Nina Wynn curled up tightly in Caleb Rhodes’s arms, her seemingly innocent, cold eyes narrowed as she stared intently at the main hall below.
The guests were in an uproar, and the entire Joyce family was beside themselves.
They didn’t know what had gone wrong.
’Today was supposed to be Chloe Joyce and Adrian Finch’s engagent party. Who the hell was this Zachary Lawson, and where did he co from?’
However, they searched the entire hall but couldn’t find a single mber of the Finch family, only maids and a butler who knew nothing.
Just then, the emcee spoke again: "Next, let’s watch a collection of happy monts between Miss Joyce and Mr. Lawson!"
The projection screen in the center of the hall slowly unfurled, and a series of photos of Chloe Joyce with an unfamiliar man were projected onto it.
The man wasn’t very handso, nor was he tall. He had a rather weaselly face, which intensified the crowd’s gossip.
Dustin Joyce’s face darkened. He rushed forward and grabbed the emcee. "Where are the Finches? Why hasn’t a single one of them co out? Where did Adrian Finch go?"
"Today was supposed to be my daughter’s engagent to Adrian Finch, but now she’s being paired with this Zachary Lawson. What does the Finch family think they’re doing?"
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the head of the Finch family, Warren Finch, ca down from the upper floor.
He shot Dustin Joyce a cold look. "The Finch family never said anything about marrying Chloe Joyce. This is the precious daughter you raised—you deal with her."
Dustin Joyce flew into a rage, pointing a finger at Warren Finch and yelling, "What’s that supposed to an? Is this how the Finch family throws its weight around, bullying others? What’s wrong with my daughter? She’s been well-educated since she was a child, she cos from a prestigious family, and she’s a high-achieving graduate. How is she in any way unworthy of your Adrian Finch?"
Warren Finch sneered. "Well-educated? Very well. I’ll let you see for yourself what your ’good’ daughter is up to right now!"
With that, he clapped his hands.
The image on the screen changed, revealing two entangled, naked figures.
The man was thrusting vigorously, while the woman was screaming herself hoarse.
"Faster, faster!"
"Zachary!"
The crowd erupted, and many people even took out their phones!
Warren Finch stared coldly at Dustin Joyce and declared in a sharp voice, "Dustin Joyce, take a good look! That’s your daughter in there, carrying on with this man, Zachary Lawson, in a room on the third floor of my house!"
"This is a live broadcast!"
"And trash like her wants to marry into the Finch family? She must be dreaming! My family would be better off if I picked a random woman off the street to be my daughter-in-law than to marry your daughter!"
Frantic and furious, Dustin Joyce rushed forward to turn off the screen and roared, "Warren Finch, you’re destroying the Joyce family!"
Warren Finch said coldly, "Destroy you? Your daughter brought a man into my house to fool around, and you expect to just swallow it?"
He looked at the crowd, bowed, and then announced, "My apologies for the spectacle today. My son, Adrian Finch, has long had a chosen fiancée, and it is not Chloe Joyce. Let’s just consider today as us lending our venue to the Joyce family for their wedding. After all, it seems they can’t afford a venue themselves anymore. Just consider it a favor to an old friend!"
Dustin Joyce was furious. "Warren Finch, don’t take it too far! No matter how poor I might be, I’m not lacking for a wedding venue!"
Just then, Adrian Finch slowly appeared on the second-floor landing. In a deep voice, he asked, "Is that so?"
"You may have a venue today, but you won’t tomorrow! Don’t tell you haven’t received the news that Reboot Technologies has changed hands?"
At that mont, soone ran in hurriedly and whispered a few words in Dustin Joyce’s ear.
Upon hearing this, Dustin Joyce collapsed to the floor. "Impossible! I don’t believe it! I still have thirty percent of Reboot Technologies’ shares!"
He snapped his head up and pointed furiously at Adrian Finch. "It was you! You, Caleb Rhodes, and Cole Prescott conspired against ! You transferred all my shares to my son, only to have him transfer them to you!"
"You’re too cruel!"
Leaning against the railing, Adrian Finch sneered. "And who do you have to bla for keeping an illegitimate son? For raising such a ’good’ daughter? You all offended soone you shouldn’t have, and you won’t even know what hit you."
He continued coldly, "Oh, and you haven’t just lost all your shares in Reboot Technologies. You’ve also lost all your real estate and properties. You have nothing now, and you’re deeply in debt. Tonight might be the last decent al you eat for the rest of your life. If I were you, I’d eat my fill and worry about the debt collectors tomorrow."
"Also, do you know who Zachary Lawson is? He’s a drug addict, riddled with diseases. You’d better take your precious daughter to get checked out!"
His gaze swept across the crowd as he said slowly, "My apologies to everyone. As you leave tonight, there will be a gift for each of you as a token of my apology."
It was only then that the guests finally understood. The Joyce daughter’s promiscuity had offended the Finch family, bringing about today’s catastrophic downfall.
Just then, Chloe Joyce ca stumbling down from the third floor. Seeing Adrian Finch, she burst into tears. "Adrian, please listen to my explanation! I was drugged! It wasn’t my fault, soone set up! I just had a drink and soone took to that room..."
Adrian Finch didn’t even spare her a glance. He said to the servants, "Scrub that room down ten tis. Clean every spot she walked on. It’s utterly filthy!"
"Also, throw every mber of the Joyce family out. Don’t let them be an eyesore for our friends!"
Soon enough, the Joyce family was thrown out the door like beaten dogs.
The crowd was in an uproar for a little while before quickly settling down.
In a place like Elysian City, fortunes changed overnight all the ti. Many who were high and mighty one day could beco prisoners the next.
The fall of the Joyce family, it seed, was nothing particularly out of the ordinary.
Adrian Finch watched the Joyce family get thrown out the main gate, then turned to head upstairs.
Just then, the butler hurried forward and whispered, "Sir, Miss Griffin is gone!"
Adrian Finch’s expression changed in a flash. A vein pulsed on his forehead as he growled through clenched teeth, "Sophie Griffin! You just wait until I find you!"
"Find her! Go find her right now!"
In the lounge, Caleb Rhodes had his arms around Nina Wynn, his chin resting on her small shoulder. He asked in a deep voice, "Do you like this gift, Nina?"
Nina Wynn stared intently at the main entrance, as if she hadn’t heard him.
Crystal Rhodes was running out the main entrance, holding up her magnificent dress. As she ran, the expensive jewels on her body sparkled even more brilliantly.
’The downfall of the Joyce family and Chloe Joyce becoming a laughingstock—this was one of the things Nina had wanted.’
’But the main culprit, the true villain of the story, Crystal Rhodes, was still doing just fine. She was still living a glamorous life as the esteed Miss Rhodes!’
’How is that fair?’
She unconsciously clenched her fists, the coldness in her eyes as thick and dark as undissolved ink.
After a long mont, she lowered her eyes and said softly, "Thank you, Caleb."
Caleb Rhodes’s hand slowly caressed her delicate cheek, his gaze dark as he looked outside. "Nina, this is just the beginning. Whatever you want, I will give it all to you."
Nina Wynn didn’t speak, rely rubbing her cheek docilely against his palm.
’It had been too long. She couldn’t wait anymore!’
’Besides, she didn’t believe he would actually go against Crystal Rhodes—that he would turn on his own family for her sake!’
Just then, Caleb Rhodes took a call and stepped out.
Nina Wynn was also about to leave when she looked up and saw a breathtakingly beautiful woman walk in.
Nina Wynn glanced at the woman, then turned to Warner Zimrman and said, "Miss Zimrman, I’m a little cold. Could you please bring a jacket?"
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