The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 17

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It wasn't just Julian and Felicity on the sofa.

Three other men and a woman were there as well.

Mayo Johnston and Claud Gallagher, Julian's friends, knew she was his wife. Like Julian, they acted as though she didn't exist. Their civility began and ended with not making things harder for her.

The other man and woman were different.

Mackenzie Chamberlain was a close friend of the Shepherd family. He'd watched Felicity grow up since she was sixteen, and in his eyes, she was a beloved little sister, the cherished princess of the family.

So when Mackenzie saw Winona, the look he gave her was viciously cold, projecting a wave of pure, open hatred.

If Julian's attitude toward Winona was one of cold indifference—leaving her to fend for herself—then Mackenzie's was openly contemptuous. He wanted to grind her into the ground, to eradicate her completely, as if she were some toxic blight ruining Felicity's life. If it weren't for the public setting and his own reputation, he might have confronted her outright.

The young woman, on the other hand, looked vaguely familiar to Winona, though she couldn't place her.

She was petite, no older than twenty, with a messy pixie cut. Her powder-blue designer dress, paired with cream-colored stilettos, made her look both extravagantly stylish and mischievous—like a spoiled heiress with a rebellious streak.

Whether strangers or vaguely familiar faces, none of these people had anything to do with Winona. She never believed Julian would take her side in this sort of gathering. So, even though he'd stood her up at lunch, she had no intention of approaching him now to talk things over.

She cast a brief glance at the group, picked up her wine glass, and walked away.

She had barely turned when a teasing, taunting voice called out behind her, "Well, if it isn't the gold digger who tried to snatch Felicity's sapphire necklace last time. I'm sure I had you dragged down to the police station. Who let you out, and who invited you to a place like this?"

The bratty, sharp-tongued young woman—equal parts posh and mischievous—stepped in front of her, blocking her path. She smiled with open mockery, as if Winona were some primitive creature existing solely for her amusement.