Chapter 20
<Chapter>Chapter 20 – Plan for the Day </Chapter>
A hint of shyness crossed Bella's face as she nodded and said softly, "All right."
She walked over to the car and cooed, "Felix, everyone's waiting for you. Would you come out, please?"
Inside the car, Gianna and Felix were locked in a standoff. Overhearing Bella's deliberately softened voice made Gianna shiver with disgust.
She looked at Felix with a mocking smile, mimicking Bella's tone, "Felix, your adoring little friend is waiting anxiously outside. Why don't you let me go?"
Felix's brow furrowed even deeper, and he spat out, "Gianna, watch your tone!"
Gianna rolled her eyes. "Holding onto my hand like this makes it pretty hard for me to talk, you know."
After a few moments of tense silence, Felix released her hand with an indifferent expression and said icily, "Get out."
Gianna pushed open the car door and stepped out. Bella, who had been waiting outside, wore a blush of shyness and anticipation, which turned to an ugly scowl at the sight of Gianna.
"Gianna? Why is it you?!" she gasped.
She came with Felix!
That witch!
With a raised eyebrow and a smirk, Gianna casually remarked, "Little sis, you seem quite surprised to see me?"
Not only Bella, but the entire Redstone family's countenance changed at the sight of Gianna, particularly Lauren, who glared at her as if she were a sworn enemy. Everyone thought Gianna did this on purpose. Ever since she came back to the Redstones, she's been trying to outshine Bella in every possible way.
Felix got out of the car from the other side, walked over to Gianna, and nonchalantly took her hand.
Gianna frowned and tried to pull away but failed.
Biting back irritation, she muttered under her breath, "Felix, are you out of your mind? Everyone's watching. Aren't you afraid of them getting the wrong idea?!"
"What misunderstanding? We're married after all. Isn't it normal to hold hands?" he replied matter-of-factly.
Gianna let out a cold laugh without more words.
To the onlookers, this intimate exchange seemed like the couple was engaged in secretive conversations, and the crowd immediately became abuzz.
"What's going on here?! I thought Felix and Bella were an item. Why's he now holding hands with Gianna?!"
"Bella's been abroad for three years; even deep relationships fade. Maybe Gianna slipped in while she was away."
"Ha, Bella really made a fool of herself. She was just hinting at how she got Felix to come to her grandfather's party, flaunting her clout. I wonder how she's feeling now?"
"I couldn't stand her holier-than-thou attitude, and seeing this is just so satisfying!"
Listening to the surrounding murmurs, Bella simmered with rage, regretting not slapping Gianna earlier. She was sure Gianna had ridden in Felix's car just to embarrass her in front of everyone.
Tears welling up, she looked at Felix. "Felix, Gianna, this is too much!"
With that, she turned and ran off, eyes brimming with tears.
Watching her leave, Gianna's eyes narrowed involuntarily. Bella was still the same melodramatic person she always was.
Her statement seemed to say nothing, yet it said everything.
Oh, what a clever one, she was. She managed to play the clueless card while subtly pointing out Gianna had stirred up trouble in their relationship. Classic move of a real piece of work.
Sure enough, Gianna could see the guests giving her the side-eye.
However, Giana couldn't care less. She even turned to Felix, her tone laced with mockery, "Your little darling seems upset. Aren't you going to comfort her?"
Felix's brows furrowed, and he replied icily, "Gianna, don't push it!"
She just smiled, dropping the subject.
Everyone in the Redstone family knew about Gianna's marriage to Felix, but Lauren still saw Gianna as the one who stole Felix from Bella.
She glared at Gianna with a frosty expression, saying sharply, "Making a scene in front of everyone—so unbecoming!"
Initially, when Gianna returned to the Redstone family, she harbored some illusions about Lauren. But after those biased moves by Lauren, Gianna regarded her no more than a stranger.
"It's Felix who insisted on dragging me along. Take it up with him, not me," Gianna retorted nonchalantly.
Lauren's anger boiled over at Gianna's brazen defiance. "What are you saying, Gianna? Have you no respect left for your mother?"
Henry, standing nearby, frowned and spoke with a hint of anger, "Enough, both of you. Let's not air our dirty laundry in public."
Julian quickly agreed, giving Lauren a cool glance, and turning to Felix with a forced smile. "Felix, this way, please!"
Felix, indifferent, led Gianna into the banquet hall.
Inside, Gianna was seething, eager to be anywhere but by Felix's side.
"Mr. Felix, I believe you have business to discuss with others. Can you let go of me now?" she said with a barely concealed impatience, as if she couldn't wait to escape his presence.
Felix's gaze turned colder. "If you don't want me to announce our marriage to everyone, then stay quietly by my side. No wandering off."
Gianna frowned, but then a light chuckle escaped her as a thought struck her. "Fine by me. Just don't blame me if people start talking about Bella as the other woman, trying to worm her way into our marriage. Go ahead, make it public!"
Before he could respond, she coldly shook off his hand and walked away.
Felix watched her leave, his expression turning to ice. It seemed he had been too lenient with her lately; she was even starting to show him contempt.
Seeking a moment of peace, Gianna found a secluded spot. But before she could catch her breath, the Redstone family's housekeeper approached.
"Gianna, Lauren wants to see you," the housekeeper called out.
Following the housekeeper, Gianna stepped into Lauren's room only to be greeted by a slap flying straight for her face.
She cooled her gaze, stepping back to dodge, and stared back at Lauren with an icy composure.
Lauren, who missed her mark and nearly stumbled, fumed even more. Pointing directly at Gianna, she berated, "How could you be so vicious, Gianna? Knowing full well your sister and Felix like each other, you still humiliate her in front of everyone! Are you even human?"
A flicker of scorn passed through Gianna's eyes. To Lauren, she was the interloper who stole Felix away from Bella, despite the fact that Felix and she were married.
Such blatant favoritism was eye-opening!
Her tone was frosty as she confronted Lauren. "Three years ago, when Felix was left partially paralyzed from that car accident, and Bella deliberately stayed abroad to avoid the news, you didn't object when I volunteered to marry him. Now that Felix is on his feet again, and Bella is back in the country, you expect me to hand him over? On what grounds?"
"You owe Bella that much! Without her, do you think you could've returned to the Redstone family? Don't be ungrateful for your good fortune, Gianna!"
Gianna couldn't help but laugh coldly. "What do I owe her? If it weren't for the bone marrow I donated, would she even be alive? You were the ones begging me to come back to the Redstones. Do you really think I wanted to come back?"
Lauren sneered with undisguised contempt, "If it weren't for you being a suitable bone marrow donor for Bella, you'd still be toiling away in that backwater village. Everything you have today is thanks to the Redstone family!"
