Chapter 10  : Charity Ball

Back at the living hall, Joshua glared at Jeanne as she walked away. Displeased, he said, “Where are her manners? Dad talked to her and she didn’t even give a proper response.”

Jenifer had a glance at her son. “Shush. Your sister just came back. Just give her some time to fit in.”

“You’re still defending her? She insulted you yesterday. Did you forget that?” Joshua’s anger was obvious.

“Enough.” Jenifer stopped her son from talking.

Alexander was also displeased by Jeanne’s response.

As if Jeanne no longer respected him as a father, but on second thought, Jeanne was just a tool to him, so he did not need to be angry with her either.

He got up and said, “I’ll go up to talk to Father.”

“Sure.” Jenifer nodded respectfully. She was the one who took good care of Alexander all these years and all men would like a woman like her. She was smart, obedient, and knew her place within the house.

Right after Alexander went up, Jasmine reverted to her true form.

“Mom, look at her. I don’t like that arrogance of hers. Not only Joshua but even I also can’t stand her anymore! Who does she think she is? The princess of the house? We threw her out seven years ago. She’s now just some woman with a child! Why tolerate her attitude?”

“It’s not that I want to tolerate her attitude but I don’t have the time or the energy to be calculative with someone like her,” Jenifer said with a vicious grin.

“Once she married Thedus, that would be the end of her life. So, why do we have to waste our time on her? I let her be herself now because I don’t want her to embarrass your father. You should know how far she can go if she’s provoked. If we did something to her and caused her to ruin the marriage, we’ll be held responsible by your father and your grandfather.”

Jasmine understood her mother’s patience.

Everyone tolerated Jeanne’s attitude because they wanted her to marry Thedus.

Jeanne must have known that everyone depended on her now, hence the arrogance.

“It’s okay. You guys don’t have to be overly concerned. Seven years ago, I made her lose everything and now, I can do the same, or even worse.” Jenifer was never concerned about Jeanne’s attitude or her presence.

She looked at Jasmine and said, “You better prepare your wedding with Eden as well. Try to behave and don’t cause any trouble.”

“Don’t worry. Eden and I are stable now. Nothing will happen.” Jasmine sounded confident.

Jenifer nodded. She gave birth to Jasmine and brought her up with her own hands. She was certain that her daughter had inherited the ability to flatter all men on Earth.

She was not worried about her daughter at all.

…

Later in the afternoon, Alexander brought his family to the mall for shopping. They were told to pick decent outfits for the charity ball later tonight.

Jeanne tagged along. She chose herself a silver dress. It was not revealing at all but due to the fit, it complemented her body and made her look like an elf under the lights.

She was born a beauty and she did not inherit it from her mother. She had a unique charm to her and she naturally felt like a vixen. The nonchalance on her could easily drive a man mad.

Jasmine was the complete opposite of Jeanne.

She was not exquisitely beautiful but she looked innocent and cute. She was the girl-next-door that all men would want to protect. The white dress that she chose made her stand out as well.

However, when she saw Jeanne’s alluring charms, she was still jealous.

She should have disfigured Jeanne’s face when she had the chance seven years ago.

The grudge on her face only lasted for a second before it was replaced by her usual innocence.

It became a habit for Jasmine to look innocent in front of others. That was the reason why she was able to escape unscathed from the incident with Eden back then. Everyone bought her innocent look and diverted their criticism to Jeanne.

At seven o’clock in the evening, the Lawrence family arrived at the venue for the charity ball.

There were already a number of guests at the venue.

Alexander was a veteran businessman in the field, so all his friends and partners came to him for a chat as soon as he arrived.

The other family members followed him around to accentuate his status.

It was until Eden arrived in his formal suit.

No one could deny Eden’s looks. His facial features were pronounced, he was tall, and there was always a bright smile on his face. His sunny image, his handsome looks, in addition to his prominent family background and his own capabilities made him stand out.

Jasmine proudly showed off his fiance to everyone.

However, someone else caught Jeanne’s attention.

Despite being a shining star in the venue, Eden was pale in comparison to his uncle, Fourth Master Swan, or Edward Swan. It was like comparing a star to the sun.

Maybe because of Fourth Master Swan’s natural presence of a leader or that powerful aura that could keep people away from him, or even that unrivaled handsome look on his face, his presence alone was able to outshine all men in the venue.

At that moment, not only Jeanne but everyone else also noticed his presence.

One thing worth noting was that not all were able to invite Fourth Master Swan to their event.

A charity ball was not a place that he should be, so when he appeared, he caused everyone in the venue to gasp in shock.

As his presence captured everyone’s attention, Jeanne grabbed George’s hand and left.

Jeanne ought to keep George by her side at all times. Even though Alexander voiced his disagreement explicitly, he was unable to dissuade Jeanne.

Jeanne knew her father dared not do anything to her now, so she did not have to lower herself to follow his commands.

She was heading toward a secluded corner but before she arrived, she heard some women talking.

“Octavia, I just saw your future daughter-in-law,” one of the women said.

“I saw her too. What a vixen, every man here was eyeing on her.”

“I heard it’s your second son’s first marriage. I don’t think you should get him someone with a child.”

Octavia said, “I don’t agree with this wedding either but as a woman, my words have no weight and cannot affect the business side of things. I’m sure you know the Lawrence family is nothing now but the daughter, Jasmine, she’s with Eden Swan, which means we’re able to build a connection to the Swan family through this! I guess I have to sacrifice my son for the larger picture.”

“I guess you’re right. The Swan family is monopolizing everything now. No one dared to offend them. I heard Fourth Master Swan has some problems with his physical health, so it’s up to Eden to extend the family lineage. If Jasmine is able to give birth to a son or a daughter, then the Lawrence family would ascend to a higher status.”

“I know, right. I can see Eden and Jasmine are close, I’m sure their relationship is strong,” Octativa said.

“Look at Jeanne. How many men has she slept with until now? There’s a reason why Eden didn’t choose her. Octavia, when she becomes your daughter-in-law, you have to keep your eyes open. Some women carved the word slut into their bones.”

“Don’t worry. A slut like her would’ve to learn the rules of the Locke family when she weds into the family,” Octavia emphasized every word clearly.