Chapter 143: Chapter 143: No Need to Try So Hard

Wendy Rhodes bit her lip hard, unable to believe that Cecilia Croft and Sebastian Hawthorne were actually engaged.

"Cecilia, you and Sebastian..."

She started to ask, but the words died on her lips, not daring to press further.

If Cecilia had given her a straight answer right then and there, she would have been the one left in an awkward position.

She took a deep breath and changed the subject.

"You and Sebastian seem to get along so well."

Jasmine Vance shot her a contemptuous glance. "Whether they do or not, what’s it to you?"

Wendy Rhodes’s expression soured at Jasmine Vance’s sharp retort. Just as she was about to fire back, the voice of the Grant family’s eldest daughter, Giselle Grant, rang out.

"It’s so lively in here today."

Wendy Rhodes’s attention was drawn over, and she immediately got up and walked toward them.

"Cousin, Giselle, what took you so long?"

Giselle Grant glanced at Wendy Rhodes before turning to Jade Golding with a smirk, her eyes glinting with obvious mockery.

"Cousin? Jade, when did you get a new cousin?"

A smile played on Jade Golding’s lips as she replied in a gentle tone.

"She likes to call me that. What can I do?"

Giselle Grant chuckled, clearly not taking Wendy Rhodes seriously at all.

Wendy Rhodes’s aunt had been the other woman for Jade Golding’s father for years. Even though she finally married him, she was still looked down upon in their circle.

Yet Wendy Rhodes was desperate to break into their circle, so she could only swallow her pride and endure the humiliation.

Giselle Grant linked her arm with Jade Golding’s and walked past Wendy Rhodes. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Jade Golding’s gaze drifted over to where Cecilia Croft was sitting.

The moment she looked over, the young socialites sitting on the long sofa with Cecilia Croft and Jasmine Vance all stood up in a silent, coordinated movement to greet her.

"Miss Golding, Miss Grant."

Jade Golding nodded with a smile.

Giselle Grant, however, looked down on this kind of behavior. ’No backbone at all,’ she thought, ’just a bunch of sycophants trying to curry favor.’

But then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed two people who hadn’t stood up, which she found rather novel.

She knew the young miss of the Vance family.

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was the only daughter the Vance family had produced in generations, and she had been doted on and spoiled her entire life.

But the other one, she didn’t recognize.

However, the outfit she was wearing was very familiar.

"Jade, didn’t you say you’d already secured that dress? Why is she wearing it now?"

Giselle Grant gestured for Jade Golding to look at Cecilia Croft.

Wendy Rhodes saw her chance to join the conversation and hurried forward, speaking in a low voice.

"Giselle, you probably don’t know her. She’s the second daughter of the Croft family, Cecilia Croft. She was my high school classmate."

"Sebastian was the one who brought her."

As she spoke, she glanced cautiously at Jade Golding.

The smile on Jade Golding’s face remained unchanged, perfectly composed.

Giselle Grant, on the other hand, was a little surprised.

She had been back in the country for five years, but she had never seen Sebastian Hawthorne bring a woman to this kind of banquet. Her gaze on Cecilia Croft now held a hint of non-malicious appraisal.

Cecilia Croft noticed Giselle Grant’s gaze and gave her a slight smile in acknowledgment.

Giselle Grant raised an eyebrow, surprised that Cecilia Croft could remain so calm and composed, not even bothering to come over and flatter them.

’After all,’ she thought, ’given the Croft family’s current situation, they wouldn’t even have the chance to sit at the same table with us.’

Seeing Giselle Grant looking at Cecilia Croft with such interest, Jade Golding said with a smile,

"Sebastian wanted it, so I had to let him have it. Who knew it would end up being worn by Miss Croft?"

Giselle Grant murmured an "Oh," and said lightly, "I heard President Croft and Sebastian Hawthorne were classmates."

Jade Golding nodded. "Mm, I think so. I’m not too sure, I haven’t had much contact with them."

Wendy Rhodes chimed in from the side, "Then she probably used the connection between Ruby Croft and Sebastian to ask him to borrow the gown from you, cousin."

’That would explain why Cecilia Croft looked so uncomfortable earlier when she was trying to deny having any connection to Sebastian Hawthorne.’

’And why Sebastian Hawthorne looked so annoyed when he was talking to Jasmine Vance.’

’So that’s it. Cecilia Croft was piggybacking on Ruby Croft’s connection as Sebastian’s classmate to get close to him.’

’Sebastian was probably just being polite for Ruby Croft’s sake, and didn’t want to expose Cecilia’s intentions.’

Giselle Grant let out a soft laugh, amused by Wendy Rhodes’s bizarre chain of logic.

’Who did she think Sebastian Hawthorne was?’

’As if he would humble himself to borrow a dress from Jade Golding for Cecilia Croft just because of some vague, flimsy connection to an old classmate.’

’Was it because he couldn’t afford it himself, or because he didn’t have the exclusive privilege to get the dress?’

’No wonder the Rhodes family didn’t think much of Wendy Rhodes.’

’She was just too stupid.’

’So easily misled by a few words from Jade Golding.’

Giselle Grant wasn’t in the habit of educating people, so even though she saw right through Jade Golding’s intentions, she didn’t expose them. Instead, she just smiled at Jade and said,

"Come on, let’s go sit and chat."

The Grant and Golding families still had joint projects, so their "friendly" relationship, built on mutual benefit, had to be maintained.

As for everything else...

’Might as well just enjoy the show.’

Maintaining the smile on her face, Jade Golding began to walk toward Sebastian Hawthorne.

Jasmine Vance immediately grabbed Cecilia Croft’s hand, and they also got up and headed for the sofa next to Sebastian Hawthorne.

She had heard Sebastian Hawthorne’s words loud and clear earlier.

The talk about him and Jade Golding getting engaged was nothing but baseless rumors.

’The Golding family had probably been resting on their laurels for years and were about to run their coffers dry, so they’d set their sights on the Hawthorne family.’

Jasmine Vance led Cecilia Croft over, plopped her down right next to Sebastian Hawthorne, and even gave her a little shove to push her closer to him.

Seeing his little sister causing mischief again, a flash of resignation crossed Finn Vance’s eyes. But when he saw that Sebastian Hawthorne, who’d been jostled, didn’t say anything, he could only shake his head with an indulgent smile.

The Vance family and the Golding family were, at this point, competitors.

Many of their projects and products overlapped.

Seeing the Vance family seize a significant amount of market share over the years, the Golding family had resorted to a lot of underhanded tactics behind the scenes to hinder their growth.

For now, the Vance and Golding families were only maintaining a superficial harmony. It was anyone’s guess when they would finally drop the pleasantries.

So, Finn Vance wasn’t worried that Jasmine Vance’s actions would offend Jade Golding.

’After all, she was bound to offend her sooner or later.’

’Offending her sooner might even put her on guard and prevent her from getting stabbed in the back by Jade Golding.’

Jade Golding’s original target was the spot right next to Sebastian Hawthorne.

Now, seeing Jasmine Vance lead Cecilia Croft right over to snatch her intended seat, a flash of displeasure crossed her eyes before she quickly put her smile back on, affecting an air of nonchalance.

She smiled and sat down next to Jasmine Vance, proactively greeting Sebastian Hawthorne and Finn Vance.

"Sebastian, Finn, how long have you two been here?"

Cecilia Croft was sitting sideways and got bumped by Jasmine Vance’s butt, nearly getting pushed right off the sofa.

Thankfully, Sebastian Hawthorne’s reflexes were quick. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace, saving her from falling flat on her face.

The pleasant scent of sandalwood from the man washed over her, and Cecilia Croft was so embarrassed she could die.

She just wanted to tell Jasmine Vance, ’Girl, you really don’t have to try so hard! Reel it in!’