Chapter 963

For Autumn, this birthday party was nothing short of agony.

Because of Daria, she couldn't bear to leave; because of Devin, she didn't dare stay. Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.

But what's meant to happen always finds a way.

Autumn kept to herself, sitting quietly through lunch, trying to make herself invisible.

The afternoon rolled in with singing, dancing, cards, and tea. The men wandered off to play ball; the women circled up to gossip about handbags, marriage, and, inevitably, men.

Despite her title as the mayor's wife, Autumn didn't really have anyone she could call a true friend. Most people who came up to her were just looking to network or get in her good graces.

Anastasia, meanwhile, kept sneaking glances at Autumn. Monica, who could read her like an open book, nudged her. "Ana, you seem distracted. Something up?"

Anastasia glanced again at Autumn's table. Monica caught the look. "Alright, spill. You're dying to tell me. What's the gossip?"

Anastasia leaned in, her eyes twinkling. "Get this-Autumn and Devin? First loves, back at it again."

Monica's jaw dropped. The Walker family's scandals were even juicier than celebrity gossip.

And Autumn's affair was with Devin? That was next-level.

"Shut up!" Monica could hardly contain herself, her eyes darting between Devin and Autumn. "Ana, how could you keep something like this from me? That's prime gossip!"

Anastasia grinned. "I only just found out. Keep it under wraps, okay?"

"Of course." Monica mimed zipping her lips. "You know I won't blab."

She knew how serious this was. The mayor getting cheated on was no small thing.

Just then, Monica's younger brother Jackson wandered over, curiosity all over his face. "What are you ladies whispering about?"

Monica waved him away. "Girl talk, Jack. Go bother someone else."

Jackson rolled his eyes at Anastasia. "See what I deal with? Only Jason could put up with her."

Anastasia laughed. "Everyone's got their match. Hey, Monica, did they ever catch Alisa?"

Jackson cut in, "I'll leave you to it. Got class this afternoon. See you later, Ana."

Anastasia smiled. “Alright, take care getting back."

Jackson gave a quick wave and left.

Back to business, Monica said, "Alisa's still hiding out somewhere. She's slippery, I'll give her that. After all that went down, catching her isn't Jason's job anymore. But honestly, what are the police even doing? Can't catch one woman?"

When Alisa's secrets were exposed, the Brown family's lies came to light too. The

police took away their war hero status and cut off every last benefit they had.

Anastasia asked, “If they catch her, how long do you think she'll get?"

Monica sighed. “If she'd just come clean, maybe six months, a year tops. But now

that she's on the run? It's going to be a lot worse."

מ.

Anastasia took a sip of her tea. "It's human nature, I guess-running from your mistakes." She nodded toward Autumn's table. "Want to go sit over there?"

Katelyn was on hostess duty, keeping Autumn company and pulling a few other ladies into the conversation.

She tried to get Autumn to play mahjong, but Autumn wasn't up for it. She just wanted to chat.

Salma, not really part of the inner circle, stuck close to Pattie. Even though she was married to

someone on the city council, hernet

background made her feel a bit out of place. Tavon would swing by every so often to chat and make sure Salma wasn't left out.

Katelyn, Autumn, and the other ladies were deep in conversation when Anastasia

walked over, holding Daria, with Monica right behind her.