“You’re right. Take these to the fitting room. I want to try them on,”
Valerie instructed the salesgirl.
“Yes, of course,” the salesgirl promptly responded, taking the dresses to the changing room.
As soon as she left, Valerie held Lucinda’s arm again and smiled innocently.
“I can’t zip the dress on my own. Come inside and help me, okay?”
‘s
Lucinda neither accepted nor declined Valerie’s request, her expression veiled with caution.
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Nevertheless, Valerie persisted and led her into the secluded changing room.
Within the intimate space, Valerie shed her clothes unabashedly, revealing a confidence that suggested a long-standing friendship between the two.
Lucinda, leaning against the wall, regarded her with a _ cool detachment.
“You did not summon me here solely to seek fashion advice, did you? Let us dispense with pretense. It is just the two of us here now. Speak plainly and reveal your true intentions.”
Valerie continued to adorn herself with elegant garments, seemingly unaffected by Lucinda’s stoic demeanor.
“Lucinda, your curiosity regarding my patron has always lingered, hasn’t it? You yearn to discover the benefactor who propelled me into the limelight, granting me unwavering influence.”
She continued, “Actually, there are two people who are helping me, giving me a lot of help.”
Lucinda Listened attentively, her eyes unwavering.
As Valerie stepped into a pair of high heels, she continued her tale.
“You may have wiped your memory clean of all events preceding your fifteenth year, but I still vividly recall our first encounter in that dim alley. You found me pitiable yet endearing, opening your home and your heart to me. And I, too, grew fond of you.
However, my affections extended beyond you alone. I desired your father and brothers, driven by a greedy longing. I believed that with you out of the picture, I could reign as the sole daughter of the illustrious Simmons family.”
A frown creased Lucinda’s brow, for Valerie’s words mirrored the ones she had heard in her nocturnal reverie.
“That’s why I secretly stole something from Hilliard’s shelf and lured you out. When you weren’t looking, I injected it into your body and pushed you into the sea. I never expected you to be so lucky as to survive.”
Lucinda’s voice turned icy as she clenched her fists.
“Aren’t you afraid that I might have a recorder with me today?”
Valerie covered her mouth and chuckled, a charm still evident in her eyes.
“Since I choose to tell you the truth, of course I’m not afraid! With the power of the Simmons family, why would it take them so long to finally find you? Have you ever consider that? The truth is, your brother already knows everything, and he tacitly approved of my actions.”
Lucinda’s heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Suppressing her anger and regaining her composure, she asked Valerie in a cold voice, “Which brother of mine are you referring to?”