Chapter 225: Chapter 225: An Unexpected Ally

Hearing this, Zara Walsh’s face instantly turned crimson with rage.

In that moment, she felt all the composure and pride she normally flaunted evaporate. She had to teach Melody Summers a lesson!

She shot up from her seat, took two or three steps to stand before Melody Summers, and reached out to grab her hair.

The situation escalated so suddenly that Melody Summers slipped a hand into her pocket and pulled a taser out from her spatial storage.

Her current taser was a modified one. If Zara Walsh’s hand got any closer, she was ready to fry it to a crisp.

In a corner no one was paying attention to, Lucy White, who had been focused on her food, suddenly stood up. She took two steps forward to stand beside Melody Summers, watching Zara Walsh warily.

But before Zara Walsh’s hand could touch Melody Summers, Yuri Walsh swiftly intercepted it.

Yuri Walsh hissed, "Zara! What are you doing? This is the research institute’s celebration banquet. Are you really going to make a scene here?"

Kylie Walsh also stood up anxiously. She walked over, grabbing Zara Walsh’s arm. "Calm down! Don’t cause trouble here!"

Zara Walsh sobered up a little at their words. She gritted her teeth and glared at Melody Summers, trying to suppress the rage in her heart.

But Melody Summers just let out a snort of laughter. "Tsk, is this the ’table manners’ you were talking about earlier? Does your family’s etiquette teach you to attack people at the dinner table? If so, I’ve certainly seen it all now..."

Seeing Melody Summers’s mocking smile, the anger Zara had just barely suppressed flared up again.

Blocked by Yuri, she couldn’t get to Melody. So, she leaned over and snatched a half-full glass of champagne from the table. With a flick of her wrist, she flung the contents at Melody Summers.

In a flash, Lucy White darted forward and stood in front of Melody Summers, shielding her from the incoming champagne.

Seeing that Zara was about to lose it completely and that other guests were starting to look over, Yuri and Kylie Walsh hastily dragged her out of the banquet hall.

Melody paid no mind to the departing Walshs. She looked at Lucy White, surprised, not understanding why she would take the splash for her.

Noticing the champagne stain on Lucy’s dress, Melody quickly pulled out a few tissues and began to dab at it for her.

Fortunately, it had only been half a glass, so the wet spot wasn’t very large.

Melody looked at Lucy with a guilty expression. "Thank you for helping me. I’m sorry you got dragged into this... How much was your dress? Let me pay for it."

But Lucy White just shook her head. She whispered to Melody Summers, a little agitated, "No, you don’t have to pay..."

Lucy added silently, ’I should be the one thanking you.’

What Melody didn’t know was that on the second basement level of The Crestview Hotel, Lucy White had personally seen Melody walk into the room where Nina Summers was being held captive.

Melody didn’t look like one of the prostitutes at The Crestview Hotel. Confused, Lucy had quietly followed her.

The doors to those small rooms weren’t very soundproof. Pressing her ear against the door, Lucy faintly heard words like "call the police" coming from inside.

Lucy’s heart instantly started pounding. After returning to her room, she began to pray desperately that those words were real...

Thankfully, as if heaven had taken pity, the police really did arrive a short while later.

And so, Lucy knew. The girl who had entered Nina Summers’s room that day was the one who had saved her. She was the one who had pulled her out of the depths of hell.

After leaving The Crestview Hotel, Lucy had wanted to repay her savior. But when she asked the police for information about the girl who had called them, they told her the caller’s identity had to be kept confidential.

It wasn’t until today that she had unexpectedly seen Melody Summers at the banquet.

But now wasn’t the time to talk. Lucy knew that revealing her identity could cause trouble for Melody, so she could only swallow her words of gratitude.

Under Melody’s puzzled gaze, Lucy quietly sat back down in her seat.

Seeing this, Melody didn’t press the issue and sat back down as well. She glanced around. With the three Walshs gone, there were now only four people left at their table.

’Fewer people is better. It’s quieter with fewer people,’ Melody thought. She placed a lobster on Nina Summers’s plate and said reassuringly, "Alright, go on and eat. Don’t let those people ruin your mood."

Nina Summers nodded. She first peeled a lobster and placed it on Melody’s plate, then went back to eating quietly like a little hamster.

Melody turned to Sophie Thorne and grumbled, "Those two from the Walsh family are so strange. I was just offering my well-wishes. Why did they get so worked up?"

’Do they also think making marriage their life’s goal is embarrassing? Then why do they use the threat of ’not being able to marry’ against me? Who would even care about a threat like that?!’

Melody really couldn’t understand people like them.

Sophie Thorne, however, let out a low chuckle and replied, "Your ’well-wishes’ really struck a nerve. You probably don’t know, but those two..."

Leaning close to Melody’s ear, Sophie briefly explained how Kylie Walsh had pursued Roman Rhodes for years to no avail, and how Zara Walsh had failed in her attempt to force Zane Simmons into marriage.

Melody’s eyes widened in realization. "No wonder... So they really do see marriage as their life’s dream... It’s no surprise they got angry..."

Then she shook her head, a little exasperated. "This world is like one giant matchmaking market... With all the relentless effort they put into chasing men, what couldn’t they succeed at...?"

Especially Kylie Walsh, chasing Roman Rhodes for so many years. The thought alone was mind-boggling to Melody.

Melody thought that while Officer Roman Rhodes was handsome and from a wealthy family, he was far too serious and spoke in such a rigid, formal way. Living under the same roof with someone like him would most likely become suffocating over time...

Sophie’s eyes flickered. She asked, a little tentatively, "Melody... have you never considered marriage for yourself?"

Chewing on her lobster, Melody answered indistinctly, "I’ve considered it... and the conclusion I came to was to stay far away from it."

Melody’s childhood had been spent under the shadow of Winnie Summers’s marriage: a weak, cheating husband, harsh and unreasonable in-laws, and endless verbal abuse and arguments...

Melody couldn’t see the point or value in marriage and didn’t want to end up in a similar situation.

Melody’s answer was decisive. Sophie silently shook her head. ’Looks like there’s another Walsh fated to have their love go unrequited,’ she thought. ’Yuri Walsh’s feelings for Melody are plain as day, but Melody doesn’t seem to have the slightest interest...’

Just then, a man’s voice suddenly came from behind them. "Nina Summers! Why are you still here? Didn’t I tell you to wait for me in the underground garage!"

Nina Summers turned around at the sound of his voice and saw Winston Sheffield with a foul expression on his face.

Winston Sheffield had been thoroughly snubbed during his networking attempts tonight. He originally thought it would be a great opportunity to discuss collaborations and expand his connections, but to his surprise, no one here paid him any attention!

The wealthy guests gathered together, discussing the current situation and national policies. He tried multiple times to join their conversations, but the moment he opened his mouth, the atmosphere would go cold. The influential figures he tried to curry favor with wouldn’t even acknowledge his toasts.

Winston Sheffield felt utterly humiliated and didn’t want to stay a moment longer.

Now, seeing Nina Summers just eating by herself, he became furious. "Alright, stop eating! I promised my parents I’d take you home. Let’s go!"