Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Too Inappropriate

Mr. Rhodes shuddered at his words, so startled his dentures nearly flew out of his mouth. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

He pointed a trembling finger at Roman Rhodes and stammered, "You... you... are you...?"

Roman Rhodes regretted asking the moment the words left his mouth. Seeing Mr. Rhodes’s over-the-top reaction, he quickly said, "I was just asking. It’s nothing. I’ll be going now!"

Seeing Roman about to turn and leave, Mr. Rhodes snapped out of it. He called out anxiously, "Wait! Don’t go!"

He then quickly turned, opened the huanghuali wood cabinet behind him, took out the box containing the sapphire brooch, and handed it to Roman with a trembling hand.

Mr. Rhodes wanted to ask Roman what he planned to do with the brooch, but he swallowed the words before they could escape.

After all, the higher the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Mr. Rhodes felt he couldn’t take any more excitement.

He could only look at Roman with expectant eyes, hoping he would give him some good news.

Under Mr. Rhodes’s fervent gaze, Roman didn’t dare to linger. He took the brooch and left.

After Roman left, Mr. Rhodes hastily called his grandson, Ronan Rhodes, into the room.

As Ronan watched in confusion, Mr. Rhodes gripped his hand tightly and asked anxiously, "Do you know what your uncle has been up to lately?"

Ronan thought his grandfather was still upset about Roman not coming home. He quickly replied, "Uncle has practically been living at the police station since he got out of the hospital. Grandpa, he’s just really busy, not avoiding coming home on purpose."

Otherwise, Roman wouldn’t have entrusted him with delivering things to the Summers Family.

Mr. Rhodes frowned at this. "Living at the police station? ... Has he been getting particularly close to any of the women there?"

Ronan was even more confused. "H-How would I know that? Grandpa, I don’t live at the police station either."

Mr. Rhodes narrowed his eyes. He leaned close to Ronan and whispered in his ear with the utmost seriousness, "Your uncle just asked for that sapphire brooch... Do you think he’s taken a fancy to some young lady!?"

At this possibility, Mr. Rhodes’s heart pounded with excitement. His once slightly cloudy eyes grew clear, and he looked invigorated, his gaze shining brightly.

The thing that worried him most in life was his eldest son’s marriage; it had become an obsession. If Roman really intended to live his life alone, Mr. Rhodes felt he wouldn’t be able to rest in peace.

Hearing this, Ronan sucked in a sharp breath—

It felt as if a bolt from the blue had struck him right on the head.

He remembered back at the hospital, how Roman had said he had no appetite but still finished the entire meal box the Summers women had brought...

He thought about how, recently, Roman had meticulously instructed him on all the various supplies to be sent to the Summers Family...

He thought about how Roman had overcome all obstacles to help the Summers Family get their handgun permits...

He thought about how, just a moment ago, Roman had insisted he send bodyguards to follow Melody Summers and Sophie Thorne...

And now, Roman had taken the sapphire brooch Mr. Rhodes had prepared for his future eldest daughter-in-law...

All the clues from this period suddenly connected—

’Ronan was certain: Roman must have fallen for Melody Summers!’

Seeing Ronan’s thunderstruck expression, Mr. Rhodes frowned. "What’s wrong with you? Why that look on your face? You rascal, you know something, don’t you?!"

When Ronan didn’t answer, Mr. Rhodes grew anxious and shook him. "What is it you know? Hurry up and tell me! Has your uncle really taken a liking to some girl?"

But no matter how Mr. Rhodes pressed him, Ronan’s gaze remained unfocused. He just muttered, "How is that possible..."

’Ronan was trying to map out the relationships in his head. Okay, my uncle is pursuing my wife’s best friend.’

’If my uncle succeeds, then my wife’s best friend will become my aunt.’

’And in a way, my uncle and I will be... brothers-in-law?’

Ronan suddenly felt dizzy. ’This is so weird! This is way too weird!’

******

Meanwhile, Melody Summers and Sophie Thorne arrived at the Nimbus Hotel.

The temperature outside was low, approaching freezing, but the heating inside the Nimbus Hotel was more than adequate.

A wave of warm air greeted them the moment they stepped inside. The two of them took off their heavy coats, revealing elegant cocktail dresses underneath.

Sophie Thorne linked arms with Melody Summers, and they gracefully entered the banquet hall. A good number of guests had already arrived and were chatting in small groups.

Yuri Walsh, a member of the Walsh family, was standing at the entrance helping to greet guests. His eyes lit up when he saw Melody and Sophie approach. He came forward to welcome them. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, ladies. Please, find a seat. The banquet will begin shortly."

Sophie and Melody smiled and nodded at Yuri, then chose a quiet spot to sit down.

They had just sat down when Sophie spotted a familiar face. She tugged on Melody’s arm in surprise and pointed toward a few people in front of the terrace garden. "Look at that group... Isn’t the one in the white dress Sylvia Lancaster?"

Melody followed Sophie’s finger with her gaze and was also taken aback for a moment—it really was Sylvia Lancaster!

Unlike her usual innocent and pure look, today Sylvia was wearing a more mature dress. It was made of silk satin and adorned with pearls, looking incredibly expensive.

Standing beside Sylvia were Lily Adler and Hector Hayes. The family of three was chatting with two young men.

Because they were some distance away, Melody couldn’t hear what they were talking about.

Sophie said, looking puzzled, "Did they only bring Sylvia? I don’t see Clara Hayes. Did she not come?"

What they didn’t notice was that Clara Hayes was sitting in another corner of the banquet hall.

Unlike Sylvia, who was dressed in a gorgeous, well-fitting, and elegant gown, Clara’s dress seemed ill-fitting and a bit old-fashioned.

The dress she had originally chosen had been "accidentally" sent to the cleaners by the maid. Her other suitable dresses also had issues for one reason or another, leaving her with only a few ill-fitting, outdated options.

Clara knew this was all Lily Adler’s doing.

Ever since Sylvia’s identity was made public, Lily and her daughter had been openly and secretly sabotaging Clara, who had suffered immensely.

Lily Adler, in particular, appeared gentle and considerate on the surface but was actually ruthless and cruel.

Her repertoire of petty, torturous tricks, honed in the backstabbing world of wealthy households, was impossible for Clara to guard against.

Clara herself was no saint. She had been a school bully since elementary school, tormenting several classmates to the point where they dropped out or even attempted suicide.

But her methods—using her status to form cliques and bully others—were pathetically childish and ineffective against Lily Adler!

Thinking of this, Clara gritted her teeth. The grievances she had suffered recently were more than she had endured in her entire life. She wished she could drag Sylvia and Lily down with her!

Suppressing the urge to walk over and slap Sylvia across the face, Clara rubbed her temples and chugged two large gulps of the champagne in her hand.

The sharp, stinging liquid burned its way down her throat, jolting her stomach and her mind.

Clara looked up at the happy family of three by the terrace, her sense of grievance and rage amplified by the alcohol.

She knew Hector Hayes and Lily Adler were sparing no effort to introduce Sylvia to promising young heirs. If things went well, Sylvia would secure an excellent marriage.

’Clara wanted to go stand by Hector’s side, but then she glanced down at her own ill-fitting, old-fashioned dress. ’Right now, if I stood next to Sylvia, I’d just be a foil, making her shine even brighter...’

Clara angrily tightened her grip on her glass. ’All I can do now is pray that Ethan Sutton sticks to the plan and doesn’t drop the ball!’

’I’m going to teach that mother-daughter pair a harsh lesson and completely destroy any chance Sylvia has of marrying into another wealthy family!’

But what she didn’t know yet was that Ethan Sutton would not be appearing at this banquet. She would never see him again for the rest of her life...