Whispers and pointing fingers rippled through the crowd below the stage.
"Miss Grayson looks like a goddess. How could President Lockwood fall for a wet-behind-the-ears little brat?"
"No matter how sweet the rose at home, shit in the wild smells sweeter—but only if you’ve never tasted it."
"The old saying is true. Never go through hardship with a man. You won’t necessarily get a happy ending, just a heart-wrenching betrayal."
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Vesper Grayson calmly watched the farce unfold. ’She couldn’t just brush off his betrayal. This revenge was simply her way of claiming the justice she was owed.’
She rose and quietly exited, shutting out the clamor and humiliation behind her.
Little did she know, shortly after she left, several people in police uniforms strode into the banquet hall, their cold voices cutting through the noise.
"Ivy Joyce, you are a suspect in a case involving hiring others to rape Vesper Grayson and record the act. You need to come with us to cooperate with the investigation!"
All the color drained from Ivy Joyce’s face. She adamantly denied it. "I didn’t! It wasn’t me! You’ve got the wrong person!"
The police officer’s expression was blank, his every word landing with heavy force. "The three men you hired have all given full confessions. They detailed how you incited them and arranged everything. We also have the corresponding bank transfer records and chat logs. The evidence is conclusive."
Ivy Joyce’s legs went weak, and she nearly collapsed. She frantically grabbed the arm of Luke Lockwood beside her, babbling incoherently. "Luke, they’re framing me! It was Vesper Grayson who set me up! I didn’t..."
Before she could finish, Luke swung his hand back and slapped her viciously across the face. The crisp sound of the slap exploded through the bustling banquet hall, silencing all discussion.
Overwhelming fury and disgust churned in his eyes. Each word was laced with ice as he ground it out through clenched teeth, "You bitch. How dare you touch her? How dare you hurt her!"
’He was filled with immense regret for being bewitched by this vicious bitch and betraying Vesper.’
The slap was so forceful that Ivy’s head snapped to the side. Blood immediately beaded at the corner of her lip. Her makeup was a wreck, smeared by tears and the imprint of his hand. The hand clutching his sleeve slid weakly away.
The surrounding noise died for a split second before erupting into an even greater uproar. Contemptuous gazes stabbed at Ivy like needles.
An officer stepped forward, and a pair of ice-cold handcuffs snapped onto her wrists. The metallic chill sent a shiver through her entire body.
"Take her away."
As Ivy Joyce was dragged away, she wailed and struggled, her makeup-streaked face an unrecognizable, wretched mess.
On stage, Luke Lockwood stood frozen. When he finally came to his senses, he bolted from the hotel without a second thought.
’He had to find Vesper!’
...
「The plane landed in Northolme at three in the afternoon.」
She took a taxi back to the Grayson family’s suburban villa.
She hadn’t been back in three years, but it was just as opulent and magnificent as she remembered.
She was standing before the large, carved gate, about to ring the doorbell, when a car drove up and stopped beside her.
The window rolled down, revealing Gwen Grayson’s delicate and proper face, her eyes filled with undisguised schadenfreude.
"Well, well, if it isn’t my dear sister who ran off without a word in pursuit of true love. You finally decided to grace this house with your presence? What’s wrong? Didn’t bring your boyfriend back for a grand return? Or did you get dumped and come crawling back with your tail between your legs?"
"It’s been three years. How have you not matured at all? Your mouth is so foul, it’s like you just drank toilet water."
Gwen’s face turned livid with anger.
"You’re a bastard, Vesper Grayson! You’re the one with the foul mouth! Your whole family has foul mouths!"
Vesper’s lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
"Impressive. So fierce you even curse yourself."
The carved gate swung open. She averted her gaze and pushed her suitcase inside.
Gwen, after processing the insult, ground her teeth in fury. She slammed her car door shut and hurried after her.
"Vesper Grayson, you stop right there! I dare you to say that again!"
Ever since they were little, Gwen had always been at odds with her. Perhaps it was because their father favored Vesper, which made Gwen feel resentful and compelled to compete with her in everything.
"What is all this shouting? Have you no sense of decorum!"
Hearing the commotion, Joyce Rivers walked out. She froze for a moment upon seeing Vesper.
"Vesper, you’re back."
Her tone was lukewarm, hardly enthusiastic.
Vesper greeted her politely, "Miss Joyce."
Joyce Rivers nodded. "Your father is in the study. You should go see him."
Behind her, Joyce began to scold her daughter.
"A young lady shouldn’t be yelling and screaming. Is this how I’ve taught you to behave?"
"Mom, she went too far! She provoked me on purpose!"
Vesper took her suitcase to her bedroom before heading to the study.
"Dad."
Milton Grayson looked up with a gentle smile. "You’re back?"
"Yes."
"Is everything over there taken care of?"
"Yes."
"Now that you’re back, don’t think about anything else. As for the Hawthorne family... let’s just let nature take its course."
The Hawthornes of Northolme were a top-tier powerhouse. Countless families were scrambling for a chance to marry into their ranks.
Years ago, he and Vesper had coincidentally saved Master Hawthorne when he suffered a sudden medical emergency. Who would have thought that the old man would later take the initiative to propose a marriage, wanting Vesper to marry into the Hawthorne family.
At the time, he had been so giddy with this heaven-sent opportunity that he had presumptuously agreed to the engagement without ever asking for Vesper’s opinion.
When Vesper left without a word three years ago, he had personally visited Master Hawthorne the very next day to apologize. Although Master Hawthorne didn’t say a single harsh word, he couldn’t miss the oppressive atmosphere, the undisguised fury and displeasure emanating from him.
Worse, word of the incident got out, and everyone assumed the Grayson Family had offended the Hawthorne Family. For a time, the Grayson Corporation’s business partnerships were frequently obstructed, and many old clients implicitly kept their distance. Their business suffered considerably.
Fortunately, the Hawthornes never took direct action against the Graysons. When others saw that the Hawthornes remained inactive, the Grayson Corporation’s business slowly began to recover.
Vesper gazed at the white hairs that had quietly appeared at Milton Grayson’s temples, and her nose suddenly stung. "Dad, you don’t blame me? For being so willful and messing everything up?"
"It’s not entirely your fault. I was the one who ignored your feelings. Is there any grudge between a father and daughter that can last overnight?"
"Dad, I will personally visit the Hawthorne family to apologize."
Vesper’s gaze was steady. "Even if the Hawthornes no longer wish to proceed with this marriage, I should be the one to make up for the impact the Grayson family suffered because of me."
"That’s something to be planned carefully. You just got back. Go to your room and rest first."
’It seems her time away has helped her mature. She’s much more composed now.’
...
Back in her room, Vesper received a call from an unknown number.
After a few seconds of hesitation, she answered.
"Hello?"
"Sister Vesper, it’s me, Dolly Hughes."
Vesper remembered her. She was a young receptionist at The Lockwood Group, a very enthusiastic girl.
"Oh, Dolly. Is something wrong?"
"Sister Vesper, the representative from Zenith came to Zephyr this afternoon. When President Lockwood found out you sold your shares to Zenith, he went ballistic on the spot! He’s sending people everywhere to find you. You have to hide well and make sure that huge scumbag doesn’t find you!"
Vesper chuckled. "Aren’t you afraid he’ll find out you tipped me off and take it out on you?"
"I’m not scared! The worst he can do is fire me, and I’ll just quit! I noticed something was off between him and Ivy Joyce a long time ago. I thought she was just shamelessly trying to seduce President Lockwood, but I never expected... Ptooey! And he kept up that whole act of being so devoted. It’s disgusting."
’It was true. Luke Lockwood’s image as a deeply devoted man was so convincing that even she, the woman who had shared his bed for three years, hadn’t noticed anything was wrong. How could anyone else have known?’
After hanging up, she ejected the SIM card from her phone and flushed it down the toilet.
’Since I’ve decided to let go, I need to make a clean break from everything in Ashmore!’