The sharp voice sliced cleanly through the tension that had just filled the room, bringing the simmering confrontation to an abrupt halt.


    All those usatory, judgmental, and disdainful stares that had been pinned on Elodie suddenly shifted toward the back of the room.


    Even Sylvie and her group turned their heads to look.


    When Sylvie caught sight of Henrietta standing tall andposed, her expression changed in an instant.


    Maurice''s faint smile vanished, reced by a look of seriousness so swift it was almost jarring.


    He even felt a sudden chill prickle across his scalp.


    In that moment, Joseph realized exactly how this was about to y out. He pressed his lips together and nced at Elodie.


    "Henrietta?" Grady recognized the old woman-he''d met her a few years back. Now, seeing her arrive, he stood a little straighter, respect rising in his eyes. His grandfather had always spoken of Henrietta with reverence, telling stories of how she''d once been a force to be reckoned with the eldest daughter of a powerful family, shrewd and capable in equal measure.


    After marrying Jarrod''s grandfather, she had stood beside him as they built an empire together.


    But now...


    What exactly did she mean with those words just now?


    Clearly, with all the unspoken rtionships and tangled history in the air, everyone


    was a little lost, second-guessing if they''d misheard something.


    From the moment Elodie heard Henrietta''s voice, her heart skipped a beat.


    She clenched her fingers unconsciously, knowing-deep down-that something irreversible was about to happen tonight.


    Henrietta strode forward, her expression severe and imposing. Even without a word, she radiated authority.


    Jarrod''s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke first. "Grandmother, I thought you''d already left."


    Henrietta brushed past the others,ing to stand directly in front of Elodie. Though her frame was slender, she stood with such upright dignity that no one could ignore her presence. "If I''d left, would I have been able to witness such a spectacle?"


    Her steely gaze swept over Sylvie, cold and appraising from head to toe.


    It was the first time she''d seen Ms. Fielding in person.


    Sylvie''s palms grew slick with nervous sweat. With everyone watching and Henrietta''s eyes fixed on her, she pressed her lips together and managed a polite greeting. "Henrietta."


    Grady, noticing Sylvie''s strained expression, assumed she was still upset about Elodie and Jarrod being seen together. Trying to smooth things over, he said, "Mrs. Silverstein, I don''t think any of this is Mr. Silverstein''s fault. We all know what kind of person Elodie is-she must''vee here deliberately to mislead everyone. There''s no way anything inappropriate happened between them, so please don''t get upset."


    At Grady''s words, Sylvie''s face darkened further.


    Naylor furrowed his brow, still trying


    to process Henrietta''s earlier


    reference to a "wife and a mistress which shed sharply with his. longstanding assumptions about Jarrod and Sylvie. Weren''t they not even married yet?


    5


    Maurice, standing nearby, gave Grady a subtle tug and whispered, "Mr. Mercer,


    maybe let''s not go down that road right now..."


    Wasn''t he just pouring fuel on the fire?


    Elodie nced at Henrietta, feeling the old woman''s presence press down even harder. Henrietta turned icy eyes toward Grady. "You know all about Elodie''s character?


    are you to her, exactly, to im that?"


    Grady was caught off guard, momentarily speechless.


    Both Naylor and the others stared in shock.


    Elodie? Why did Henrietta address her so familiarly?


    who


    Henrietta turned next to Sylvie, whose face had gone pale. "Ms. Fielding, since I''m here tonight, why don''t you tell everyone-what exactly are you doing here? Are you proposing? To whom? And in what capacity?"


    Sylvie''s lips pressed into a thin line. Her chest tightened with nerves. "I''m sorry, Henrietta, you''ve misunderstood. That''s not at all what I—"


    1.n


    "Misunderstood? Oh, I''ve certainly misunderstood!" Henrietta shot back, her eyes sharp as ss. "MS Fielding, you have a remarkable sense of entitlement. Imagine," proposing to a man in front of his own wife are you trying to get Jarrod charged with bigamy?"


    Sylvie''s face drained of color.


    She hadn''t anticipated Henrietta to be this blunt, this merciless.


    A collective gasp swept through the crowd.


    Naylor and Grady stared wide-eyed at Jarrod, who had been standing silently


    beside Elodie the whole time.


    Mr. Silverstein... married? And to...


    Every gaze in the roomnded on Elodie, who had maintained her icyposure throughout.


    Not a single person could quite believe it.


    Maurice looked at Elodie, at a loss for words. Well, this was it.


    Jarrod cast his eyes down, taking in the cial stillness of Elodie''s face.


    Things were spiraling out of control, and Henrietta was clearly furious.


    He lifted his head atst, his tone even but resolute. "Allow me to introduce my wife-Elodie."