?Chapter 384:


    While Chris kept hisposure, Mariana bristled with anger. Her gaze sharpened, and she longed to snap back at the ones insulting her cousin. But with her father, Kolton, and her elder brother udius both present, she knew that she had to hold…


    Herself in check, Mariana ground her teeth and settled for lowering her voice to a sharp whisper, her words slicing through the air. “You dare insult Chris right in front of me? Are you ignoring my presence or looking down on the entire Cooper family?”


    At once, a hush fell over the group. Eyes dropped, faces paled.


    Nobody wanted to risk the wrath of Kolton’s favorite daughter. Still, resentment clung to the air, thick and heavy, and their gazes shifted to Chris with even more open disdain.


    He was the blemish they could not erase — the illegitimate child who lived in the shadow of the great name but could never truly belong.


    Across the room, Rosanna stared at udius, who stood at the center of the crowd like a star around which all others revolved.


    She bit down on her lower lip, hard enough to sting.


    If she could catch Kolton’s attention, if she could marry into the Cooper family, everything would change.


    She would not just be Rosanna Morgan, a marginalized member of high society, anymore. She would be a queen among them. Even Mariana would have to bow her head.


    The thought bloomed like a dark flower in her mind, curling her lips into a smile she could not hide.


    udius’s entrance immediately energized the celebration.


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    He moved toward Kolton, grasping the wheelchair firmly. “Dad, allow me to handle Grandpa. With so many visitors here tonight, countless people will likely want to honor you.”


    “You’re as considerate as ever.”


    Kolton’s grin widened. udius’s presence always filled him with satisfaction. This was the heir he had entrusted all his dreams to — the future leader of the Cooper empire.


    Kolton had assigned udius to the mining sector to forge resilience, and udius had excelled. Winning the favor of the entire family had paved a strong path for his eventual session.


    While reflecting on this, Kolton’s eyes flickered toward Chris.


    Chris, the son of Kolton’s elder brother Kyle, could have legitimately vied for leadership — if not for the circumstances of his birth. Because Chris was born out of wedlock, his mother was never admitted by the Cooper family, even after her passing. That omission sealed Chris’s status as an outsider.


    Despite this, Chris disyed remarkable aptitude and brilliance in his youth, which had kept Kolton on edge for a long time.


    Now, watching Chris squander his gifts, leading a reckless and unsteady life, Kolton finally felt a sense of relief.


    Without parental support, no matter how talented he once appeared, Chris’s future was bleak.


    Kolton gave a soft, dismissiveugh and looked away.


    The dazzling chandelier lit the room with radiant brilliance. Crystal flutes shed melodiously as celebrations continued.


    Small clusters of people conversed animatedly, theirughter filling the hall.


    Delicate, graceful melodies floated through the air, adding sophistication to the environment.


    Hurst was speaking casually with Maia. He had previously only suspected Maia’s influential background, but tonight, he nearly confirmed it.


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