Mag-log inThough the dust had long settled and the Clemens family was unquestionably top-tier, Grandma Hawthorne had still nursed a tiny regret.
Vanclyn was far, her daughter’s new mother-in-law formidable, the son-in-law domineering. Had her girl married into the Lawrence family, James’s gentleness and Mrs. Lawrence’s kindness would have spared her every grievance—and she could visit home often.
Who could have foreseen that within a few years James would cheat, bring back a calamity who stormed the ancestral halls and reduced the Lawrence house to a battlefield, ending in tragedy.
After Rosie’s death James still shielded that scourge, insisted on making her official wife, enraging the Harrisons into cutting all ties.
For tCandicety-plus years the calamity had worn the mantle of Lawrence family matron, sowing evil wherever she stepped. the Lawrence household became a ghost-cave; old Mrs. Lawrence could only wring her hands.
Reca
The Harrison family members’ expressions subtly changed.the Hawthorne family also sat up straight.Cody glanced at Charlie, acknowledging, You really guessed it right.Denise had indeed used the birthday banquet as a chance to expose the matter in front of the Harrison family, turning the tables and sowing discord.Originally, they had thought that things were already chaotic enough, and she would have dropped this topic. But, unexpectedly, she was still fiercely biting back.Charlie’s expression remained impassive, revealing no trace of his emotions.Candice didn’t rebut either.Most of the people present, like Mr. Harrison, didn’t believe Denise’s words, but they were curious as to why she had brought up Phoebe. No smoke without fire, after all.“Candice and Phoebe… technically, they’re cousins.”Someone whispered.Candice: …This world really is humo
The air suddenly went still.Mr. Hawthorne, who had tried to grab him but was shaken off, looked awkward.But who could say Old Master Harrison was wrong? His daughter and grandson were dead, and he had to watch his son-in-law and the mistress being all lovey-dovey. Fortunately, Old Madam Harrison didn’t come; otherwise, she’d surely die of anger at the Lawrence family.Mr. Harrison’s shout had revealed the true feelings of the Harrison family.Hadn’t the Harrison family endured enough over the years?!James and Denise should have kept their tails tucked between their legs!How dare they show off their affection in front of them!Old Mrs. Lawrence couldn’t bear to face this, so she lowered her head and apologized.Meanwhile, Denise’s face had turned pale.James shook the tea off his pants and stood up. “Dad, don’t lose your temper. It was an accident back then…&rdquo
The corners of her lips held a subtle, almost teasing smile, as if she were playing with a dog.Denise: “……”Her impeccable face seemed to freeze for a moment.The crowd couldn’t help but suppress their laughter.Old Mrs. Lawrence, on the other hand, laughed openly without holding back.Denise babbled on, but the young girl’s casual response, "I’m a little sleepy, didn’t catch that," was enough to drive someone crazy. What was even worse was that she asked for a repeat, the teasing fully on display.And yet, the little girl wore an innocent expression, making it impossible for Denise to get angry.It was truly impressive.In situations like this, most people would try to navigate the two choices presented, trying to break through, but no one had thought that they should just bow to the trap set for them.But it wasn’t even enough to simply avoid it. You had to respo
Why didn’t they leave?Of course, it was because there were still some matters to resolve.Tonight, it wasn’t just one thing that needed to be settled.Old Mrs. Lawrence invited everyone to move to the main residence’s reception hall.Some things needed to be announced publicly to have the desired effect, while others had to be dealt with behind closed doors.The reception hall, which could accommodate about a hundred people, had four luxurious sets of sofas arranged in the center. The main seats facing south were reserved for Old Master Harrison and other respected elders from several distinguished families, while the remaining guests could sit wherever they wished.Although it was said to be "free seating," most people chose to sit with their own families.A huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting sparkling light across the room, making the scene even more opulent, with light reflecting off the jewel
She took two steps back and bumped into Sarah, who was equally dumbfounded.It wasn’t just them. In fact, the entire Lawrence family had a grim expression on their faces.The emergence of an illegitimate daughter taking a share of the Lawrence family’s fortune was already unbearable, not to mention the fact that the Lawrence family’s eldest daughter, who had been "dead" for many years, had "come back to life."This wasn’t just a matter of a little share anymore.Her return even affected the entire family’s fixed structure.Who could welcome her back?Edward was welcoming, but that was because he didn’t even care for the heir position.The biggest beneficiary and the happiest person here today was James.The thing he had never dared to dream about had come true today.He had heard his mother say it aloud, and his heart was already so overwhelmed that words couldn’t describe it—joy beyond measure flooded him."Candice..."He naturally adjusted his tone and easily took what had been nurt
Denise let out a bitter laugh.“Oh, I’m the one talking nonsense, am I? Isn’t this whole scene just meant to humiliate me in public?”“I pretended not to know, trying so hard to protect your reputation. But you—knowing I had neither the standing nor the backing—joined forces to trample me like this!”“You stand there, acting so righteous, so noble. And you dare talk about the true young lady of the Lawrence family? So what—you mean to tell me that my own child isn’t even worth the one born from some woman outside?”“Well, you’ve finally gotten what you wanted. I’ve become the joke of all of Shandor. Fine. Let everyone see how thoroughly you’ve disgraced me.”Her voice quivered with heartbreak and despair—an accusation dripping in pain.And hidden within it were a few bombs:First, Candice had just been acknowledged as James&rsqu







