Chapter 18

Felicia cleared her throat when Vespera remained silent. "7:00 pm. If you don't show up, we'll stick with the original ten million settlement." She didn't wait for a reply and hung up. Vespera lowered the phone from her ear, staring at the screen in thought. Rebecca's words echoed in her mind. She wondered if Felicia was really trying to stir up trouble even in these final days. She and Felicia had always been distant, never getting along. From the very beginning, Felicia had looked down on her background and tried to interfere with their relationship. Even after they got married, she refused to let Vespera move into the Munoz residence for four years. During holidays, whenever Vespera visited for dinner, Felicia never missed a chance to throw in sharp remarks and cut insults. But aside from that, Felicia had never truly done anything extreme. This meeting was likely just another intimidation tactic—a final warning to make sure Vespera wouldn't change her mind, along with handling the last bits of the settlement agreement. She had been debating whether to go or not. An hour later, Raymond sent her another message. "Ms. Gildon, what do you think?" Vespera pressed her lips together. She hadn't expected him to follow up so soon. If not for the fact that it would be rude, she would have just given the suit to the property manager and had them deliver it upstairs. After all, Dominic lived right above her. After some thought, she decided that ignoring the message wasn't a good idea. Offending Dominic wouldn't benefit her in any way. Maybe she should return the suit and use the opportunity to meet Felicia as well. With that in mind, she replied, "Sure. What time works for you?" Raymond's reply came quickly. "8:00 pm." … Vespera applied light makeup and changed into fresh clothes before heading to her parents' house. Luke showing up at her community the other day had made her realize he had people following her. Over the past few days, she had also noticed a suspicious car parked outside the villa. That only confirmed her suspicions. She had barely driven out of the community when Luke's call came through. "Taking an afternoon nap?" She scoffed internally. He was setting a trap for her. She said coldly, "I'm driving. Heading to my parents' place." "Give your dad the suit?" "Yeah." She glanced at the neatly folded suit on her passenger seat. Luke seemed satisfied that she wasn't lying. He hung up without another word but also gave the order for his men to continue tailing her at her parents' house. … Vespera arrived at the community where her parents lived. Both her parents had been college professors before retiring. When she stepped inside, her father, Vernon Gildon, wasn't home, and her mother, Wanda Hall, looked surprised to see her at this hour. "Not working today?" "I took the day off. Just a slight cold," Vespera said, touching her throat and even faking a few coughs for effect. "You never take care of yourself. Look at you—you've lost so much weight. Is Luke treating you badly?" Wanda cupped Vespera's face, concern evident in her eyes. Vespera and her mother had always shared a quiet understanding. No matter how well she tried to hide it, Wanda could still sense the truth. "If he treats me badly, I'll just divorce him," Vespera said jokingly. Wanda didn't respond. Vespera changed the subject, chatting with her mother about other things. She had no plans to tell them about the divorce until everything was settled. There was no need to make them worry too soon. After having dinner at her parents' house, she changed into a fresh outfit and told them she was meeting up with a friend. She would be staying the night there. Inside the elevator, she pulled on a mask and a cap before slipping out of the community, right under the watchful eyes of whoever was tailing her. … She arrived at the Amara Hotel just before 7:00 pm. The exterior had a classic, old-world charm, while the interior exuded understated luxury. First, she dropped off the suit at the front desk, then called Felicia to let her know she had arrived. A moment later, an attendant arrived to escort her. They wound through a maze of hallways before stopping in front of a private room. The attendant opened the door for her. Inside was a tea room, dimly lit with a subtle fragrance lingering in the air—a blend of jasmine and freshly brewed tea. Felicia wore a deep emerald silk dress with a subtle ombre effect, exuding an air of refined elegance as she sat gracefully. She lifted her chin slightly. "Sit." "Aren't we here to sign the compensation agreement? Where is it?" Vespera had no patience for small talk. She sat down and got straight to the point. Felicia smiled faintly. "What's the rush? Have some tea first. We'll talk." Vespera arched a brow, suspicious. She glanced at the tea in front of her, picked up the cup, and inspected it carefully. "You didn't poison this, did you?" Felicia let out a short, amused scoff. "If you're that paranoid, don't drink it." Vespera set the cup down and pushed it away. "Good idea." Felicia let out a dry laugh, looking exasperated. She was about to scoff again. "Just what I'd expect from someone with no proper upbringing…" Vespera cut her off before she could finish. "Oh, please. If you're about to start the same old speech about my background, save it. Don't you ever get tired? If you're here to handle business, then let's handle it. Otherwise, don't waste my time." Felicia's face darkened. She slid the contract across the table. "Sign it." Vespera picked it up and flipped through the pages. It was just a compensation agreement—one page would have sufficed. Yet, they had dragged it out into ten, filled with pointless jargon. Clearly, they didn't want her reading too closely. Once she finished, she set it down, her expression unreadable. "I'll need to review this with my lawyer. I'll give you an answer by noon tomorrow." "If there's an issue, tell me now. I'll make the necessary changes." "Oh? If I ask for revisions, would you agree to them? How about I draft a new version myself?" "That's out of the question. It has to be my version." Felicia's tone turned icy. Vespera leaned back casually. "Didn't you just say you could make changes for me? Now you're saying it has to be your way. Which is it?" Felicia replied, "It means you're not leaving until you sign it." Vespera didn't argue. Instead, she pretended to consider for a moment. "Alright. I'll step outside and call my lawyer. If she says it's fine, I'll sign right away." She stood, taking the contract with her, and walked toward the door. The second she stepped out, she didn't look back. She quickened her pace and disappeared down the hallway. A sense of unease crept over Vespera. Some of the clauses buried in those pages had already made her uneasy, like one in particular, "If the party engages in an inappropriate relationship with the opposite sex before the divorce is finalized, the agreement will be null and void." At first glance, it didn't seem like much. But the more she thought about it, the more disturbing it became. She knew she hadn't done anything improper, but accusations could be fabricated. False evidence could be planted. She had overestimated Felicia's sense of integrity. In the tea room, Felicia pulled out her phone and made a call. "She left, and she took the contract with her. Tina, are you sure you can help me avoid this breakup settlement?" "Mrs. Munoz, don't worry. I've got everything arranged. Not only will the Munoz family avoid losing a dime, but she'll never dare to come after you for money again." Tina reassured her smoothly. Felicia's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "That's wonderful, Tina! You really are capable. I'll leave the rest to you." "No problem, Mrs. Munoz. Leave it to me." The call ended on both sides. Felicia took a leisurely sip of her tea, feeling completely at ease. The thought of tomorrow night's charity gala filled her with excitement. She would finally be able to announce the engagement between the Munoz and Sowle families without any obstacles in her way. As for that insolent woman, Vespera—Felicia didn't know what Tina had planned, but whatever it was, she was sure it would teach her a lesson. Meanwhile, on the other end of the line, Tina put her phone down, her eyes flashing with malice. Tonight would be the end of Vespera.