The Kiss that Sparked it All novel Chapter 2708

"Daphne, how can you say that? The lady has a hard-working and ambitious mother. Even without the Tanner name, she's climbing the ladder on her own merits."

They all had guts, no one dared to cross the Tanner family, but Regina hadn't expected things to spiral out of control like this.

Daphne fell silent.

"Alright, how long is this charade going to last? Everyone, just head on home."

Francis brooded silently, his face a mask of discontent. Regina was seeing off the last of the guests, while Imogen had been unable to lift her head since the early exchanges, her meticulously conjured tears drying upon her cheeks.

She had been sharing a bed with Francis for many years; she knew all too well that what he cherished most was his reputation.

When he had taken her and her daughter into his life, he was drowning in a new romance and couldn't see straight. But years had passed, and he had come to his senses. He knew there were whispers in their circle, labeling him a 'sucker' for taking them in.

Publicly, he always pretended not to care. What he truly thought, however, was known only to himself.

Yet today, in his own villa, at a gala he hosted, to have his secrets laid bare for all to see was more than his pride could bear. All this trouble, he owed to Imogen and Madeline.