Chapter 88
Allegra secretly breathed a sigh of relief, her expression shifting back to that demure, well-behaved look.
"Marshall, what do you think is going through Lucinda's head?"
She lowered her head slightly, her lashes fluttering, her voice tinged with a girlish shyness. "I could never be like her. I'm devoted—I'd only ever commit to one person, be with one person for life. Am I too old-fashioned?"
Her fingers lightly traced along Marshall's sleeve as she looked up at him, her eyes soft and tender.
Moonlight fell across her face, lending a delicate softness to her carefully made-up features.
Her makeup was flawless, her eyes and brows carrying a deliberately gentle grace—certainly different from Lucinda's cool, detached beauty.
Marshall looked down at her, making a quiet comparison in his mind.
Lucinda was stunning, so much so that it was hard to look away.
But with her chaotic private life, what good was beauty? The wife he married would have to be someone who valued herself. In that regard, Allegra was far better.
This kind of woman was the right choice for a wife.
His mouth curved slightly as he reached out and took her hand. "You're much better."
His voice softened. "Beautiful, talented, and so respectful of yourself. A woman like you is worth loving."
Allegra's cheeks flushed faintly. She lowered her head, her mouth curving into a shy smile. "Marshall, you're so good to me."
Marshall held her hand, his other arm draping over her shoulder. The two of them walked intimately toward the resort entrance.
Allegra leaned against Marshall's shoulder, the smile on her lips impossible to suppress.
She glanced back toward the parking lot, a flash of satisfaction flickering in her eyes.
'Lucinda, what do you have to compete with me? So what if you have men around you? They're just flings. And me? I'm about to become a real socialite wife.'
Inside the resort, the door to a private room swung open.
The moment Allegra walked in on Marshall's arm, every pair of eyes in the room turned toward her.
"Allegra! Oh my god, it's really Allegra!" A woman in a red dress was the first to stand, her eyes widening as she looked her up and down, her mouth forming a perfect O.
"That outfit you're wearing… that's this year's haute couture, right? I saw it in a magazine—limited edition, only twenty pieces nationwide!"
Allegra's mouth curved slightly. She said nothing.
"Look at that necklace around her neck!" Another woman leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming. "That's a limited-edition Cartier piece! I saw it in an auction catalog once—starting bid was over a million!"
The room erupted instantly.
"Allegra, you're way too modest! Being brought back by Seaside City's richest family really makes all the difference. Look at you now—you're a whole different person!"
"Of course! She's the young lady of the Wipere family now. How can she compare to ordinary people like us?"
Allegra stood there, listening to the flattery, her smile widening bit by bit.
She turned slightly, presenting Marshall to everyone, her tone carrying just the right amount of reserve. "This is my fiancé, Marshall. From Seaside City's Grayson family."
Marshall nodded slightly, a polished smile on his face.
Someone with sharp eyes spotted the car key spinning on his finger. The trident emblem caught the light for a moment, triggering another wave of astonishment.
"A Maserati! Oh my god, Allegra, your fiancé drives a Maserati!"
"The Grayson family from Seaside City? The ones in import-export trade? That's a major family!"
"Allegra, did you save the galaxy in your past life? The Wipere family wasn't enough—you found such a wealthy fiancé too!"
Allegra lowered her head, unable to suppress her smile.
She'd been waiting for this day for a long time.
She wanted these ordinary people to see what kind of life she, Allegra, was living now.
Everyone took their seats. A server handed them menus.
Allegra flipped open the menu, scanning a few pages before her brow furrowed slightly.
She closed the menu, turned her head toward Marshall, and spoke at a volume just loud enough for the entire room to hear. "Marshall, these dishes are so ordinary. Nothing special."
Marshall took the menu, flipped through it, and waved over a server.
"What's your specialty here? Something not on the menu."
The server bowed slightly, his tone respectful. "Sir, our resort does have signature dishes made with imported ingredients prepared fresh, but they require advance booking—the ingredients have to be flown in from overseas—"
"Then add them." Marshall cut him off, his tone casual. "One of each."
The server paused. "Sir, these dishes require a deposit before booking—"
Marshall pulled a card from his pocket, placed it on the table, and slid it toward the server.
"Deposit five hundred thousand. Is that enough?"
The server's eyes widened slightly. He took the card with both hands, his voice rising several notches. "More than enough, sir! I'll process it right away!"
The room fell silent for a moment before erupting into even more fervent exclamations.
"Five hundred thousand! He just deposited five hundred grand!"
"Allegra, your fiancé treats you so well!"
"This is what real wealth looks like—didn't even blink!"
Allegra sat there, unable to hide her smile any longer.
Her eyes curved into crescents as she leaned against Marshall's shoulder.
Marshall draped his arm over her shoulder, a faint smile on his lips—but his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the window.
On the other side of the floor, poolside lounge.
When Lucinda pushed open the glass door and walked in, a warm breeze laced with faint floral notes greeted her.
The lounge was spacious. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stretched an entire outdoor pool, its water glowing a deep blue under the lights, the surface reflecting the stars in the night sky.
Tamsin had already removed her jacket and was wearing a slip dress. She sat on a lounge chair by the pool, sipping fruit juice.
When she saw Lucinda, her eyes lit up. She jumped off the chair and ran over, looping her arm through Lucinda's.
"Lucinda! You're finally here! Griffin's been waiting forever."
Tamsin pulled her inside. Lucinda's gaze swept the room and landed on a man in a white shirt standing by the pool.
Griffin rose from his lounge chair and walked over in a few strides, a warm, clean smile on his face.
He wore silver-framed glasses, exuding an air of scholarly ease that put people at ease.
"Lucinda."
His gaze lingered on her face for a moment, a flash of admiration flickering in his eyes before he quickly composed himself.
Lucinda's mouth curved slightly. "Griffin, business is booming."
Griffin shook his head with a smile and gestured toward the sofa by the pool. "Sit, don't just stand there. I'm happy you're both here—forget business."
Tamsin had already plopped herself down on the sofa and was flipping through the menu. Her eyes brightened. "Griffin, the food here looks great. I want to try all of these."