Chapter 118
At this moment, Diana Beaumont and her son’s wife, Evelyn, who had been meant to sit there, were happily greeting Marissa and Kayla. “What a coincidence to run into you two here!” Diana greeted Marissa warmly.
It was only then that Marissa noticed the woman sitting beside her was Diana, the matriarch of the Beaumont family. She quickly reined in her arrogance, forcing a smile as she responded, “Yes, it’s quite a coincidence?”
“Really?” Diana’s tone carried a subtle edge. “Ms. Prescott, you’ve started taking an interest in charity work” Her words were laced with a touch of sarcasm. Given that Nathaniel disliked Marissa, it was no surprise that his mother, Diana, harbored no fondness for Marissa either.
Moreover, with Nathaniel having been transferred to rightmoor to oversee the factory, Diana couldn’t help but feel a little spiteful upon sering Marissa occupying the seat that had been initially offered to her.
Marissa caught the sarcasm in Diana’s words but remained composed, replying smoothly. “Yeah. Kayla and I both want to contribute to charitable
Causes”
Diana gave a
thin smile, her every move radiating elegance. The invitations were sent out two weeks ago, and the seating arrangements were made well in advance. You two showing up last minute really caused Ms. Flynn some trouble.
“Luckily, Tm being generous and offered up my spot. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known what to do with you two big shots.
She had originally assumed that Lauren would be bringing Kayla over, which was why she had agreed to give up her seats. Had she known it was for Marissa, she would never have agreed to the exchange.
Marissa’s expression stiffened slightly, but she quickly understood the underlying message in Diana’s words. It was sa veiled jab at her, suggesting that if she were frank about her interest in charity, she wouldn’t have tried to insert herself at the last minute.
It was also a jab at her for overstepping and taking a seat that originally belonged to Diana. Marissa hadn’t expected this seat to be Diana’s. She had only wanted to please Kayla
In Harrowfell, the Beaumont family was an old–money dynasty on par with the Vanderbilt family, and recently, the two families were planning to collaborate on a new venture. Even without that partnership, Diana held a higher social standing and seniority, making it entirely inappropriate for Marissa to take this seat
But now that she was already seated, Marissa forced a smile. “Mrs. Beaumont, I didn’t know this seat was yours.
Shall we swap?”
Diana smiled, but her eyes remained cold, “No need for that. The lights are already dimmed. Moving seats now would just be awkward”
Evelyn chimed in, supporting Diana, “Without any
y social standing, some people still insist on staying around where they don’t belong. When they do that often enough, they just don’t feel any shame anymore.” She raised an eyebrow and added, “Oh, Ms. Prescott, I’m not referring to you, of
coline
to
Marissa clenched her jaw, her face turning a deep red. It was impossible for her not to understand the dig aimed at her–mocking her for staying at Vanderbilt Manor for years without ever truly fitting in
Her anger simmered, but she couldn’t say anything at the n
moment. What was sonce a proud position now felt like a burden.
She glanced at Kayla, hoping for some backup, but Kayla was completely caught up in her search for her idol. Her eyes were scanning the room. oblivious to the tension on Marissa’s side.
After a moment of scanning, Kayla’s eyes lit up as she spotted a table with Nion’s name. She followed it up, and there, sitting in a far corner, was a man dressed in eccentric clothes, a distinct style that immediately caught her attention
Kayla was taken aback, realizing that Nion had such an unconventional side. But then again, it made sense–every artist had their quirks, after all. She even found herself wondering if she should follow his lead and try something a bit more avant–garde in her style.
She had initially thought about approaching him right away, but seeing that he was engaged in a lively conversation with someone else, she decided against it. Wanting to make a good impression, she figured it was best to hold off on interrupting him for now.
