Chapter 6

Gemma signaled to Jade, but Jade pretended not to notice, almost infuriating Gemma. Trying to erase the harm Neve had caused her by casually remarking this was just kids messing around was nothing short of wishful thinking. Jade withdrew her hand, gazing coldly at Gemma.

"Neve is 20 years old already. Two years older than me. How could she not know the severity of her actions? Or does she make such mistakes because she lacks maturity?"

This shut Gemma up, making her glare daggers at Jade. How dare this little b*tch mock Neve by referring to her as a mentally immature kid?

"Mom, why are you glaring at me so fiercely? Even though I'm not your biological daughter, I've always treated you as my real mother. You wouldn't want to treat me unfairly, right?" Jade retorted.

Gemma wanted nothing more than to kill Jade for daring to threaten her openly in front of everyone. She was reluctant to ask Neve to apologize to Jade.

She looked at Melvin, as if seeking help, and Melvin, who was biased as well, intentionally changed the subject. "The banquet is about to start. Let's all take our seats now."

Everyone hesitated for a moment. but they all soon understood that Melvin intended to downplay the issue. To avoid embarrassing him, no one spoke up, and everyone headed downstairs one after another.

Jade didn't show much emotion regarding this outcome, as if she had already anticipated it.

Looking down, she stood silently in the corner, looking frail and lonely. However, her demeanor triggered a protective instinct in Caelan. No wonder she had barged into his room in such a disheveled state. No wonder she looked so distressed.

It turned out that she had been framed.

"I truly admire the Severin way of upbringing." Caelan, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.

All eyes turned to him, filled with reverence. The Fitzgeralds were one of the four major families in Wintarus, so the words of a Fitzgerald carried a lot of weight. Since Caelan had spoken, this matter wouldn't be easily dismissed.

Melvin looked at him in confusion with an awkward smile. "Mr. Fitzgerald, you must be joking. The Severins have strict rules, and I'm always fair and impartial. I never show favoritism."

"Oh, really?" Caelan smiled cryptically. "Businessmen only care about fairness. If you can't pull that off, I believe our collaboration needs to be reconsidered."

Melvin's smile froze, and he seemed to understand now. Caelan clearly intended to stand up for Jade. If he didn't provide an explanation, any future business dealings with the Fitzgerald Group might become impossible.

Finding himself in a difficult position, he decided to blame Gemma. "Look at what you've done."

Gemma, who was unable to expose Neve, had to bear the brunt of it. "Yes, it's all my fault. I believed the servants and misunderstood Jade."

Gemma, who was dept at putting on a façade, approached Jade, trying to appear warm and affectionate. "Jade, I'm sorry. It's my fault for misunderstanding you. We're a family, so we shouldn't let outsiders make a joke out of us, right?"

She held Jade's hand, but her nails dug deep into Jade's flesh, and her eyes glinted with malice.

Jade would have forgiven them benevolently in her previous life, but after being reborn and seeing the treachery of the Severins, she no longer sought humble familial affection from the Severins.

"Can a simple apology erase the harm you've caused me?" Jade withdrew her hand, gazing coldly at Gemma. She smiled and said, "Three men indeed tried to harass me. They are probably still in the neighboring room. Mom, don't you want to know how those three men got in?"