Rain took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the beautiful woman glaring at Alexander. She had just arrived, accompanied by a man, and Rain recognized her as Alyssa Lancaster. Though she had seen her in magazines and news articles, this was the first ti they would et in person.
Alexander had already told her how close Alyssa was to Carla, viewing her as more than just a friend, more like an older sister.
"Watch your words, Alyssa, or I won’t hesitate to kick you out of here. Don’t speak nonsense and judge my wife without knowing the facts!" Alexander scolded, his expression dark.
Alyssa’s eyes narrowed as she turned to her brother. "Brother Lyndon seems to recognize her!" she announced. "Look at her carefully, brother. Is she the entertainer from your stag party?" she demanded.
Lyndon gulped, his nervous gaze shifting to his fiancee, Bella, who was glaring at him with reddening cheeks. "I..."
Alyssa shrugged casually, turning her attention to Bella. "It’s fine, Bella. It was just a stag party, and it’s normal. I’m sure his friends were the ones behind it, probably just surprising him," she said, attempting to smooth things over, though Bella’s glare didn’t soften.
Lyndon quickly grabbed Bella’s hand, kissing it apologetically. "That’s right, baby. Alexander was there too, and he actually ruined the party by whisking away the star perforr. After that, we all dispersed, and I left right away!" he added, desperate to explain himself.
"That’s enough explaining, brother. Just answer , look at her," Alyssa demanded again, her tone sharp. Lyndon hesitated, then finally squinted at Rain, scrutinizing her closely. "That’s definitely her. I won’t forget those alluring and seductive fox-like eyes of hers. She had a mole beneath the right one, and her makeup was heavy and dark, but I’d recognize her even with a different hair color."
Then he leaned forward, asking, "Do you have a twin?"
Rain shook her head, considering how much to reveal. She noticed the man beside Alyssa... the boyfriend she had overheard talking to another man at a nearby table while she was with Sebastian. This was likely the jerk who was scheming sothing bad while cheating on her.
She could expose the truth about being undercover, but with Alyssa’s boyfriend present, an outsider who couldn’t be trusted, it didn’t seem wise.
"That’s not her, and I was mistaken that night. Rain is a prosecutor... there’s no reason for her to be in a place like that," Alexander stated calmly, his tone leaving no room for debate.
"But-" Alyssa began, only to be cut off by a deep growl from her father-in-law.
"That’s enough!" Rock’s voice bood across the table.
Rain watched as Alyssa gulped, her sharp bravado suddenly faltering. She pursed her lips, clearly not wanting to push further. Lyndon, sensing the tension, quickly tried to smooth things over. "I’m probably mistaken. After all, the lighting wasn’t great that night," he stamred, signalling to Alyssa not to blow the situation out of proportion.
Rain took that ti to offer Alyssa a kind smile and extended her hand for a handshake. "Hi, I’m Rain, and it’s nice to et you." Alyssa hesitated but eventually accepted the handshake.
"Don’t you have sothing to say to her, Alyssa?" Alexander pressed his tone firm. "From now on, she’s your big sister, so you must respect her like you respect ."
Alyssa cowered under her cousin’s intimidating glare. "I apologize. I should have cleared things up first before jumping to conclusions," she murmured, pouting slightly.
"That’s right. Always rember that in our family, we don’t misjudge people without getting the facts first!" William chid in with a grin, easing the atmosphere.
"You’re late and even making a fuss," Ava, Alyssa’s mother, interrupted, her tone sharp. "And who is he?!"
"He’s Brian Hall, my boyfriend and fiance..." Alyssa announced proudly.
Rain wanted to roll her eyes as Brian eagerly greeted them, his excitent palpable. She glanced at Alexander, who quickly understood her look and simply winked before grabbing her hand to lead her toward the table. He encouraged her to just ignore the man, reminding her that Alexander trusted Sebastian to handle the situation with Brian.
anwhile, Uncle Ben stepped beside Aunt lanie, taking the initiative to care for her as he guided her to her seat, and, of course, it was right beside him.
"Let’s all eat lunch first," her father-in-law suggested, prompting everyone to take their seats at the long rectangular table.
As the servants began serving the food, Rain couldn’t help but notice Alyssa scrutinizing her with furtive glances. The words Alyssa had said earlier stung, suggesting that Alexander had replaced Carla with soone like her as if Carla were irreplaceable.
’I guess she’s a solid fan of Carla,’ Rain thought bitterly. Carla was indeed famous; even Sanya had admired her as a celebrity before, but that all changed once she learned Carla was Alexander’s ex-girlfriend.
Rain quietly listened as Lyndon and William began grilling Alyssa’s boyfriend. She noticed how Mr. Mark yer, Alyssa’s father, remained particularly quiet, his expression dim. It was clear he didn’t like Brian, and Rain couldn’t agree more, knowing Brian was good for nothing.
"You work at the Supre Court?" Lyndon comnted, frowning.
"Yes, I’m an Assistant Court Administrator," Brian stated proudly.
Mark sighed. "I bet your salary alone wouldn’t even cover your living expenses."
"Dad!" Alyssa protested.
"What? I’m just being honest," Mark replied, his face darkening. "You said he’s your fiance, so I assud you two are already engaged without us even knowing! I don’t even see a ring on you, Alyssa! Did you just accept a verbal proposal from the man?!"
Rain swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the mont. She hadn’t expected things to escalate like this, and while she knew Brian was a jerk, part of her might have felt bad for him if she didn’t already know the kind of man he was.
"I’m making enough money, sir, and I’m confident I can support Alyssa," Brian declared, his voice firm and steady as he tried to stand his ground under Mark’s scrutinizing gaze.
Mark raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Confident, huh? We’ll see if that confidence holds up..."
"You look familiar, though..." Alexander remarked casually.
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