My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 34

Standing beside him, Marina immediately tightened her grip on his arm, her painted lips curling in a faint smirk. She could feel David’s attention shifting and she didn’t like it not one bit.

"Oh! Hi Lily...you are here too" She turned her head toward Lily, her eyes sweeping her up and down in a slow, deliberate assessment. “How… unexpected.”

Lily’s expression didn’t change.

Marina tightened her hold on David’s arm and leaned in closer to him, her voice pitched just loud enough for Lily to hear. “I can’t imagine someone like her fitting into a place like this. The circles here… they’re different. People… earn their presence.” Her tone was dripping with implication.

Lily froze for a heartbeat, her jaw tightening. She wasn’t here to play social games, but Marina’s thinly veiled jab at her character lit a spark of irritation in her chest.

David’s brows furrowed slightly, his gaze flicking between the two women, but before Lily could speak, a smooth, confident voice cut through the tension.

“Is there a problem here?”

Jacob had arrived, his presence commanding without a hint of arrogance. The moment his eyes met Lily’s, a smile curved his lips warm, welcoming, and just a touch protective.

“Miss Lily,” he said, stepping to her side as though to shield her from whatever storm Marina intended to brew. “I didn’t realize you’d already started meeting people. Everyone, allow me to introduce tonight’s esteemed guest Lily.”

His words carried through the small circle that had begun to gather. Conversations in the immediate area quieted, curious glances darting their way. The subtle shift in atmosphere was impossible to miss—Marina’s smirk faltered, and David’s expression darkened ever so slightly.

Lily inclined her head slightly, accepting the introduction without unnecessary modesty. If Jacob wanted to call her an “esteemed guest,” she wasn’t going to contradict him not when the room’s balance of power had just tilted in her favor.

Still, she reminded herself that she was here for business, not ego. Jacob’s support might protect her from petty insults, but her real goal the deal was still on the line. And for that, she needed to keep her composure.

Marina, however, was unwilling to let the matter drop. She forced a laugh, looping her arm tighter through David’s. “Well, since Miss Lily is an esteemed guest, perhaps she’d like to join us for a little fun?” Her eyes gleamed with challenge.

Lily arched an eyebrow. “Fun?”

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