As long as Bet Corporation thrives, Carolina will always be the most


    distinguished woman around. She doesn''t need a husband to add to her shine; she is the shine.


    Everett, of course, was more clued into the Newport scene than Carolina. Every time there was a power shift, it was a stormy affair. No family can hold its ground purely by its own strength.


    Everett took a sip of his ck coffee and, for once, didn''t jump in with an objection. Carolina felt a wave of relief wash over her. Her son still had his priorities straight. Power and family honor were definitely more crucial than those fleeting romances. Still, everything needed a bit of bnce.


    After a moment of thought, Carolina added, "Everett, once you marry Joy, if you want to keep Selena as a side affair, I won''t stand in your way. It''s normal for men to have a few trustedpanions, and Joy will likely understand. As long as it doesn''t threaten her role as Mrs. Bet, she''ll probably just look the other way."


    "Wouldn''t that make everyone happy?"


    Ava, who was eavesdropping nearby, was utterly floored. She''d been happy these past few days seeing Mr. Bet doting on Mrs. Bet again, thinking they might sort things out after all. But then Carolina had toe in and throw a wrench in the works.


    Now, Mr. Bet''s interest in Mrs. Bet was just a temporary spark. Without love in the picture, who''s to say he won''t weigh the pros and cons and decide to marry Joy, leaving Mrs. Bet as just the other woman!


    Selena didn''t wake up until nearly ten and headed downstairs for some brunch. She nced at the newspaper, and the front-page story was all about Newport''s top figure retiring and who might take over. The top contender was Abraham.


    Selena and Joy got along well, so she''d met Abraham a few times. In her memory, he was a serious guy who rarely cracked a smile. His most notable trait? He was a total softie for his sister. Because of that, he treated Selena well too, always bringing her an extra gift whenever he traveled abroad for Joy.


    If she and Joy hadn''t had a falling out, she''d probably be calling to congratte Joy right about now. If Abraham snagged the top spot, the Kesler family would definitely see a big boost in status.


    Selena set the newspaper aside, deciding not to dwell on those less-than-happy thoughts. She picked up her phone and rang ine. It rang for a bit before he finally picked up, his voice sounding a bit off.


    She frowned slightly, "ine, is everything okay on your end?"


    "It''s all good, everything''s sorted out, don''t worry."


    Selena wasn''t worried about ine''s problem-solving skills, but after knowing him for so long, she could tell something was up. She paused for a moment before getting straight to the point, "Is this about yo


    wife?"


    Otherwise, it was unusual for ine to sound like this.


    ine sidestepped the question, "Did you see Everett when you got back to Newport?"


    Selena was at a loss for words,


    "Come


    Uncle, stop dodging the


    Just answer me."


    II


    She hardly ever called ine "Uncle" unless she was upset.


    ine chuckled softly, "I don''t meddle in your love life, so don''t meddle in mine. If you insist on


    meddling in mine, sortovel


    first."


    Damn.


    Selena couldn''t help but curse.


    Suddenly, a loud scream pierced through the phone line-


    Selena''s heart skipped a beat, "Who was that? ine, what''s going on?"