A Vow of Deception, A Vow of Revenge novel Chapter 125

Winona was Miss Thorne—she really was.

Tyson clenched his jaw, brushed off Celia's restraining hand, and strode toward Winona.

Celia tried to stop him, but her body felt frozen, powerless to move.

"Mr. Dalton."

Someone called out to him. Mr. Dalton turned and, seeing Tyson, his face lit up with fatherly warmth. "Tyson, you made it! I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to greet you properly—so much going on tonight, I hope you don't mind. Oh, right, let me introduce you. These are Mr. Rogers and Miss Thorne."

Lately, Mr. Dalton had been so absorbed in planning his birthday party that he hadn't heard about the rift between Elvis and Tyson.

"Mr. Rogers and…Miss Thorne?" Tyson's voice was hoarse, scraping out the words as his gaze landed on Winona. Too many emotions flickered in his eyes to name.

Winona gave him a fleeting, indifferent glance.

To her, he was just another guest at the party—no different from anyone else in the room.

Even faced with her cold detachment, Tyson couldn't tear his eyes away. Mr. Dalton, puzzled by Tyson's behavior, began to feel uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, hoping to snap Tyson out of it.

But Tyson seemed deaf to the world, ignoring the hint entirely.

"Mr. Goodwin."

Elvis spoke up, his tone edged with warning. "We meet again."

The words jolted Tyson back to reality.

He swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing as he kept his eyes fixed on Winona. "Miss Thorne, would you mind stepping outside for a word?"

His voice was soft, almost pleading—he didn't seem to realize how desperate he sounded.

Tyson summoned what was left of his composure and turned to Mr. Dalton. "Mr. Dalton, I haven't wished you a happy birthday yet…"

He meant to say more, but his mind was a fog, and only those two words came out. "Happy birthday."

Before Mr. Dalton could reply, Tyson turned away, dazed, and drifted back to where he'd been standing.

Celia looked even more shell-shocked than he did.

Jared was doing marginally better, just now recovering from his own surprise.

"Tyson, that—that's Winona? Your girlfriend? She's really Miss Thorne? Damn, doesn't that mean…"

He almost blurted out, "Doesn't that mean you're set for life?" After all, the Thorne family was one of the four major dynasties in the capital. If Tyson married her, Goodwin Enterprises would soar.

But the words died on his lips as he realized just how wrong the situation had become.