Darren took a step forward, and his towering figure loomed over Karen. His brooding, dark eyes looked over at her with a sharp gleam. He said casually, "You've slandered and accused Hannah several times—shamelessly casting dirt on her name. Did you really think the Winchesters are easy to bully?" "Darren..." Karen's eyes widened suddenly, and tears welled up in them. She shook her head and held back her tears. "It's not true. It's not like that." The person she had longed for was now standing before her. He looked at her so seriously, his dark pupils reflecting her image. Yet, sadly, all his attention on her was because of another woman. This realization caused a sharp pain in Karen's heart. It made her nearly vomit blood. She didn't understand how things had come to this. Her eyes were red, and she bit her lip with a pitiful look. She whispered, "Darren, don't let her deceive you. Where there's smoke, there's fire. She's..." "Enough!" Darren's dem
"Robert."Karen's eyes lit up. She swerved around hastily and heaved a sigh of relief. Instinctively, she scooted closer to Robert and hid behind him. Her face was ashen as she grabbed onto his arm. She couldn't be bothered about her smeared makeup. In a quavering voice, she muttered, "You're… You're finally here."Hannah raised a brow. During their previous encounters, she took note of Karen's disdain toward Robert. Yet, it seemed like she completely trusted him now. She was even relying on him. This was strange. If it weren't for her still fawning over Darren and the fact that there wasn't any hint of affection in her eyes when she looked at Robert, Hannah would nearly think she'd finally come back to her senses and fall for him. Given her current mental state, it wasn't exactly wise of her to trust a viper like Robert. Clearly, she was putting herself at stake. Meanwhile, a hint of contempt flickered across Robert's eyes when he saw how devastated she was. Still, he ke
Robert lifted his hand, pulled Karen, and whispered tenderly, "Karen, I'd appreciate it if you trusted me. There's no need to get mad over someone else's comments."Not everyone is capable of recognizing the truth in this world."He pushed his glasses up, and continued suggestively, "Those who are kind and educated take no notice of others' insults and accusations. As long as we ignore them, we won't be affected. Only those who have a guilty conscience will take these personally."Clearly, he was implying that Darren, who wanted to hold Karen responsible for accusing Hannah last time, had a guilty conscience.No one was gullible enough to ignore Robert's provocative remark. They all understood what he was trying to say. Despite his words, he seemed quite apologetic, as if he was just reminded of their confrontation earlier. He apologized sheepishly, "Darren, I'm sorry. I didn't mean you and Hannah were… I-I just hope Karen feels better…"He made an excellent example of making
As Hannah moved about, her locks swirled elegantly along her movements.With a smile, she quipped in a gentle, yet suggestive manner, "Mr. Wilfare, please bear with me."Robert was dumbfounded. Feeling flustered, he adjusted his glasses in a quick flick. "Hannah, calm down."Though he managed to maintain the composure in his tone, a hint of fury flickered across his eyes. Initially, he stood up for Karen to show how willing he was to protect her. Little did he expect Hannah to act so unruly and resort to violence immediately. Needless to say, he was extremely irritated. Since everyone was still watching, he mustered his best efforts to keep his emotions in check. He forced a smile, and continued gently, "Hannah, I assume we're all educated and civilized, and there's no need to make things ugly, right? It's all just a misunderstanding, and let's just talk it out slowly—"Before he could continue, he was silenced by another slap. "Sorry, but I don't think there was a misunder
Darren's eyes sparkled with glee. Enveloping Hannah's fingers in his hand, he answered, "Alright."He knew she was never a cruel person. She stood firmly by her own principles, and she upheld them stubbornly. She despised tricks, and she'd rather navigate her way through with justice. She thought victories only belonged to those who earned them through effort. Never would she opt for shortcuts or underlying schemes. Instead, she would strike right at her opponent, just like what she did to the Moores. Once she found out their weak spot, they were done for. Or, she'd rather punch the ones she loathed in their faces. Though she'd find a way to counterattack, it was rare for her to destroy Robert's ego with such harsh words. It was then Darren realized that she was furious. His smile deepened. She wasn't angry because Karen offended her, nor was it because of how annoying Robert was. Instead, she was infuriated for his sake. Upon this realization, he felt a swelter of warmth
Karen yanked his hand away, screeching hysterically, "Did you really become a coward when she called you one? How could you invite them to our wedding after she'd insulted and slapped you? Are you a masochist?"Her face was burning in shame. Despite being slapped and insulted by Hannah, her fiancé, Robert, still had the heart to invite them to their wedding. He wasn't even trying to fight back. This was embarrassing. As a socialite, she'd always been proud of herself and deemed herself superior to others in both her local and overseas social circles. It was impossible for her to handle such humiliation. "Karen, Darren is my family."Though a flicker of annoyance glinted in Robert's eyes, he masked it away and put on a pained expression. Cradling Karen in his arms, he endured her attacks and murmured, "I don't have any family members left, and I really don't want to have none of them present at our wedding. It's a significant moment for us."He dropped his gaze in sorrow, see
Hannah took no notice of their puzzled gazes. She raised her glass and gestured to take her leave. "Sorry, please excuse me.""Take your time, Ms. Emerson."The Winchester and Sorsby families were extremely powerful. Despite the thoughts that might've crossed their minds, they looked perfectly composed. They smiled, parting a path for Hannah to pass by. She smiled, gliding her way through elegantly, and stopped before Diana. Diana raised a brow. Her gaze swept past Hannah, and she suddenly giggled. Extending her hand, she said, "Thanks for gracing me with your presence, Ms. Emerson."Hannah didn't respond. Instead, she placed her hand in Diana's, nobly accepting her invitation. She seemed quite pleased as she joined Diana in a vacant corner. Now that they were isolated from the clamor in the banquet hall, Diana sighed. "Everyone's swooning over you, Ms. Emerson," she teased, chuckling as she leaned against the wall languorously. "You have everyone's attention wherever yo
Sometimes, Diana felt like a fool. Her mind was probably preoccupied with those ridiculous thoughts because love was getting to her head.Nonetheless, she thought she was out of her mind. Perhaps it was about time for her to visit a therapist. "Ms. Sorsby."Just then, a calm and soothing voice snapped her back to her senses. With her tranquil gaze fixated on Diana, Hannah worded her reply carefully."It's impossible to fully understand someone else's perspective. After all, you're the only one who could completely understand your feelings."I might not be able to help you much, but I figured…"She smiled, looking right into Diana's eyes as she stated, "You should never, ever, doubt yourself."If Diana felt like something was off, she was probably right. Since she had a hunch, she should believe in herself and explore ahead. Hannah was intrigued. She couldn't help but wonder whether it was possible for the characters in this world to free themselves from the plot without her