Chapter 231: Chapter 231: She Vomits in Public
"My apologies, everyone. My daughter is quite frank—she gets that from me."
Gemma Garland said with a smile, her tone not the least bit admonishing as her daughter threw herself into a man’s arms in front of all the guests. In fact, she sounded utterly indulgent and doting.
"Vera," Felix Hawthorne called out. "Come back here."
"No, I want to stay by Wyatt’s side." Evelyn Hawthorne pulled back from Wyatt Sterling’s embrace, then affectionately linked her arm with his.
And yet, the famously cold Third Master Sterling, rumored to be completely averse to romance, never once pushed the forthright Miss Hawthorne away.
’Could it be? The happy occasion Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne mentioned is an engagement between Third Master Sterling and this Miss Hawthorne—a marriage alliance between the Sterlings and the Hawthorne Family?!’
Unseen by the crowd, Simon Sterling’s face had darkened.
He snorted. ’This son of mine... his nerve is growing by the day.’
He hadn’t heard a single word about it.
What a massive ’surprise’ this was!
In contrast to Simon Sterling’s fury, Rosalind Sawyer appeared quite composed. If it weren’t for their conversation the other night, she would have been just as shocked as the other guests.
"You knew about this all along, didn’t you?" Simon Sterling demanded coldly.
Rosalind Sawyer smiled. "If I knew, you think I wouldn’t have told you?"
Simon Sterling snorted. "You’d tell me? You and your son are two of a kind."
Rosalind Sawyer turned her face away. "Simon Sterling, what’s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to start a fight with me right here?"
If the two of them actually started arguing here, the Sterling family would be utterly humiliated tonight.
He knew how to pick his battles and immediately softened his tone. "I was just talking. Don’t take it to heart."
Rosalind Sawyer shot him a glare, reining in her temper with ease.
The butler came over and invited the couple to join the others.
Simon Sterling walked over, his teeth clenched. Rosalind Sawyer glanced back at Alice York in the corner before turning to follow him.
"Ah, my dear in-law has arrived," Xavier Hawthorne said, extending a hand.
Simon Sterling shook Xavier Hawthorne’s hand, his smile strained.
"As you can all see..." Xavier Hawthorne announced to everyone, still shaking Simon Sterling’s hand, "The double blessing I spoke of is a marriage alliance with the Sterlings. My daughter, Evelyn Hawthorne, and Wyatt Sterling are officially engaged as of tonight."
The moment he finished speaking, the guests erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Simon Sterling looked ready to grind his teeth to dust. He shot Wyatt Sterling a look, but when Wyatt met his gaze, his eyes were utterly devoid of warmth.
Evelyn Hawthorne held Wyatt Sterling’s arm tightly, nestled at his side.
Standing together, they looked like a perfect match.
"They just found their daughter and they’re already rushing her into an engagement? What are that couple thinking?"
"Look how close they are. They must have known each other for some time. I wonder if Miss Hawthorne was actually found much earlier than was reported?"
"I never expected a marriage alliance between the Hawthornes and the Sterlings. But I have to say, that Wyatt Sterling works fast. Guess my son is out of the running now."
"So that’s why Wyatt Sterling has stayed single all these years. Turns out he was waiting for Miss Hawthorne to come back," someone joked with a laugh.
"You know, they really do make a handsome couple."
The volume of these discussions was just right for Alice York, standing nearby, to hear every word.
She slowly turned around, picked up a small cake from the table, and began stuffing it into her mouth, trying to eat away the memory of what she had just seen and heard.
Her cheeks were already bulging, but she didn’t stop—not until a hand caught her wrist.
"There’s plenty of cake. You don’t need to eat it so frantically."
Alice York slowly looked up. The glittering lights reflected on Rhys Lancaster’s face. His brow was furrowed as he put a stop to her awful behavior.
"Go to the restroom and spit it out," Rhys Lancaster said.
Her cheeks were puffed out and her hair was a mess. She looked disheveled, but even that couldn’t hide her radiant beauty.
She shook her head stubbornly, trying to slowly chew and swallow. But her mouth was too full; she couldn’t swallow and began to gag on the spot.
The sudden sound of her gagging drew numerous eyes—the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne, of Miss Hawthorne and her new fiancé, and many, many more...
"What’s going on over there?" Xavier Hawthorne asked.
"I’ll go take a look." Felix Hawthorne immediately headed in their direction.
