The two families were supposed to form an alliance through marriage, and as the only daughter of the main branch, Caroline should have been the obvious choice. But old Mr. James had lost his mind, choosing Yvonne, an outsider, instead.


    And this Yvonne was no good, either, stringing along Bet, Thomas, and even Steven.


    Meanwhile, poor Caroline didn''t even have one suitable prospect. The injustice of it all was maddening.


    "Yvonne, I didn''t expect to see you at the Scott family''s party. Did youe with Bet?” Mrs. James asked, turning her attention to Yvonne.


    "With a friend," Yvonne answered vaguely.


    Mrs. James didn''t press further, instead shifting to small talk. "On our way here, your mother was just talking about you. You''re such a busy person now, you don''t evene home for the holidays to visit her. She misses you terribly."


    Yvonne nced at Teresa, who was also looking at her. But neither mother nor daughter spoke a word, their distance palpable.


    "Yvonne, Caroline is very shy. You two are around the same age, so you should take her around and introduce her to some new friends," Mrs. James said, pushing Caroline toward Yvonne again.


    Yvonne was close with Bet, Thomas, and even Mr. Thompson. If Caroline tagged along with her, she''d have more opportunities to interact with these exceptional men.


    Mrs. James believed her daughter possessed an inner beauty that men would surely appreciate once they got to know her.


    Her n was wellid, but Yvonne wasn''t ying along. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom."


    Yvonne stood up. "Mr. Hughes, please enjoy yourselves."


    With that, she walked away on her crystal heels, heading for the restroom.


    The door swung shut behind her, finally bringing some peace and quiet.


    Yvonne stood before the mirror, taking her lipstick out of her clutch to touch up her makeup before heading back out.


    As she left the restroom, she saw Bet standing by a window in the hallway.


    He was leaning casually against the wall, his tall frame silhouetted by the crystal chandelier above. The light cast his profile in sharp relief, making him look as remote and distinguished as a figure in an oil painting.


    Seeing him, Yvonne smiled and walked over to him.


    "Is Mr. Bet Thompson done with hisworking?"


    "Not yet. My uncle is here, talking with Mr. Scott Sr., and he wants me to join them," Bet said with a helpless shrug. “I won''t be able to stay with you for a bit. If you''re feeling ufortable, I can take you home first."


    "It''s not my first time at the Scott estate. You go ahead. I''ll wait for you, and we can leave together," Yvonne said with a smile.


    "Okay. Be good," Bet said, his arm naturally wrapping around her waist He leaned down to kiss ker, but Yvonne turned her head,c dodging him.


    "We''re in public. Behave," she said, gently pushing him away before turning back toward the party.


    Bet went up the wooden staircase, while Yvonne returned to the main hall.


    At that moment, Ynda walked in on Eden''s arm, with Vanessa and Andy following close behind. Vanessa held Andy''s hand.


    Andy looked around with wide-eyed curiosity. Spotting an antiquemp on a wooden table, he instinctively reached out to touch it.


    Vanessa, knowing better, quickly pulled his hand back and sternly warned him not to touch anything.


    Andy pouted but obediently stayed by his mother''s side.


    They hade using the Walker family''s invitation.


    It was the first time Ynda had appeared at a formal event as Eden''s girlfriend,


    and Vanessa and her son had insisted oning along.


    Their arrival caused a stir. Some guests came over to greet them, while others


    couldn''t help but whisper among themselves.


    After all, Ynda breaking up with the Thompson heir only to get together with the family''s illegitimate son was certainly gossip-worthy.