Queen's Return Dumping the Ice King and His Mini-Tyrant novel Chapter 168

Just a few months ago, Selene was nothing more than a stray crumb clinging to the hem of his jacket–easy to brush off with a flick of his wrist.

During the divorce, when it came time to split their assets, he didn’t give her a single cent. He wanted Selene to know exactly how hard life would be without his protection–for both her and Daph. He was certain she’d come crawling back, like a dog that had run off for a taste of freedom only to slink home, filthy and hungry, begging for scraps at his feet.

How had it all changed so quickly?

Now, somehow, he no longer had the upper hand–not even the right to bargain with

Selene.

The thought struck Harrison as absurd, almost laughable.

He was the CEO of Vaughn Enterprises, a man at the very top of the Capital Circle. Selene? She’d just been playing at independence. Or so he’d told himself.

His confidence shattered the moment Selene’s calm, unwavering voice rang out, clear as a bell: “Ladies and gentlemen, Harrison and I are divorced. We are completely separate people now. I have no ties to Vaughn Enterprises, and I’m more than willing to challenge them head–on!”

She turned to the room, her gaze unflinching. “If Mr. Vaughn here can’t keep to his own territory, then let’s make this official: we’re competitors now. Let’s see which way the wind blows–who comes out on top.”

Harrison felt his breath catch in his chest. The woman he’d spent years dismissing, the wife he’d deemed little more than a parasite, had just thrown down the gauntlet–vowing to beat him at his own game.

A heat began to rise from deep within him, as if molten lava were cracking through the glacier he’d built around his heart, shaking his composure and shattering his legendary self–control.

Selene didn’t spare him another glance. Instead, she graciously accepted the business cards offered by the circle of industry leaders now crowding around her.

“The moon looks especially bright tonight, doesn’t it?”

Adrian’s voice drifted over Harrison’s shoulder.

He spun around, instantly on guard, eyeing the sly man who always seemed to

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know how to put on a show for Selene.

A streak of deep red stained Adrian’s lips–like a wounded rose, or a fragile beauty with a bloody mouth. The color only made his already striking features seem even more dangerously alluring.

“You never imagined she’d shine like this, did you?” Adrian murmured, his eyes glinting. “She dimmed her light for you, made herself invisible just to stand at your side, and you treated her like a worthless trinket.”

He looked back at Selene. “But now the moon is rising. Once she’s ascended, no one will ever bring her down again. And you? You’re just a stray mutt howling at the

moon.”

Meanwhile, a waiter was sweeping up shards of broken glass and drops of blood from the floor.

All eyes remained fixed on Selene–no one noticed that Felicity and the injured waitress had quietly slipped out of the ballroom.

Vivian stumbled breathlessly onto the balcony, her chest heaving.

She glanced back in panic and saw Felicity following at a leisurely pace, utterly

But inside, she was like a viper coiled in the shadows, ready to strike at anyone who dared approach.

The more recklessly Felicity advanced, the more the cornered mouse seemed to run straight into her trap. Soon, Felicity thought, it would be time to close the cage. “Don’t be scared, sweetheart! I’m here to save you!” Felicity crooned, her words dripping with false sincerity–especially the last three, each syllable biting with

menace.

In a sudden burst, Felicity lunged forward, reaching for Vivian, who was already scrambling up onto the balcony railing.

But Felicity’s rush was never meant to stop short.

Perched on the rail, Vivian pressed something sharp into her palm–a jagged shard of glass she’d been clutching all along.

Security had been tight tonight, even disguised as a waitress, she’d never have made it in with a knife. But after smashing her glass behind Harrison earlier, she’d pocketed the sharpest piece.

She was here for revenge–for Natalie.

She’d always thought that if Felicity’s crimes ever caught up with her, no legal sentence could truly make her pay for what she’d done.

So why not drag them both to hell together?

Vivian swung her arm, the glinting edge of glass aimed straight for Felicity’s throat.

Chapter 169