Chapter 10

Jason's nostrils flared up in fury. "Juniper, if I hear another word from you about that, you'll face the consequences." As Jason turned and left, Juniper burst into tears. It was all Grace's fault. If it weren't for her, her husband wouldn't be angry with her. It was because of Grace that her husband had treated her so badly. Since that was the case, she wasn't going to be polite any more. However, downstairs in the dining room, Grace waited impatiently for Oliver's return but instead of Oliver, someone unexpected greeted her. With Maya's arrival, Grace gave Peter a confused look. Who was she? Despite his discomfort, Peter couldn't ignore Maya due to the relationship between the Harts and the Jeffersons. He had no choice but to say, "Maya, why are you here? Please have a seat." Maya entered the room, and the first person she saw was Grace sitting next to Peter. A new face stood out among the familiar Jefferson family. Maya recognized her instantly as Oliver's wife. She forced a smile and sat on the couch. "Peter, I'm here to see Juniper." "Looking for Juniper? I'll have Grace get her for you." Peter was a person with a sense of propriety. Maya had visited the Jefferson family dozens of times, but despite their good relationship, he had never allowed her upstairs. She only ever had access to the first floor. To Peter, only members of the Jefferson family were allowed upstairs. Whenever he spoke, he would resort to a subtler approach to get his point across. Asking Grace to call Maya was a way to indicate that Grace belonged to the Jefferson family. Grasping Peter's intent, though not entirely, Grace rose briskly and said, "Dad, I'll head upstairs and call Juniper." The word "dad" brought a wave of comfort to Peter. With a satisfied nod, he said, "Go, child." Peter knew that Grace understood his intentions. Grace went to find Juniper, whose eyes were still red from crying. She kept her voice neutral as she said, "Juniper, Ms. Hart is looking for you downstairs." Hearing that Maya was here, Juniper's eyes lit up. A glint of hatred flashed in her eyes as she glanced at Grace. "It's Maya," she said, her voice dripping with feigned sympathy. "She should be looking for Oliver. She's... never mind. Oliver's already married, so it's time to let go of the unforgettable past." As she spoke, a sudden clarity washed over Grace's heart. It turned out that Maya was her husband's lover. Peter had deliberately asked her to go upstairs to call Juniper. His motive was to indirectly tell Maya that Grace was Oliver's wife. Grace's nonchalant smile faltered as she recalled Juniper's earlier humiliation in the dining room. A spark of revenge flickered in her eyes. With her smile lighting up her face, she turned to Juniper and asked, "Who hasn't had an unforgettable experience? It's such a shame that it's often chalked up to fate's whims." Grace had clearly won this time. With a sullen face, Juniper walked past Grace on her way down the stairs. Reaching the bottom, she asked Maya, "Are you here to see Oliver? He wasn't home last night." Despite knowing that Peter would not be pleased, Juniper's eagerness to win overwhelmed her. She blurted out the question, hoping to embarrass Grace. Understanding Juniper's intentions, Maya rose and said, "I know that Oliver isn't here. We were at Everglade Villa last night." The words hung heavy in the air, followed by a silence so profound that one could almost hear a pin drop. The bride sat alone in the bridal chamber, enduring ridicule from others, while the groom had spent the night with another woman. Everyone could tell that Maya was challenging Grace. So what if Grace was the one who got married to Oliver? At the end of the day, Maya was the one he spent his wedding night with. Grace remained unfazed by the news, but Peter's face darkened. However, Juniper beamed triumphantly. Settling on the couch, she took Maya's hand and asked, "You were together last night, so why didn't you come back together today?" Peter didn't know what had happened last night, but from Maya's words, it was clear to everyone present that she was the one who had spent the night with the groom.