Your Guise Is Slipping, Miss Pearl

Chapter 1227

"I know he's at home. Please tell him I'm here." Pearl stood there, refusing to leave.

The maid, caught in a tough spot, simply nodded and disappeared inside.

Seizing the moment, Pearl followed. She had no reason to hold back, especially not with James acting the way he did.

Laughter echoed from the living room, making Pearl's lips curl into a smirk.

"I'm sorry for dropping in like this," she said, stepping inside.

James seemed to be expecting this and didn't look surprised. The woman beside him, however, couldn't hide her shock.

"Who's this, Jamie? Is she here to see you?"Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Pearl gave the woman a quick once-over. The woman's skin was even paler than Esther's, giving her a somewhat sickly appearance. While there were some similarities to Esther, they weren't immediately noticeable.

To Pearl, the woman seemed sharper, her gaze more piercing and intelligent than Esther's. It was clear to Pearl that this woman was from James's past.

Yet, to Pearl's eyes, she lacked Esther's beauty, leading Pearl to question James's taste. This woman wasn't as beautiful as Esther.

"She's an old friend," James replied smoothly.

"Friend?"

"It's been a while since we talked," he added, his voice gentle, a tone Pearl found all too familiar, as if he had done this millions of times.

A mix of emotions filled Pearl, realizing James's charm wasn't all that unique. His attentiveness to Esther had been an act of habit, not sincerity. He was only doing this to this woman? In that case, he was too good at hiding it.

"Can I borrow your boyfriend for a minute?" Pearl asked the woman with a polite smile.

The woman's immediate frown showed her as the type who was used to getting her way. "That's not happening. He's mine," she said possessively.

James's calming touch on her hair showed his indifference to her behavior. "She's here because we need to talk about something. I'll come back in a bit, okay?"

The woman seemed to grasp the situation quickly. "Your ex-fiancee's friend? Better clear that up then," she said, putting her arms around his neck and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

James didn't flinch or pull back. Pearl had hoped what she heard before wasn't true, but seeing it with her own eyes chilled her to the bone. James was doing all this willingly.

"Please make it quick. I have plans with my fiancee," James said, emphasizing 'fiancee.'

Pearl almost scoffed at that. "Don't worry, this won't take long. I wouldn't dream of keeping you from

your... 'sweet' time together," she responded, her sarcasm barely veiled.

But James, unfazed, just nodded, as if Pearl's words were nothing more than a light breeze.