Chapter 87
Allegra bit her lip, her fingers clenching her phone until her knuckles turned white.
But quickly, she took a deep breath and forced down the jealousy surging through her.
She looked down at the photos on her phone, and slowly, her mouth curved into a scathing smile.
So what if he's handsome?
He's just a fling.
That kind of man—interested in someone like Lucinda—what kind of decent person could he be?
Just messing around. Once he's bored, he'll toss her aside.
Unlike her.
She thought of Marshall, and her spine straightened involuntarily.
Once she locked down Marshall and married into the Grayson family, she'd be a real socialite wife.
By then, Lucinda wouldn't even be worthy of carrying her shoes.
The more she thought about it, the more smug she felt. Her smile widened.
Then she looked up and saw Lucinda heading toward the side door before disappearing from view.
Allegra froze for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.
Putting on airs.
Newly opened resorts like this had strict rules—no reservation, no entry through the front gate.
Lucinda, that broke nobody kicked out of the Wipere family, probably got stopped by security and slunk off through the side exit in embarrassment.
She looked in that direction, contempt practically spilling from her eyes.
Who does she think she's fooling? Getting out of some fancy car earlier, acting like she's something special—and now she can't even get through the door.
Who knows whose car that even was? Probably just some guy giving her a ride, and she thought she'd climbed the social ladder.
Pathetic.
Allegra pulled her gaze away, smoothed her hair, and clicked her heels toward the main entrance.
The moment she walked in, she spotted a figure standing on the steps and immediately shed her scornful expression, replacing it with a sweet smile. "Marshall!"
Marshall stood on the steps at the resort entrance, wearing a dark blue suit, his hair meticulously combed. He cut a refined, elegant figure.
But his brow was slightly furrowed, his eyes on his phone screen—either reading a message or just lost in thought.
"I'm here." Allegra ran over and naturally looped her arm through his. "Sorry, did you wait long? I ran into someone I knew and got held up for a second."
Marshall pocketed his phone, glanced at her, and gave a flat acknowledgment.
The reason Allegra could even attend this resort event traced back to her second-place prize in that jewelry design competition.
Second place in the City Jewelry Design Creation Contest wasn't as glamorous as first, but it still carried weight.
A jewelry brand had taken notice of her design and offered her an endorsement deal worth ten million dollars.
That money came at exactly the right time. The Wipere family had recently lost partnerships, and their cash flow was stretched dangerously thin. That ten million plugged the immediate gap.
The jewelry brand happened to have business ties with the Grayson family, so naturally, Allegra wasn't about to let this opportunity slip.
She'd made a point of inviting Marshall to dinner. Over the meal, she mentioned the contract, then "casually" brought up a reunion with her old classmates.
"Marshall, do you remember me telling you? Back when I was in school, my classmates were so kind to me. After I returned to the Wipere family, I lost touch with them. This time they organized a reunion at this new resort, and I thought it'd be a great chance for you to meet them."
When she'd said it, her voice carried a kind of girlish excitement and anticipation.
Marshall had hesitated at first.
A cool, distant figure flashed through his mind.
Lucinda standing in a garden, wearing a white dress.
That image surfaced suddenly, making him momentarily lose focus.
Allegra read his expression and quickly added, "Oh, and the CEO of that jewelry brand mentioned you. Said you're the most capable heir of the Grayson family and that they want to work more closely with you in the future."
That sentence was like a key, unlocking something inside Marshall.
He lifted his wine glass, his mouth curving slightly. "Alright. I'll go with you."
Now, standing at the resort entrance with Allegra on his arm, that sense of satisfaction swelled in her chest again.
Ten million dollars in endorsement fees—saved the Wipere family from crisis.
Marshall accompanying her to the class reunion—giving her the chance to shine in front of all those ordinary people.
And once she married into the Grayson family, she'd be a true elite wife. By then, Lucinda wouldn't even be fit to carry her shoes.
"Marshall." Allegra hadn't noticed Marshall's distraction and spoke again, her tone apologetic. "Just now… I saw my sister."
Marshall's steps faltered. He turned to look at her.
"She's here too. Over there." Allegra gestured toward a corner of the parking lot with her chin and sighed. "She had another man with her—driving a black car that looked pretty expensive. After she left the Wipere family, it seems like she's been cycling through men more and more frequently."
Marshall's brow furrowed sharply. Instinctively, he looked in the direction Allegra indicated.
"Where is she?" His voice carried a tension even he didn't recognize.
Allegra's smile froze for a moment, her fingers tightening around Marshall's sleeve.
She hadn't told him this so he'd go looking for Lucinda.
"I actually wanted to go up and pull her aside, talk some sense into her." Allegra's voice dropped, tinged with helplessness. "But she disappeared before I could find her. I looked everywhere. Besides…"
She paused, her tone growing even more resigned. "Given her status, she probably can't even get inside. The rules here are strict—no reservation or invitation, no entry through the front gate. She probably… got stopped outside again."
She sighed and shook her head. "I really don't understand what's going on in her head. She could be living a decent life, but instead she insists on degrading herself like this. I feel so bad for her."
Marshall stood there, staring in that direction, his expression shifting several times.
He couldn't help but recall what his mother had said a few days ago.
After returning from Hayden's birthday, Tatum had been sitting in the living room when she suddenly brought up Lucinda. "That former fiancée of yours—the adopted daughter from the Wipere family—you remember her, don't you?"
Tatum had held her teacup, her tone measured. "I caught a glimpse of her the other day at the Lancaster Estate entrance. She seemed to be entering with Mr. Hayden Lancaster. Maybe I was seeing things. Still, I have to say—that girl's gotten even more striking. Such a shame. No fate with the Grayson family."
Marshall hadn't said anything at the time, but his mother's words had lingered in his mind ever since.
Now, with Allegra's words, that strange emotion churned inside him again.
Lucinda—that ungrateful woman. She could be living a decent life, but instead, she insisted on debasing herself.
If she came to her senses, he might not be unwilling to give her a chance. Even just as ordinary friends.
But she just had to—
"Forget it." He pulled his gaze away, his voice turning cold. "Let her do what she wants."