She Left She Thrived She’s Worth Billions novel Chapter 1031

"Nothing."

Melanie shook her head with a smile.

She had actually wanted to ask about his gloves.

Medically speaking, there was alcohol dependency and nicotine dependency.

But she had never heard of glove dependency.

For Preston to wear them absolutely everywhere, regardless of the occasion—even when they were tumbling between the sheets—it definitely felt like some sort of pathology.

But the words died in her throat.

She recalled asking him about the gloves more than once in the past.

And every single time, he had artfully dodged the question.

It was his way of clearly telling her that he didn't want to talk about it.

Although she was dying of curiosity every time she saw them, she knew better than to pry.

If he didn't want to explain, she had no right to force the issue.

She had known her boundaries when she was his girlfriend, and now that they weren't even together anymore, she had even less right to demand answers.

Melanie shrugged, telling herself to just let it go.

They're just gloves. If he wants to wear them, let him. He's the one sweating, not me.

The result was that Melanie was just as deeply curious as the strangers around them, yet she forced herself to swallow the questions.

The sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

The fading light washed over the sky like watered-down watermelon juice, growing fainter by the minute.

Roaring bonfires were gradually lit along the expanse of Sterling Sands.

This drew even more people out to the beach.

Today was the Governor of Luna Isle's tenth wedding anniversary. Aside from the locals, any tourists present needed an invitation.

Some were just there to enjoy the party.

Others had their own ulterior motives—

The woman was wearing a scandalously skimpy string bikini cut high on the hips. Rather than looking sexy, it just reeked of cheapness and catering to the male gaze.

The fabric was neon rainbow colored and practically glowed in the dark.

Melanie truly couldn't appreciate this kind of aesthetic.

And she knew for a fact the woman wearing it wouldn't normally choose something like this either.

Because this was purely her fiancé's taste.

The moment Elara Bennett locked eyes with Melanie, she immediately looped her arm through Alistair Davenport's.

Alistair hadn't even noticed Melanie and Preston yet. Feeling Elara cling to him, he broke into a smug, greasy smile.

He had gone through a lot of trouble to secure invitations to tonight's festival from an acquaintance.

Elara knew exactly why he had bent over backward just to attend a party on this tiny island.

Because it was a bikini party.

Luna Isle was sweltering and surrounded by beaches. Bikinis were basically the standard daily uniform, especially for anyone looking to soak up the sun.