Chapter 63
Tessacalmly took a sip of champagne, placing her glass gently on the table.
“Do you have any evidence?” she asked, her gare steady on Wendy.
Wendy snorted coldly. “Exidence? Of course! The evidence is in your bag. Just let us check your bag”
Η
A curious crowd had gathered, eager to see the dransa amfold
Tessa rarely attended banquets like these, where only a few filends from her social circle and family acquaintances knew her. Most of thertown’s high society had no idea who she was:
The purpose of Uriah hosting this banquet was to formally introduce her to livertown’s upper–class social circle, after all
As the crowd grew larger, Wendy’s eyes sparkled with triumph. “Everyone, come and judge for yourselves. This young lady here stole my bracelet and refuses to admit it.”
Vanis chimed in from the sidelines, eagerly escalating the situation. “Ha! just now you were talking so much about not stealing or cheating. And now you’ve stooped to that?
“It’s just a bracelet. If you wanted it that badh, Wendy could have given it to you as charity. Why lower yourself to stealing? How shameless can you be for someone who calls hersell a young lady?
Still bitter about Tessa’s earlier mocking of her dependence on her husband’s money, Yanis seized the moment to hurt every insult she could muster.
“Look at you,” she sneered. “You used to be so desperate to marry my son. Did you ever consider whether you were good enough? Thankfully, have a sharp eye for people and didn’t let you into our family
“A pauper is a pauper, no matter how you dress yourself up–or if you sneak into an upper–class banquet. Your sticky fingers will always betray your roots!”
The crowd murmured amongst themselves.
“Who would have thought? She’s so pretty but is a thief”
“Exactly. Never judge a book by its cover”
“It’s such a disgrace. With a face like that, she could easily find a wealthy man. Why come to a banquet to steal?”
“Poor people are just like that. They can’t control themselves when they see something valuable”
“I heard she’s a housekeeper’s daughter. No wonder she turned out like this. That’s how poverty leaves its mark.”
As the voices around her swirled with gossip and judgment, Wendy’s smile deepened. The more they whispered, the more confident she felt.
“If you didn’t steal it, then hand over your bag and let me search it. What’s there to be afraid of if you’re innocent?
Meanwhile, Uriah and Stephen had just wrapped up their important discussion with the foreign couple.
Stephen excused himself to use the restroom, leaving Uriah to accompany the couple out. On the way, Uriah ran into Zachary
“Mr. Somerton, we’ve crossed paths before,” Zachary said with a police smile.
Unah frowned slightly, unable to place him. “And you are?
Zachary’s face showed a flicker of awkwardness before he quickly introduced himself. Uriah’s expression flickered with recognition as he responded with polite remarks.
Zachary handed him a gin. “Mr. Somerton, I heard your cousin is getting engaged. Congratulations. This is a gift for her engagement ”
Though ostensibly a gift for Uriah’s cousin, this gesture was aimed at earning Uriah’s favor. By handing it over directly, Zachary ensured that Uriah knew he had sent the gift, ping the way for potential future collaborations.
Uriah, accustomed to such flattery, had initially dismissed Zachary as unremarkable. He had planned to exchange a few perfunctory words and move on, but the thoughtful presentation of the gift piqued his interest.
Accepting the gift box, Uriah said, “That’s thoughtful of you. On behalf of my cousin, thank you.”
His gaze toward Zachary softened slightly. “She’s downstairs in the banquet hall. Let me take you there so you can give it to her in person. After all, it’s her engagement güt.”
Delivering the gini through Uriah’s cousin turned out to be the perfect move.
With a bright smile, he said, “Thank you, Mr. Somerton. I shall follow your lead”
