My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 35

The bottle spun lazily on the glass table, the warm lighting from the chandelier above glinting off its surface as if mocking the people gathered around it. The air was charged with the faint tension of unspoken rivalries, thinly disguised beneath polite smiles and teasing laughter.

Lily sat with one leg crossed neatly over the other, her fingers loosely cradling the stem of her wine glass. She’d played the game cautiously at first, asking simple, harmless questions when the bottle landed on her. She had no interest in being the evening’s main spectacle.

Especially not for Marina’s satisfaction.

Marina’s eyes had sparkled with that smug light people get when they think they’ve drawn blood. The little digs, the arch of her brow, the condescending tone—Lily had endured them all without flinching.

She’d let Marina believe she was winning.

Now, as the bottle came to a slow stop before Lily again, the circle’s attention shifted. Marina was leaning forward slightly, her manicured nails tapping against her champagne flute, a picture of poised anticipation.

“So, Lily,” one of the men in the group asked with a sly grin, “truth or dare?”

“Truth,” Lily said smoothly, without hesitation.

She didn’t even glance at the man who’d posed the choice. Her gaze went straight to Marina, locking in place.

The pause was deliberate. She let it stretch just long enough for Marina to notice before speaking, her tone deceptively casual:

“Tell me,” Lily began, tilting her head slightly, “what exactly is your relationship with Mr. David Hardison?”

The ripple in the atmosphere was immediate.

Marina’s smile faltered—barely, but enough for anyone watching closely to catch it. Her fingers tightened on her flute, and a faint shadow crossed her expression.

David, who had been standing off to the side with his arms loosely folded, straightened almost imperceptibly. His dark eyes snapped to Lily, and the muscle in his jaw ticked.

Lily saw it. In fact, she’d counted on it.

But she also knew something else—only David would catch the subtle roll of her eyes, the tiny flick of annoyance she sent in his direction before her attention returned to Marina. She didn’t care what he thought right now; she wanted to see if Marina could keep her composure under pressure.

Unfortunately for her, someone else noticed.

Jacob.

He was seated to her right, his posture relaxed, but his gaze sharp. The corner of his lips curled upward in quiet amusement, and though he said nothing, Lily could feel his interest sharpen. He wasn’t the kind of man to miss subtleties, and she had the uneasy sense that he was filing away every interaction between her and David like pieces of a puzzle.

Around the circle, the murmurs began. People here didn’t know who David’s wife was. They only knew that the man had been married for some time, and that in recent weeks, whispers of a divorce had circulated through certain circles. Seeing Lily and Marina in the same room with him was like dropping blood in the water—curiosity flared instantly.

A man in a dark blue suit leaned toward another guest, his voice pitched low but not low enough: “Is she his wife? Or is Marina?”

“I heard the wife’s identity was kept private,” someone else murmured back. “But he’s been seen with Marina for months…”

The gossip swirled, feeding on itself, while all eyes remained trained on Marina.

The group’s energy shifted instantly, the hum of anticipation sparking in the air.

A few people laughed, others leaned in.

Marina’s smile was triumphant, her chin lifting slightly as though she’d just played a winning card. She wanted Lily to refuse, to make her seem uptight or prudish. Or worse—she wanted her to go through with it, to humiliate her in front of David and force a reaction.

Lily’s fingers tightened ever so slightly around the wine glass in her lap. She could feel multiple sets of eyes on her—David’s, sharp and dark; Marina’s, smug and taunting; Jacob’s, unreadable but interested.

And beneath it all, the dull thrum of irritation in her chest.

She was tempted to refuse outright, but she knew better. Refusal would give Marina the victory she wanted. Acceptance would hand her control of the moment.

Lily lifted her chin, letting a slow smile play across her lips. “That’s the best you’ve got?” she said softly, almost lazily.

one of them one men spoke, clearly enjoying the attention leaned back, grinning. “I don’t mind being part of the game,” he said with an easy laugh.

Marina’s smirk deepened. “Then it’s settled.”

Lily set down her glass, her mind already turning. This wasn’t about the dare. It was about the optics. Marina thought she’d boxed her in, but Lily wasn’t the type to play by someone else’s script.

If she was going to do this, she’d do it on her own terms.