"If this really is her doing, there would be hell to pay!" Eleanor thought as she snapped, "What are you waiting for? Get her out of here!"


    Under her fierce gaze, Cyrus escorted Lizzie out of the room. Once outside the door, Lizzie crumpled to the floor, biting her lip and holding back her sobs. Seeing her like this only deepened Cyrus'' heartache. "Everything''s fine now, Lizz. Mom was just furious. She didn''t mean those harsh words," he said softly as he crouched beside her before pulling her into his arms.


    A sense of frustration and guilt washed over him. Even during his time as the Finch family head, he had never mustered the courage to confront Eleanor.


    His futile attempts to console Lizzie only made her feel more bitter, but there was nothing she could do. Despite her disillusionment with Cyrus, she had no choice but to rely on him and amplify her vulnerability to garner his sympathy. "Lizz, it''s your birthday today, so cheer up. I''ve got a huge cake ready for you, and I''ve got another big surprise nned," Cyrus said, holding her hand and trying to lift her spirits with something positive.


    With her goal achieved, Lizzie abandoned her helpless charade. If Cyrus had a surprise for her, she had an even greater one prepared for the entire Finch family. The prospect reignited her excitement.


    When Cyrus led Lizzie back to the hall downstairs, Rose was nowhere to be seen. Lizzie caught sight of Jonathan among the crowd, and a quick, knowing smile graced her lips before vanishing almost instantly. She knew that the show was about to begin. Meanwhile, Rose had left the scene due to a wine spill on her clothes. Growing weary of the party, she had been preparing to leave when a server carrying drinks was identally bumped, causing a tray of wine sses to topple.


    The liquid sttered across Rose''s pants, soaking the fabric. Left with no choice, she needed a change of attire.


    "Ms. Shaffer, why don''t you wear something of mine? It''s brand new, so you probably won''t mind, right?" Yara, now one of the members of the Finch family, suggested. She and Rose were about the same age and size, making it a seemingly fitting offer. Since there had been past tension between the two of them, Yara added with a slight smirk, "What? Are you afraid I might harm you?"


    "Not at all!" Rose responded with amusement.


    After all, there was no reason she should be afraid. Whatever schemes Yara might be concocting, she was confident in her ability to handle them. Even if Yara attempted to cause her harm, Rose was more than ready to repay her in kind. So, with no hesitation, she followed Yara.


    Yara''s room was located on the second floor. As Rose trailed behind her, Yara continued to chatter, "You really are a lucky girl, huh?"


    Rose remained silent but reflected on the statement, and the more she thought about it, the more she agreed.


    She really had been lucky. Meeting Jonathan, Miles, Clover, Ezra, Emily, and even Elijah had all been blessings in her life.


    "But I wonder when your luck will run out," Yara added, her tone not overtly malicious but with an unmistakable undercurrent of anticipation as if she were waiting for Rose''s luck to finally turn.


    Rose didn''t mind. Even if her luck did run out, she had already met the people she was destined to meet. Fate had already bestowed upon her the greatest gifts, so if her good fortune were to end, it wouldn''t faze her much.


    Yara led Rose into her expansive walk-in closet and gestured toward a row of brand-new clothes. "Pick whichever you like," she offered.


    She cast a quick nce at Rose, confident that any outfit from her wardrobe would be more morous than the simple blouse and jeans Rose had on.


    She assumed Rose would select an outfit that would make her stand out-perhaps the haute couture piece she had recently acquired, or maybe thetest design from another top-notch brand''s current season.


    Just when she was thinking whichvish piece Rose would choose, the woman in question nced around and swiftly selected a dress.


    "Is it okay if I wear this one?" Rose asked.


    Yara''s brows furrowed as she took


    in Rose''s choice. The dress was a simple slip gown in in emerald satin, unadorned and rather


    mundane-looking, almost as if


    were mass-produced. Even Yara herself wasn''t sure how such a dress had found its way into her closet.


    She eyed Rose once more. "Sure. If that''s what you want."


    "Perhaps this is the extent of Rose''s taste," Yara thought, raising an eyebrow. The gown was so understated that even Rose''s striking emerald ne wouldn''t be able to elevate its appearance.


    She felt a twinge of satisfaction as she pictured Rose being overshadowed by her own eleganceter in the evening.


    However, when Rose stepped out of the dressing room in the gown, Yara was momentarily struck with awe. Her eyes fixated on Rose, and for a moment, she forgot to blink.


    "Is something the matter, Mrs. Finch?" Rose asked, noticing the odd look in Yara''s eyes.


    Yara snapped out of her daze. Realizing her momentarypse inposure, she rolled her eyes and snapped, "Don''t call me Mrs. Finch. Call me Ms. Maize."


    "Well, thank you, Ms. Maize, for the dress," Rose responded with a genuine smile.


    The sincerity in Rose''s smile only deepened the frown on Yara''s face. "Damn it!" she cursed inwardly. She couldn''t fathom how a dress she deemed so unremarkable could look even remotely ttering on Rose. Feeling a sense of dissatisfaction, Yara nced at Rose. "No need for thanks." With that, she turned and walked toward the door.


    Rose watched her retreating figure, realizing that the international movie star wasn''t entirely unpleasant, at least not that day. She understood Yara''s state of mind well.


    As they made their way down the stairs, Rose suddenly said, "Jonathan isn''t right for you."


    Yara paused in her tracks as Rose''s voice continued from behind her.


    "Liam, on the other hand, is a capable man. He''s free from any scandals and has good character. He''s someone worth getting to know better."


    Yara frowned, surprised by the sincerity in Rose''s tone. However, the recollection of that mortifying wedding shed through her mind, fueling her anger.


    She turned to face Rose. "My life is none of your concern."


    Rose raised an eyebrow. She was in no way trying to interfere in Yara''s life. She had merely meant to offer a friendly suggestion as a small gesture of gratitude for the dress.


    With a slight smile ying on her


    lips, she met Yara''s gaze and replied, "Your life is certainly not my concern. ''simply feel that someone with your acting talent deserves better than to be weighed down by such trivial matters."


    "Deserves better? What gives her the right to say that?" Yara bristled, fuming inwardly.


    "If you''ll excuse me, Ms. Maize," Rose said, maintaining her polite smile.


    Yara was tempted to block her path out of sheer defiance, but to her surprise, she found herself stepping aside to let Rose pass. It wasn''t until Rose was well ahead that Yara managed to shake off her


    confusion.


    "Wait... why did I let her through? No, something else is bothering me. What had she said? She said I have talent in acting... What did she mean by that?" she wondered. After mulling it over, Yara let out a slight huff and muttered, "At least she has good taste."


    As an international actress, Yara''s acting prowess was undeniable. Yet, for some reason, hearing thepliment from Rose stirred an unfamiliar feeling within her.


    She watched as Rose reached the bottom of the stairs. Just then, a man dressed as a bodyguard approached Rose and said something. Rose then followed the bodyguard and left.