The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 200

**Between the Wings of Twilight Lies the Memory of You**
**by Liren Ava Roen**
**Chapter 200**

With a firm grip on the delicate wineglass, she forced a smile onto her meticulously crafted visage, each feature carefully enhanced to perfection. “Steven,” she began, her voice laced with a feigned sweetness, “I simply must share something with you. Just the other day, I ran into my cousin. She was eyeing a lovely item from my friend, but alas, it was far too pricey for her budget. And then, out of nowhere, this incredibly dashing man stepped in and paid for it on her behalf.”

“Can you believe it, Steven? It was that Horace fellow she had been on a date with not long ago. They seem inseparable, always so cozy with each other. I couldn’t hold my tongue any longer, so I told her she shouldn’t be two-timing you like that. And guess what? She retaliated by giving me a good thrashing. Now, I can hardly show my face in public; I’m forced to wear this veil.”

I blinked in disbelief.

Did she truly forget that I was sitting right here, listening to her?

Who in their right mind would gossip about someone while they were in the room?

Steven’s expression shifted immediately, darkening like a storm cloud. He turned his gaze towards me, his features inscrutable. “Is what she said true?”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Yes, Horace did cover the cost for something for me.”

She was referring to the incident from a few days prior when Horace had come to my defense as I fought to reclaim my mother’s heirlooms.

There was no need for me to elaborate. To Steven, I was already painted as a promiscuous flirt, and perhaps it was best to let him continue to think that.

A triumphant grin spread across Antonia’s face, and she seized the opportunity to add more fuel to the fire.

“I just feel so sorry for you, Steven. You’re always so kind to her, always looking out for her, yet it seems her heart is elsewhere entirely. Just the other day, I saw Horace holding her close.”

Her words struck a nerve, and it was as if a thunderbolt had struck Steven’s handsome visage, transforming it into a tempest of anger.

I could sense the fury radiating from him, and instinctively braced myself for an outburst. Instead, he turned his icy gaze upon Antonia. “You look like a circus monkey. Loud and tacky. You grew up in the Jones household, yet you dress like a streetwalker. Are you aspiring to be a call girl?”

I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Yet, Antonia pressed on, desperate for even the slightest hint of his affection. “Mr. Lancaster, I’m not unemployed. I’m working at the Jones Group now. I have a proper job.”

Steven’s mood seemed to darken with every passing second. He scoffed derisively.

“And? Am I supposed to applaud you? You’re debasing yourself in this pitiful attempt to gain my attention. What do you want? To be my mistress? Or are you simply biding your time for me to get a divorce so you can step in as my second wife?”

A flicker of hope ignited in Antonia’s eyes, but Steven’s tone remained flat, his words cutting. “People shouldn’t chase after what doesn’t belong to them. Instead of dreaming of marrying someone wealthy, you should focus on bettering yourself. Especially someone like you, who appears to have nothing but air between your ears. Just looking at you ruins my appetite.”

“You’re not even pretty enough to be my mistress. You can’t hold a candle to Zephyra, neither in looks nor in capability. What makes you think you’re qualified? Not that I’m praising Zephyra. I’m merely stating facts. Her face and skills are merely acceptable, but she’s an absolute fool. And she’s blind. She can’t even distinguish between a sturdy tree and a sapling. She ought to get her eyes checked.”

I… what?

He could hurl insults at Antonia all he wanted. Why was he dragging me into this?