Jilted Ex-wife Billionaire Heiress novel Chapter 13

hapter 13 Brush–off

Avery was smiling, but it was a smile thinly coated with a veneer of civility.

Underneath that, it was all disdain

Polite, sure, but also dismissive–like the kind of smile you gave the shoeshiner who polished your boots.

Micah searched his memory but could not think of an incident where he’d, probably inadvertently, offended

Avery

He shifted his attention to Darya, who was busy examining the ballroom.

After the initial glance, she didn’t pay him the slightest attention.

Micah’s gaze flickered to her arm, interlinked with Avery’s.

Their physical proximity and body language spoke of intimacy, of familiarity, and it made Micah frown. He couldn’t recall the last time Darya had gotten that close to him.

Who was Avery to her?

Were they dating?

Had she moved on, barely a month after their divorce?

Had she been staying at Avery’s house?

Was that why he, Micah, couldn’t find her?

There were so many questions, yet Micah knew better than to demand answers from her in direct view of hundreds of party attendees.

As the four of them made their way into the ballroom, Micah couldn’t help stealing glances at Darya.

She was so different from the Darya in his memory.

No longer meek and quiet like a wallflower, this Darya exuded confidence.

She dazzled with her graceful form, captivated every male’s attention in the room with her presence, and the fact that she seemed unaware of it only added to her allure.

She didn’t just walk into the room; she made an entrance.

Micah’s hands clenched into fists.

He didn’t notice, but Regina did.

She felt his body tense, followed the direction of his gaze to Darya, and gnashed her teeth.

Oh, how she hated that woman!

And that dress!

And those earrings!

How did that mousy housewife make such a startling transformation?

More importantly, how did she hook herself another rich guy so soon after being divorced from one?

Blinded by jealousy, Regina blurted, “Darya! What are you doing here? Do you even have an invitation?”

Both Micah and Avery paused..

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Chapter 13 Brush–off

Micah knitted his brows, displeased by her sudden outburst.

Avery looked at Regina like an audience watching a circus clown.

He said nothing, as he had every confidence that his sister, who could hold her own in a boardroom swimming with sharks, could handle someone like Regina.

Darya turned her head, sized Regina up as if she had just seen her.

Then her lips curved with the faintest trace of a smile, every bit as lethal as her brother’s.

“If someone like you can get in, why can’t I?”

Regina went red in the face. “What the hell are you implying? What do you mean–someone like me?”

Darya just shrugged.

She would have said more, but she was afraid of giving Regina a brain aneurysm.

The woman was already frothing at the mouth.

“I don’t believe we’ve been introduced,” Avery said coldly. “Is this the new Mrs. Cavanaugh?”

Micah didn’t miss the jibe.

His gut feeling was right; Avery McAllister didn’t like him.

Was it because of Darya?

After all, Avery had just spoken up for her.

He called Regina the *new* Mrs. Cavanaugh, which meant he had to know Darya and Micah used to be married. And the faintly scornful tone he used implied that he didn’t think of Regina as someone worthy of his respect.

To add insult to injury, Avery scrunched up his nose ever so slightly, as if he were offended by the scent of Regina’s perfume.

The vein on the side of Regina’s forehead popped harder.

Darya watched, fascinated, and wondered if she should call an ambulance, just in case.

Regina swallowed the brush–off.

After all, even Micah didn’t dare go up against the McAllisters.

She would only make a fool of herself if she tried to confront Avery,

So Regina borrowed a page from Judy Cavanaugh’s book and went for the weak–or at least what she thought

of as weak.

She forced a smile on her face. “Mr. McAllister, perhaps there’s something you’re unaware of. This woman, your date, she’s a divorcée.”

She emphasized the last word as if she meant “leper.”

Avery returned her sycophantic smile with a mocking one of his own.

Instead of addressing her, he directed his response at Micah. “If memory serves, Mr. Cavanaugh here is a divorcé as well.”

The implication was clear–if Darya couldn’t be here on account of her divorce, then neither could Micah. Regina’s taunt had backfired.

The colour on her cheeks deepened, from beetroot red to boiled lobster.

She cast a pleading look at Micah, who ignored her.