Sienna’s face flushed with humiliation. While she wasn’t surprised by Dave’s behavior—his brashness and lack of gentlemanly decorum in embarrassing the Korean Dignitary and his granddaughter were expected—she hadn’t anticipated the sa from Zhane. It wasn’t supposed to be like this with him.
Zhane was known for being reserved and gentlemanly. Though stern and stoic, he never went out of his way to humiliate anyone. The best example was the affair between the Lennons and the Everetts; even when he was tied to Sienna Lennon without his consent and clearly disapproved of it, he chose not to publicly clear the misunderstanding. He didn’t want Sienna to be embarrassed within their close-knit circles or beco the target of ridicule.
Because of this, Sienna deluded herself into believing that Zhane had accepted the engagent and might even have so feelings for her, since he hadn’t attempted to damage her reputation. What Sienna didn’t realize was that Zhane simply didn’t care about such trivial matters—and even less so about her.
But now, of course, because he wanted to protect Hera and what Hera thought of him and was afraid that she would really believe that he has a fiancee and being a scumbag for trying to woo another girl while he has a fiancee would surely make him such a scumbag which he didn’t like.
Sienna was seething with anger. She couldn’t believe that Zhane had chosen to support a minor celebrity, who was mired in nurous scandals and controversies, over her. Despite the fact that her family paled in comparison to Zhane’s, it was still far superior to the celebrity’s background. Her family had assets worth millions and could provide significant support and social standing, sothing the celebrity’s family could never offer. Sienna felt deeply insulted that Zhane would prioritize soone of such dubious standing over her.
Sienna’s fury reached a new peak when she caught the whispers swirling around them. Despite everyone’s efforts to be discreet and subtle with their gossip, Sienna’s heightened sensitivity made her acutely aware of their murmurings. It felt as though she was being publicly ridiculed and trampled upon, her humiliation exacerbated by Zhane’s actions. The sense of being exposed and mocked in front of others only deepened her anger and frustration.
Sienna glared at Dave with such intensity that it seed as though she was trying to burn a hole through him to reach Hera. Her eyes were wild and filled with a dangerous edge, making Dave even more determined to protect Hera. He instinctively moved closer to shield her, making sure not even a strand of Hera’s hair was visible to Sienna. Dave could sense that Sienna was on the brink of losing control and was terrified that she might lash out and harm Hera in her rage.
"So it looks like the Lennons blew things way out of proportion—or maybe they were the ones who orchestrated the whole charade to make it seem like Zhane was infatuated with their only daughter. They made a spectacle of their supposed romance, showering her with extravagant gifts and leading everyone else to believe in this fabricated love story. anwhile, they’ve been reaping all the benefits while keeping other families in the dark," one woman said loudly, her voice rising as she gossiped with her friends seated not far from Hera’s table.
When Sienna glanced over, the woman who had spoken rely sipped her coffee and avoided eye contact, as if she hadn’t said anything at all. The others at the table followed suit, treating Sienna’s reaction with indifference. They perceived her as a re annoyance, like a frog attempting to swallow a swan at, and felt she was out of her depth and unable to align herself properly with the situation.
From the opposite side of the deck, soone spoke with clear contempt. "Hmph! I always suspected the Lennons weren’t to be trusted. Thankfully, I opposed any partnership with them from the start. Look at this—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Even their daughter is ill-mannered and has a foul mouth, unable to distinguish right from wrong. Ugh!" The speaker pretended to clear a bad taste from their mouth, rolling their eyes in disdain.
If Sienna thought the gossip would end there, she was mistaken. Another voice cut through the murmurs. "What a presumptuous family. I heard it was Tyler Lennon who was involved in the drugging incident at the Dragon Palace Hotel. Did the Lennons really think they were sothing special just because they managed to trick a minor family into thinking they were climbing the social ladder? What a bunch of gold diggers." After the remark, a group nearby burst into laughter, as if they had just heard the funniest joke.
One voice joined in with a sneer. "She even had the nerve to confront the actual person Mr. Everett is interested in. For all we know, she might already be his girlfriend, and that crazy girl had the audacity to accuse her of seducing Mr. Everett and all sorts of other nasty things. Maybe she thinks everyone is as dirty as she is." This statent sparked a wave of laughter that spread across the entire deck, as the speaker had ensured that everyone could hear their scornful words.
A woman giggled as she added a cutting remark, "Can you believe the Lennons were arrogant enough to attempt sothing like drugging soone in the Avery’s territory? It’s truly a blessing to be so blissfully ignorant."
The individuals speaking out against the Lennons were clearly part of the elite upper crust of the wealthy circle. They had little patience for anyone from the Lennons, who they felt were overestimating their own importance and flaunting their modest influence in front of people sitting higher than them.
Not only were they doing Zhane and Dave a favor by defending the woman they were interested in, but they also couldn’t tolerate seeing those beneath them overstepping their bounds and making a nuisance of themselves.
They felt it was necessary to put such people in their place to prevent them from jeopardizing others’ legitimate opportunities to forge valuable connections and build aningful relationships.
At the sa ti, they considered those who aligned with the Lennons, without realizing they were being manipulated, to be lacking in perceptiveness and judgnt. Such individuals, in their view, were diocre in ability and failed to understand character and intentions.
Given their inability to recognize such manipulations, it was clear these individuals would likely achieve only diocre success in the business world. In business, the ability to discern people’s true character is crucial; it can determine whether a venture will thrive or falter. A single mistake or misjudgnt could lead to significant setbacks or failure, making perceptiveness a vital asset.
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