Chapter 5

 Zoey's POV

 With my awakened werewolf's keen hearing, I could clearly hear every word of a few women gossiping together in hushed tones, as if they were whispering right in my ear.

 "I never expected Zoey, with such a bad reputation, to be engaged to Mr. Madox! Do you think she's got some dirt on Mr. Madox?"

 "Who knows! Otherwise, why would the Madox family accept a woman rumored to have had an abortion?"

 "Now, the only one left unmarried in the Madox family is Russell. Who here has any plans?"

 "Russell is so handsome, but I heard he can't have kids."

 "Russell is in charge of the Madox family. Marrying him would make you the third Mrs. Madox."

 "I'm not going. I heard Russell is as cold as an iceberg. I don't want to be frozen."

 "If Russell were to take a liking to me, I'd definitely marry him. Just for that face, I could look at it for a lifetime!"

 "Look, here comes Russell!"

 In an instant, the entire banquet hall fell silent.

 I saw Troy Crane pushing Russell, who was in a wheelchair, into the room.

 Russell was dressed in a tailored black suit, paired with a white shirt and vest, exuding an innate noble aura.

 His hands casually rested on the armrests of the wheelchair, with a string of obsidian beads wrapped around his wrists, and a black blanket draped over his legs. From the height of the blanket's bulge, his legs must be very slender.

 At this moment, I inexplicably felt a powerful Alpha aura subtly emanating from Russell, one that made people want to submit yet carried a strong sense of oppression.

 Even though he was in a wheelchair, it couldn't conceal this powerful presence.

 I couldn't help but be surprised in my heart, wondering if Russell wasn't as simple as he seemed on the surface. Perhaps he possessed some unknown strength, because in the werewolf world, only extremely powerful Alphas could have such a captivating influence.

 Looking around, the ordinary people were simply awed by his presence, while I, as an awakened werewolf, could more clearly perceive the depth and mystery of this power.

 Looking at him, I couldn't help but marvel at how noble and elegant this man was.

 Looking around, many men wore mocking expressions because rumors said he couldn't have children and without offspring to inherit the family business.

 However, everyone outwardly showed respect to Russell.

 Russell raised his hand, and Troy stopped walking.

 Nelson hurried over and said, "Russell, you've come back to the States."

 Russell responded indifferently, "The Madox family has a celebration. Of course, I have to come back."

 Nelson nodded and said, "Thanks, Russell. The ceremony is about to start. I'll go on stage first."

 Nelson turned and walked onto the stage, and the Madox family members gathered around.

 Marlene Madox said, "Russell, now that Nelson is engaged, when are you planning to go on a blind date?"

 Alonso also chimed in, "Yeah, Mr. Bender's daughter is quite nice. Why don't you meet her lately?"

 Other relatives also started chattering about this topic.

 Russell remained calm and said, "I'm not interested." This one sentence made everyone fall silent. At that moment, I seemed to feel his Alpha aura grow stronger, as if silently warning those around him not to interfere with his decisions. This intangible deterrent made me shiver.

 At this time, the host began the opening remarks. After a brief introduction, the host looked to the side of the stage and said, "Please welcome Ms. Harmon to the stage."

 I lifted my skirt and walked onto the stage, my back straight, each step graceful.

 Nelson was immediately stunned, unable to tear his eyes away.

 Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ariana, who was furious at the scene.

 The host swallowed and said, "Ms. Harmon is so fresh and elegant. Next up is the engagement ring exchange. Please welcome Ms. Harmon's sister, the famous singer and outstanding designer Ariana, to bring the engagement rings."

 Ariana forced a smile, her palm holding two small red velvet boxes as she walked onto the stage.

 At that moment, the large HD screen behind the stage automatically opened, and intimate photos appeared.

 The entire banquet hall instantly erupted in exclamations of surprise. The photos showed Nelson and Ariana.

 There were photos from their travels, romantic candlelit dinners, birthday celebrations, and concert scenes.

 The poses included kissing, hugging, and even intimate shots in bed.

 Most of these photos were taken from a selfie angle, with occasional shots by others. The expressions in the photos were natural, and they seemed immersed in happiness.

 Nelson's face turned dark, and he shouted, "Turn it off! Turn it off now!"

 Ariana's face turned pale, and the velvet box in her palm fell to the ground.

 She stared in horror, her mouth repeating, "It's not like that, it's not..."

 The staff hurried to turn off the screen, but the switch malfunctioned.

 Then, a video of a couple entwined suddenly played on the screen.

 The sounds in the video were embarrassing, echoing throughout the banquet hall.

 In the video, Nelson was holding Ariana, and their actions were intimate.