Chapter 90
His voice wasn't loud, but the room instantly fell silent.
Someone recognized him.
Luca Turner—the richest trust-fund kid in their class back in the day.
Seeing Luca, Allegra's smile froze for a moment.
Luca strode over, pulled out the chair across from Allegra, and sat down heavily.
He crossed his legs, his gaze moving slowly from Allegra's face to Marshall's, then back again. The smile on his lips was unreadable.
"Long time no see, Allegra. Heard you got reunited with the richest family in the city? Congratulations."
His tone was ambiguous—impossible to tell if he was sincere or mocking. He twirled an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
Allegra's smile returned. "Luca, it's been a while. You haven't changed at all."
"Haven't changed?" Luca let out a short laugh. "I've heard you've changed quite a bit. You weren't like this before."
He shifted his gaze to Marshall. "And this is… your fiancé?"
Allegra immediately looped her arm through Marshall's. "That's right. My fiancé, Marshall Grayson. Heir to the Grayson family of Seaside City."
Luca raised an eyebrow. "The Grayson family? Not bad, Allegra. After graduating from me, your stock's stayed pretty high, huh?"
The words were light, but everyone in the room caught the implication.
A few pairs of eyes bounced between Allegra and Luca. Someone lowered their head to hide a smirk.
Allegra's expression flickered, but she quickly steadied herself, her smile still gracious. "Luca, what are you talking about? We were just ordinary friends back then."
"Ordinary friends?" Luca laughed outright. He pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolled for a moment, then placed it screen-up on the table.
It was a photo—two people standing close together in front of a luxury boutique.
Allegra had her arm looped through Luca's, smiling brightly, several shopping bags in hand.
"Ordinary friends spend three hundred thousand a month on you for pocket money? Allegra, that's not what you said back then. You told me you were only with me, that you'd marry no one else in this life. What happened—did going back to the Wipere family wipe your memory too?"
The room went dead silent.
Every eye turned to Allegra, all carrying a hint of schadenfreude.
Allegra's face darkened.
Her mouth opened, but her fingers clenched her skirt tightly under the table. She couldn't say a single word.
Marshall set down his glass.
He turned to look at Allegra. Though his eyes were still slightly glazed, they now carried a trace of scrutiny.
Allegra's hands tightened. No—she had to correct this quickly, or Marshall would misunderstand.
She bit her lip, whirled around to glare at Luca, her voice rising several notches. "Luca, what are you talking about? We were just a little close back then—don't go making things up!"
Luca leaned back in his chair and laughed, but ultimately said nothing more.
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. No one dared speak.
Marshall's expression was dark.
He looked at Allegra, the anger in his eyes barely concealed.
Just moments ago at the entrance, Allegra had been clinging to his arm, soft and delicate, telling him he was her only boyfriend.
And now? Her ex-boyfriend had shown up.
He didn't demand that he be her first love, but a woman with such corrupt morals? That he absolutely could not accept.
He stood abruptly. The chair scraped backward and hit the wall with a dull thud.
"I'm going to the restroom."
His voice was hoarse. He didn't look at Allegra once as he strode toward the door.
The door slammed shut behind him, shaking the decorative painting on the wall askew.
The room stayed silent for a few seconds before hushed murmurs broke out.
Allegra sat there, head bowed, her fingers gripping the fabric on her lap so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her eyes burned holes into Luca.
This man had come here just to ruin things for her!
If Marshall really grew to despise her because of this, she would never forgive Luca!
Luca, however, seemed unbothered. He stood, straightened his suit collar, and looked down at her from his superior height, that smirk still playing on his lips. "Allegra, whenever you miss me, you know where to find me."
He turned and walked out, his steps light, his mood clearly upbeat.
In the hallway, Marshall stood at the sink in the restroom, both hands braced against the marble countertop, head bowed. The faucet ran, the sound of rushing water echoing through the empty space.
He splashed several handfuls of cold water onto his face, then lifted his head to stare at the grim reflection in the mirror.
Water dripped from his chin, soaking a patch of his shirt collar.
He took a deep breath, forced down the weight pressing on his chest, turned, and pushed through the door.
At the corner of the hallway, two women stood touching up their makeup. Their voices weren't loud, but in the quiet hallway, every word reached his ears clearly.
"Did you know? Allegra was quite the player back in school. When she was with Luca, she was stringing along several other guys at the same time. When Luca found out, it blew up—everyone in our year knew about it."
"Wait, seriously? How can she act all innocent now?"
"Who knows? After getting taken back by the richest family, she suddenly became a socialite. Who'd dare bring up her past? But honestly, that family isn't all that impressive either. Two daughters—one playing around like crazy, the other came back from some poor place and supposedly didn't even have decent clothes. Real tacky."
"Is the richest family falling apart? Both daughters are like that."
"Shh, keep it down—don't let anyone hear…"
The two women finished their makeup and walked off, chatting and laughing.
Marshall stood in the shadows of the hallway, his face ashen.
His fingers slowly clenched into fists, nails digging into his palms.
Allegra's past behavior in school was being dragged out piece by piece, nothing like the act she put on in front of him.
And those words—the two daughters of the richest family. One playing around recklessly, the other shabby and poor.
He thought of what he'd seen earlier by the pool—Lucinda in a white bathrobe, that cool, detached silhouette, dropped off from a luxury car by that man.
His brow furrowed deeper.
Was the Wipere family even worth the Grayson family continuing this engagement?
He turned, the irritation in his chest growing heavier. Without returning to the private room, he headed down the other end of the hallway.
Marshall wandered aimlessly down the corridor.
The words he'd overheard churned in his mind. His steps grew heavier, his chest feeling like it was weighed down by a stone, suffocating him.
When he finally looked up, he realized he was standing at the door to the poolside lounge.
Through the frosted glass door, he could see inside.
Lucinda sat on a sofa by the pool, holding a glass of red wine, her posture relaxed. She was leaning down slightly, listening to someone beside her.