immaturity. She truly didn’t mean to offend you. I hope you’ll be gracious enough to let this pass.”
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