Maurice Nilsson and hispanions stood not far off, chatting quietly among themselves.
ncing at his watch, Maurice frowned in confusion. "It''s almost time-where''s the VIP? Shouldn''t they be here by now?"
Joseph Dcroix said nothing. His lips were pressed together, his expression a tangled knot of emotions.
Maurice scanned the crowd. By now, plenty of young heirs and society darlings had arrived, their designer shoes barely making a sound on the marble floor.
He could even catch snippets of hushed gossip nearby.<fn5a92> ?????? ???? findnovel</fn5a92>
"I''m telling you, this whole wedding is just the Silverstein family putting on a show for Elodie," one socialite muttered, twisting her lips in disdain.
Her friend chimed in, "Oh, I know what you''re thinking. Everyone knows Mr. Silverstein never wanted to make this Mrs. Silverstein public-anyone can see he''s not that into her. If they didn''t throw this wedding, it''d look like he didn''t care at all. But now that Elodie''s background is so impressive, they had to throw her a bone."
"I bet Mr. Silverstein could easily do better than Elodie if he wanted," another scoffed. "I''d wager this whole spectacle was Elodie''s idea, just to save face."
"And look how over-the-top it is inviting the press, the whole nine yards! It''s obvious, isn''t it? She just doesn''t want anyone saying Mr. Silverstein doesn''t value her."
Truth be told, most of the guests harbored simr thoughts, though only the younger, more impulsive ones dared to whisper them out loud. They figured everyone was thinking the same thing, so what harm was there in voicing it? "Ms. Thorne''s got both brains and beauty-what, are you all out of real gossip?” Naylor Whitaker sauntered over just in time to catch their conversation. He shot the group a scornful look, his tone sharp with contempt.
There were both men and women in the group, but none of them had much by way of manners—just the usual spoiled rich kids, raised on luxury and short on ss.
Naylor''s words clearly ruffled a few feathers, but he had no patience for people like that. He''d never let them run their mouths in front of him, especially not when it came to Elodie-someone who''d brought real honor to the country. He wasn''t about to let these brats tear hier down. Therr snide remarks were nothing but jealousy at the attention shemanded.
Maurice, catching every word, strolled over with azy grin. "Looks like Mrs. Silverstein''s really struck a nerve. Some people just can''t help making fools of themselves at someone else''s big day."
The status of Maurice and Naylor was enough to make most people think twice. No one dared say another word, not with them standing guard.
Still, no matter how forcefully they quashed the gossip, everyone knew the history between Jarrod and Elodie. People would always talk; no one was going to believe this was some grand love story that easily. Even with a wedding as grand as this, it all felt a little too convenient.
Naylor nced at Maurice, a half-smile on his lips. "Well, Mr. Nilsson, this is a surprise-hearing you speak up for Ms. Thorne."
Maurice squinted, feigning nonchnce. "Can''t help it. Jarrod gets pretty worked up when ites to Elodie. He wouldn''t want to hear this nonsense either."
He knew all too well how Jarrod really felt these days-there was no way that man would let his wife suffer even the slightest slight. Back then, Maurice had been fooled by that calm, unreadable mask Jarrod wore. If he''d known better, things wouldn''t have gotten so awkward between them.
Maurice''s words left Joseph looking rather stiff. Clearly, he still felt a bit uneasy about it all.
Naylor scanned the crowd again, his brow furrowed. Honestly, he could understand why people were
suspicious. When the Silverste
first announced the wedding, he''d been shocked too. After all these years of marriage, suddenly they were throwing an extravagant ceremony for everyone to see. The rumor mill had been working
overtime ever since.
No matter how the stories spun, it all seemed just a little too unbelievable.