Alina barely spared the lobster a glance before moving with practiced ease. She held it steady with one hand and used her fork to lift the tail meat cleanly. Then, with a small spoon, she carefully gathered the tender flesh from the head and claws.
Each movement flowed naturally, precise and controlled, as if it were second nature. The elegance of her actions made her stand out, even among the Gilberts.
Kenzie's eyes widened, and a surge of jealousy twisted inside her.
With a sharp edge to her voice, she said, "Well, Alina, seems like you've been secretly copying Jessica just to get your table manners right."
Before her words could linger, Alina tapped the back of Kenzie's hand lightly.
Alina's gaze turned cold. "Mind your tone. Looks like I'll have to teach you some manners, so you don't embarrass yourself in public."
Rage nearly overwhelmed Kenzie. Alina really thought she could act like the lady of the house now?
She shot Pamela a desperate look, hoping for support, but Pamela only smiled. "I didn't expect Alina to carry herself so well. Kenzie, she's right. You should learn from her."
Left without a comeback, Kenzie felt her anger rise to the point of dizziness.
The long, tense meal finally ended. The moment she found Alina alone, Kenzie rushed over and blocked her path.
"Alina, you..." The insult she wanted to say died on her lips when she saw Alina's raised hand. Swallowing it back, she changed her words. "How can you be so shameless? You threw away your long-term boyfriend just to marry into a wealthy family. You're ruthless."
Alina found it almost amusing. "Kenzie, what makes you so sure I was the one who chose to switch places?"
With complete confidence, Kenzie spoke. "Jessica is kind. She would never do something like that. I talked to her last night, and she told me everything. You were the one desperate to cling to our family. You even forced your way into marrying Uncle Kellan, knowing he's disfigured and can't have children. You're incredibly manipulative."
A cold sneer appeared on Alina's lips. Jessica again. It seemed she had been spreading rumors behind her back.
"Then answer me this," Alina responded, her voice turning icy. "With your uncle's condition, do you really think Jessica would've agreed to marry him willingly?"
Kenzie fell silent. Deep down, she knew that if she were in Jessica's place, she wouldn't have agreed either.
Even though the logic didn't sit right, she refused to admit it. "Jessica is kind. She would never look down on Uncle Kellan."
Alina lost interest in continuing the argument. Dealing with someone so clueless wasn't worth her time.
It baffled her that someone as sharp as Kellan could have such a foolish niece.
Without another word, Alina returned to her room upstairs.
Kellan wasn't there, which gave her a moment of peace. She opened her laptop to work, but a thought from earlier surfaced, and she decided to make a call.
On the other end, a respectful voice answered. "How may I assist you?"
Alina spoke directly. "Is there someone named Jessica Hayes working in our lab?"
"Jessica Hayes? I don't recognize that name. Give me a moment, I'll look into it." After a short pause, the subordinate came back on the line. "I found her. She joined about six months ago and is currently working as a project assistant."
It was a low-level role, the kind most people wouldn't even notice.
Given her position as lab director, Alina had no reason to pay attention to someone like that.
With a quiet acknowledgment, Alina ended the call.
At that moment, a new message from Jessica appeared on her phone.
It read, "OMG, Alan is being so good to me! He even bought me an incredibly expensive wedding gift!"
A photo followed—Vick's custom-designed necklace, worth over five million dollars.
Alina stared at the screen without any visible reaction.
She couldn't help recalling that, during their entire relationship, the priciest thing Alan had ever given her was a dress worth five hundred dollars.
Moments later, another image came through, this time showing Jessica and Alan in an intimate pose.
Along with it came another message. "Alan treats me like a princess. I don't even know how to handle it. By the way, have you met that scarred man? Hope he didn't scare you too much."
Alina didn't bother replying. Instead, she captured screenshots of the entire conversation and saved them. Then she set her phone aside and returned to her work.
She had been occupied with her work until evening fell. After taking a shower that night, she wrapped a towel around herself and began drying her hair.
The sound of the hairdryer masked the faint sound of the door opening.
When Kellan stepped inside, his gaze immediately landed on her back as she stood there, drying her hair. Her long legs were fully visible, their lines smooth and graceful.
The graceful line of her neck was especially eye-catching.
Kellan instantly felt a strong reaction stir within him.
Without hesitation, he walked toward her.
"Ah!" Alina screamed when arms suddenly wrapped around her from behind.
She turned quickly, only to meet Kellan's face. Before she could react, his lips pressed firmly against hers.
