Chapter 236: Which Vixen Is Seducing You?

Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Which Vixen Is Seducing You?

Renee Rhodes steadied herself and looked up to see the person before her. A fleeting look of surprise flashed across her face.

"Mr. Grayson, what a coincidence. Are you also here for the opera?"

"Yes." Milton Grayson’s deep-set eyes were locked on her face, churning with dark, somber emotions he struggled to restrain.

His gaze was scorching and intense. Renee Rhodes’s heart faltered, and she couldn’t help but look uncomfortable. She gave a slight nod and moved to walk around him.

His deep voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Do you really not remember me?"

Renee Rhodes froze, her expression filled with confusion.

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Grayson? Did we know each other in the past?"

"We were more than just acquaintances..."

’If she hadn’t suddenly vanished all those years ago, she would be his wife by now.’

The suspicion in Renee Rhodes’s eyes deepened. "Mr. Grayson, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Ms. Rhodes, could we perhaps speak privately for a moment?"

Renee Rhodes looked hesitant.

Milton Grayson softened his tone. "We have a shared past. Looking at you now, it seems you’ve forgotten it."

’Renee Rhodes was deeply shaken, finding it hard to believe. She and Jenson Whitman had been each other’s first love; their marriage and children had followed as a matter of course. She had never been involved with any other man, so how could she possibly share a past with Milton Grayson?’

"Mr. Grayson, I’m afraid you’ve mistaken me for someone else."

"I could never be mistaken about you."

His tone was certain. No matter how much time had passed or how much things had changed, he would never mistake her for someone else.

Renee Rhodes’s mind was in turmoil. After a moment of silence, she said with a serious expression, "I hope you’re not joking, Mr. Grayson."

The two of them moved to Milton Grayson’s private box.

Milton Grayson poured a cup of tea and pushed it in front of her. After a brief silence, he began to speak slowly.

"Let me tell you an old story, Ms. Rhodes."

"Please go on, Mr. Grayson."

He slowly recounted the past. Many years ago, he had rescued a pregnant woman from drowning, barely managing to save her life. The woman had suffered from amnesia after the accident, so he gave her the name Janine Bell. They were together for a year as their feelings for each other deepened. They were already engaged, just waiting to register their marriage. But one day, while out running errands, she inexplicably went missing, and he lost all contact with her from that day forward.

After hearing his story, Renee Rhodes stared at him blankly, her mind reeling.

"That woman who fell in the water and lost her memory... that was me?"

"Yes." Milton Grayson’s gaze was heavy. "I never gave up looking for you all these years, but there was never any news. I never, ever imagined we would be reunited this way."

Renee Rhodes looked dazed and bewildered. "But I’ve never set foot in The Northolme Region, and I have no memory of what you’re describing."

"That’s what I’m confused about too. Did something happen to you afterward that made you forget that time?" Milton Grayson gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with melancholy. "I thought you’d met with a terrible accident. I never imagined..."

A whirlwind of tangled thoughts spun in her mind, and for a moment, Renee Rhodes couldn’t tell if he was telling the truth.

But the details he described were so vivid and specific they didn’t seem fabricated. She vaguely recalled that she had indeed gone missing once. Back then, Jenson Whitman had searched for her frantically, spending a full year before finally finding her on the streets of a foreign country.

At the time, she was being harassed by a vagrant and, in her panic, was unfortunately hit by a car. She suffered a head injury and, upon waking, had completely forgotten everything that had happened while she was missing. More than twenty years had passed in the blink of an eye.

"I know this is very sudden and hard for you to accept, but I have no reason to deceive you." Milton Grayson’s tone was sincere. "Janine, after my search for you came up empty, my family’s business ran into one setback after another. Left with no other choice, I had to enter an arranged marriage. But even after all these years, I have never forgotten you."

"I’m not telling you all this today to disrupt your life, but simply so you know... about our past."

’The past was still so vivid in his mind. Back then, Janine Bell had relied on him completely. They had supported each other through thick and thin, deeply in love and happy together, just one step away from tying the knot. Only now, after more than twenty years, did he learn that the love of his life had long ago settled down and started a happy, complete family in Veridia.’

Renee Rhodes’s lips parted. "My chi—"

The door to the private box was violently thrown open from the outside. Joyce Rivers stormed in, her eyes red with fury.

"Milton Grayson! No wonder you’ve been so on edge and acting strangely lately. It turns out you’ve been hiding someone in your heart, daring to have a secret tryst behind my back!"

Milton Grayson’s expression turned cold and hard. He stood up, frowning. "You followed me?"

"If I hadn’t, how else would I have walked in on a scene like this? I want to see for myself just what vixen is seducing my husband!"

Joyce Rivers strode forward, her hand reaching out to grab the other woman’s shoulder. But when she saw Renee Rhodes’s face, her pupils contracted in utter shock.

"It’s you!"

’She had seen this woman at Vesper Grayson’s wedding banquet. She knew she was the wife of Veridia’s wealthiest man, Jenson Whitman, and also Vesper’s godmother.’

’Why would the two of them be meeting in private?’

"Ms. Rivers, you’ve misunderstood. Mr. Grayson and I simply ran into each other by chance and were just exchanging a few words," Renee Rhodes explained calmly, quickly composing herself.

Joyce Rivers’s expression flickered with uncertainty. ’Could she have been mistaken?’

’Renee Rhodes was the wife of the magnate Jenson Whitman. She had seen Mr. Whitman before—he had an extraordinary bearing and a commanding presence, an innate charisma that a small-time business owner like Milton Grayson couldn’t possibly compare to.’

’Given Renee Rhodes’s status and sophistication, it was highly unlikely she would get entangled in an affair with Milton Grayson.’

"My apologies, Ms. Rhodes. I’m afraid I’ve made a fool of myself. I thought..."

"It’s quite all right. The important thing is that the misunderstanding is cleared up. Don’t let a trivial matter harm the bond between a husband and wife." Renee Rhodes gave a slight nod. "I’ll let you two talk. Please excuse me."

Just as Renee Rhodes stepped out of the private box, she ran into Chelsea Bell, who had come looking for her.

"Regina, what took you so long?" Chelsea Bell asked, having come to find her. Seeing her emerge from the adjacent box, she peeked inside curiously. "Did you run into an acquaintance?"

"Yes, my goddaughter’s family. I just went over to say hello."

The two of them entered the neighboring box as they spoke.

Seeing this, Joyce Rivers’s expression softened slightly. ’So Renee Rhodes really was here to see the opera with a friend.’

’Then what about Milton Grayson?’

’Why did he come here alone?’

"Where did she go?"

Her gaze fell on Milton Grayson’s face. "Who was that woman you arranged to meet here?"

Milton Grayson’s eyes darkened. "Stop being unreasonable. There is no other woman. Am I not allowed to come here and listen to the opera by myself?"

"Since when did you develop a taste for opera? I never knew," Joyce Rivers sneered. "Milton Grayson, when did you learn how to lie?"

"You’re being ridiculous!" Milton Grayson said coldly. "Think whatever you want. My conscience is clear!"

’He hadn’t cheated on her. He had simply come here to see someone from his past.’

’If he actually told her the truth, there was no telling how she would overthink things and blow the situation out of proportion.’

’He didn’t want to cause Janine any trouble!’

"If your conscience is so clear, then why are you hiding things from me? Why are you so guarded around me?" Joyce Rivers demanded. "Why did you change the password to the safe?"

Milton Grayson’s face fell, his gaze sharp. "What were you doing in my study?"

Joyce Rivers knew she had let that slip. A guilty look flashed across her face. "I’m your wife. Why can’t I go into your study?"