?Chapter 255:


    After a pause, Elliott nodded. “Alright, we’ll do it your way.” Then, his gaze locked on Grant. “Consider yourselves lucky. My sister’s mercy just saved you.” Elliott’s frosty stare swept through the guests, and the room grew tense and quiet. “Anyone who dares to mess with my sister again will answer to me,” he warned.


    Nobody dared utter a sound. Every head dropped, and beads of sweat began to form as Elliott’s re seemed to burn straight through them. The pressure from that look was enough to send chills down spines.


    Grateful for a lifeline, Grant rose from the floor and lowered himself in a deep bow to Eloise. “Thank you for your kindness, Miss Hubbard. I’ll swing by with a proper gift to make this right.”


    Martha, nerves on edge, reached for Thea’s hand and squeezed it, urging her to show respect as well.


    Together, Thea and Martha gave Eloise a deep bow.


    While her body showed submission, Thea’s eyes flickered with humiliation and barely disguised anger. Both fists clenched, her jaw tightened as she struggled to contain her rage.


    After that fiasco, Thea and her family didn’t dare stick around the party. Having offered their bows to both Eloise and Elliott, the Reeds made a quick exit from the Hubbard estate. Lingering would have only led to further humiliation and whispered rumors—there was nothing left to gain.


    The Hubbard family’s butler, Josh Baker, dered, “Everyone, please stop gathering around here and enjoy yourselves before the banquet kicks off.” One by one, curious onlookers scattered quickly, eager to avoid any more drama. Within minutes, the gathering shifted back to its earlier liveliness, withughter, toasts, and cheerful chatter filling every corner of the hall.


    Concern flickered in Elliott’s eyes as he turned to Christina and Eloise. “Are you both alright?”


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    Christina managed a small smile and took Eloise’s hand. “I’m good, but Miss Hubbard’s elbow took a bit of a hit.”


    Using the pretense offort, Christina discreetly checked Eloise’s condition. What she discovered sent a jolt of rm through her—there were subtle signs of poisoning, and the severity worried her.


    Concern tightened Christina’s features. She decided right then to pull Elliott aside for a serious conversation after the banquet ended. Letting this go unchecked could endanger Eloise’s life and put the entire Hubbard family in jeopardy.


    Waving her hands quickly, Eloise tried to signal she was fine, hoping to ease the growing tension.


    “Eloise, go with Josh and let him take care of that scrape.” Elliott spoke up, his voiceced with concern. Nothing hurt the Hubbard family more than remembering how Eloise had gone missing as a toddler, enduring hardships no child should face. Once a bubbly chatterbox, Eloise had mysteriously lost her voice, baffling every doctor her parents could find. Now, even the smallest injury to her sent the whole family into a panic, ready to protect her at any cost.


    With furrowed brows, Elliott inspected Eloise’s arm, noticing dried blood. Fury boiled over. “Letting the Reeds off so easily was a mistake.”


    Anxiously, Eloise clung to his sleeve and shook her head, silently begging him not to make things worse. It all traced back to a single idental collision with Thea. If more troublended on the Reeds because of her, she would be haunted by unease.


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