NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 626: It’s her.
In the afternoon —
Emyr came to pick Aiden.
And just after he left, Arwen asked Mr. Jones to help her prepare the car as well.
"Madam, Alfred is ready with the car?" Mr. Jones informed her as she descended the stairs, ready to leave.
Nodding, she hummed in acknowledgement. "Thank you, Mr. Jones. I would leave now, then." And with that, she stepped out of the manor.
The car stood waiting right by the entrance. As soon as she appeared, Alfred moved forward and opened the door for her with a respectful bow. "Madam!" he greeted.
Arwen offered him a small smile before sliding into the back seat. He closed the door after her, then circled around and took his place in the driver's seat.
"Drive me first to the company, Alfred," she instructed softly.
"Yes, Madam," Alfred replied, catching her eyes briefly in the rear-view mirror before starting the engine.
The car pulled away smoothly from the estate, disappearing past the gates.
————
Meanwhile, from the upstairs balcony, Selene stood watching the car as it rolled out of sight. Her posture was still, her arms crossed, but her eyes burned with something darker.
Resentment.
"Arwen, you might be gloating today," she muttered to herself, "but tomorrow, we will surely switch places. Let's see how long that pride of yours lasts."
Turning back inside, she walked into her room — but she wasn't alone.
Olivia, her assistant, stood by near the dresser. And seated on the couch was Carla, the old family nanny who had raised Selene like her own and had been part of her life for as long as she could remember.
Selene barely glanced at them. "Close the door," she said curtly.
Olivia blinked, confused by the sudden command, but did as she was told, clicking the lock into place. She didn't know what Selene was up to, but she could tell whatever it was, it was up to no good
Carla stood and approached Selene slowly. "Ms. Selene, what's wrong?" she asked gently, her eyes scanning the young woman's pale face. "You don't look well. Your complexion is also off. Should we call a doctor to check on you?"
Selene glanced up, and for a second, her gaze was not blank, but hollow —haunted.
"It's her," she whispered.
The two women exchanged glances.
Carla frowned. "Who, Ms. Selene?" she asked with caution, her voice soft. "Who are you talking about?"
Her eyes flicked to Olivia, silently wondering if the assistant knew something.
However, Olivia stood as clueless as her. She had only come here today. How would she know?
Furthermore, she was just an assistant. Neither was she duty-bound to look into Selene's personal affairs, nor was she interested in it. So, all along, she has always tried her best to keep it as professional as possible.
She shook her head at the old woman before looking back at Selene, who looked like she had lost her entire world in just one night.
Selene gritted her teeth, her voice a rasp. "Arwen," she enunciated, her tongue tasting sour.
Her fingers curled into fists, clenching the sheets until her knuckles turned white. "It's her," she repeated, feeling the hatred from the core of her gut.
"She is not some random woman, I thought she was," she let out a bitter laugh before her jaw tightened and her eyes turned evil. "But rather, she … she is the woman I have envied the most. Aiden's first love —one who has kept him all captivated even without being around."
She didn't want to believe it, but knowing it all, she couldn't ignore it.
How could she ignore when she saw Aiden so entranced by her?
How could she ignore when she heard him calling her Moon —the endearment he has kept reserved for only one woman in his life?
And that pasta recipe … she gritted at the thought of it. She said she had tasted it when Aiden clearly once told her he would only cook for one woman in his entire life. He hadn't cooked for her even when she had begged. But he … cooked it for her.
These all couldn't just be mere coincidences.
That was her —Arwen, and her suspicion only got confirmed when she heard Aiden talking to Mr. Jones last night.
Carla was still confused. She doesn't know much about the affairs. The only thing she had always known was that her lady Selene was in love with the young heir of the Winslow family … so much that she had not cared about herself and the fear of needles while donating blood to the late lady of the Winslow family.
"How could he fall for someone else?" she asked, feeling hurt and betrayed by the stance of Selene. "You have done so much for him. He should love you and —"
"He will love me, Carla," Selene cut her off. "He will, sooner or later. I will make him love me."
"But Ms. Martin, didn't you say Mrs. Winslow is Mr. Winslow's first love. They are even married now. How could he fall for you?" Olivia frowned at the obsession.
Selene glared in her direction, making her lower her gaze.
"I was simply asking. I didn't mean —"
"So, what if they are together now?" Selene asked. "So, what if she is his first love —one he had always cherished with or without her presence around?"
Her lips lifted in an arrogant smirk. "She doesn't remember it at all. And as long as she doesn't remember him —I have a chance. I have a chance to make her believe that it's not her, but me who is meant to be on his side."
Olivia was taken aback —not because she didn't understand what Selene meant, but because she knew exactly what she was talking about.
"You mean to say that you will pretend to be her?" she asked, stunned. "The woman Mr. Winslow has loved over all the years?"
Selene didn't respond to her, but the smile that played over her lips said it all.