Chapter 166: Getting tired of playing along

[Flashback]

After that unfortunate night, Alex had broken up with Clara, leaving her to isolate herself in her room and cry over their shattered relationship.

It had been several days since he had walked out after finding her in bed with Dominic. No matter how many times Clara called, Alex refused to answer. Every unanswered call felt like another door closing between them.

Clara had always believed that, after her mother, Alex was the only person who genuinely loved her and would never abandon her. But one mistake—one night she couldn’t even remember clearly—had ruined everything.

For the first time in a long while, she had thought her life was finally improving. She had been getting better, both mentally and physically. Yet now, she found herself questioning her fate all over again.

Just as her thoughts began spiraling out of control, the door to her room suddenly flew open.

"Clara, what have you done to yourself?"

Julianna rushed inside, her voice filled with concern. She hurried toward the bed, where Clara sat curled up with tear-stained cheeks and trembling shoulders.

Clara didn’t answer. She continued sobbing quietly, unable to find the strength to explain herself.

Julianna sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Please, Clara. You have to stop crying. Tell me what happened."

"He doesn’t want me, Julianna," Clara choked out. "Alex doesn’t even want to hear me out."

Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands.

"I don’t understand what happened. I don’t even remember how Dominic got there or how things ended up like that. I remember feeling strange, but everything after that is just... blank."

Julianna’s eyes flickered briefly, though Clara was too distraught to notice.

"It’s not your fault," Julianna said gently.

Clara lifted her head, her eyes swollen from crying.

"What?"

"It isn’t your fault, Clara. Dominic arranged everything."

Clara stared at her in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Julianna sighed, carefully arranging her expression into one of sympathy.

"Dominic wanted to marry you. He knew Alex was the only person standing between him and what he wanted, so he came up with a plan to get Alex out of your life."

Clara’s lips parted in disbelief.

"Marry me? Why would Dominic want to marry me? I’ve only seen him once, and that was that night."

"Because he had already taken an interest in you," Julianna replied. "Why else would he have been there? He knew you were vulnerable, Clara. He drugged you so you wouldn’t be able to resist him."

Clara’s face drained of color.

"No..."

"He wanted you in every sense of the word," Julianna continued, her voice soft but poisonous. "And now that Alex has seen you with him, Dominic probably believes you have no choice but to stay with him."

Clara shook her head, pressing her hands against her temples.

"But why would he do that? I don’t even know him."

"Men like Dominic don’t need to know someone to decide they want them," Julianna said. "He saw you, became obsessed, and then used your situation to destroy your relationship."

Clara’s breathing grew uneven.

"He ruined everything..."

Julianna pulled her into an embrace, hiding the faint smile threatening to appear on her lips.

"I know. But you can’t let him get away with it. You have to stay away from Dominic before he destroys even more of your life."

Clara clung to her, tears slipping down her cheeks.

For Julianna, every word was carefully chosen. She needed Clara to hate Dominic—to believe he was a dangerous man who had manipulated her and stolen her future.

If Clara began seeing Dominic as her enemy, there would be no chance of an alliance between them.

And Julianna intended to make sure it stayed that way.

[Present]

The memory from the past briefly resurfaced, but Clara didn’t allow herself to dwell on it. Her attention remained on Julianna as she watched her walk away.

Those words no longer held any power over her. Back then, Clara had allowed Julianna to take control of her thoughts, manipulate her emotions, and steer her decisions. But now, she knew the truth. She had finally taken charge of her own life.

And seeing Julianna openly display her dislike instead of hiding behind that false, sweet façade brought Clara an unexpected sense of relief.

Good. She finally dropped the mask. I was getting tired of playing along with her stupidity.

Clara shook her head, brushing the thought aside before turning away.

***

Meanwhile, inside the venue, the arrival of the Sterling family had become the center of attention.

Dominic stood with his usual cold, aloof expression, making it clear that he had no interest in entertaining anyone. Grace and Jonathan, on the other hand, carried themselves with effortless elegance, acknowledging the guests with polite smiles and graceful nods.

Hannah looked just as beautiful and sophisticated as ever, but unlike the rest of her family, she was visibly distracted.

She had no interest in the people hovering around them like leeches, desperately trying to gain the Sterling family’s favor. Every conversation sounded the same, filled with exaggerated compliments and shameless flattery.

Her only concern was finding Clara.

"Tsk. Why can’t I find my sister-in-law anywhere?" Hannah muttered, scanning the crowded venue.

She had already begun regretting coming to the event. If she couldn’t even see Clara, what was the point of being there?

Just as she was considering sneaking away from the crowd, a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Hannah... It’s so good to see you after such a long time. Finally, I have someone I know to talk to."

Hannah turned toward the voice.

The warmth that had briefly appeared in her eyes vanished the moment she saw Julianna approaching her with a bright smile.

Julianna looked perfectly composed, dressed elegantly and carrying herself with the polished charm she always used in public.

Hannah, however, wasn’t fooled.

"Oh," she said flatly.

Of all the people Hannah had expected to see that evening, Julianna was the last person on her list.

"Well, I can’t say the same, Julianna."

Hannah’s blunt response caught Julianna off guard. Her smile faltered for a brief moment before she quickly recovered, masking her surprise behind a polite expression.