Riley Lancaster wasn’t blind to the important figures surrounding Sean Sheffield. Seeing Zoe Lancaster sitting right there only amplified the thrill in her heart. Today marked the true beginning of her new life, and naturally, it was best to have Zoe watch it all unfold! She walked up to Sean, a subtle trace of ambition in her expression. "Sheffield, what a coincidence. Do you have some time after this is over? Let’s have a chat."
Propping his temple with one hand, Sean looked at the woman before him with lazy indifference. "Are we close?"
The smile on Riley’s face instantly froze. She hadn’t expected Sean to be so cold. She had purposefully made a high-profile approach just so everyone would see. Now, not only was Sean not giving her any face, he was utterly humiliating her—especially with Zoe watching!
She quickly adjusted her composure and forced a smile. "Sheffield, please don’t joke around with me. There’s no need to hide our... relationship from the public. I really don’t mind." Especially now that she was pregnant. She was bound to be Mrs. Sheffield sooner or later!
Zoe frowned as she studied Riley. Her and Sean? She never would have imagined linking the two of them together. Suddenly, she recalled how Riley had recently vowed that she had met a distinguished VIP and boasted about marrying him. Could that person actually be Sean? No wonder Riley had been acting so high and mighty. The Sheffield Family was indeed an illustrious one, second only to the Hawthorne Family in Kingsford. But...
Zoe couldn’t help but observe Sean’s expression. From the very beginning, his smile remained lazy and frivolous. He showed no surprise or any other emotion at Riley’s arrival. The way he looked at her was exactly like looking at... garbage.
Sean curled his lips. "Our relationship?
"What relationship? Are you my girlfriend?" he asked with a laugh. "How come I didn’t know I suddenly got a girlfriend? Don’t talk nonsense now; I haven’t even had my first love yet."
Riley’s face turned ashen with embarrassment. The surrounding gazes shifted, laced with mockery and disdain. Taking a deep breath, she knew she couldn’t show weakness now. She could only press on, "Can we go have a private chat? I have something very important to tell you."
She reasoned that if they could settle things privately, that would be ideal. If Sean refused to acknowledge her, she would publicly reveal her pregnancy to force a marriage. Once public opinion swelled, the Sheffield Family wouldn’t be able to deny it. She could only hope Sean would be reasonable.
This time, Sean didn’t refuse. He stood up good-naturedly. "Alright, follow me."
The two left one after the other.
Shortly after their departure, Wendy Lawrence swaggered over, carrying a limited-edition Gucci bag. Her smug expression completely failed to mask the tacky aura of someone who had grown up in poverty and suddenly married into wealth. She spotted Zoe sitting nearby. As she approached, she loudly boasted to several ladies she knew, "My daughter is dating Sean Sheffield. The two of them have been together for a while now. They’re already fully committed, so she’s definitely marrying into the Sheffield Family."
The ladies looked surprised. Some were repulsed by Wendy’s insufferably smug demeanor. Wendy didn’t care in the slightest. With clear intent, she stopped in front of Zoe, looked her up and down for a moment, and clicked her tongue. "Look at you. Your sister is so successful, yet what do you do all day? You couldn’t even hold on to the Quincy Family or secure your man. As a woman, you’re quite a failure. When your sister marries into the Sheffield Family in the future, don’t accuse me, as a mother, of playing favorites!"
Zoe looked at her calmly. "She hasn’t married him yet, has she?"
This displeased Wendy, and her tone sharpened. "You can’t just say such malicious things out of jealousy because your sister found a good family to marry into! Your sister getting together with Sean is all her own merit. Did I ever stop you from finding a good in-law family?"
Simon Hawthorne furrowed his brows slightly. A chill spread through his eyes, and a hint of mockery played on his lips. He raised his hand slightly, and Shane Shaw immediately stepped forward from behind and bowed.
Simon’s tone was laced with ice. "Have the manager bring security in to throw out this noisy nuisance." He rarely lost his temper. His excellent upbringing meant he rarely used vulgar language so openly. It was evident that he was truly annoyed at this moment.
And the reason for his annoyance... Shane glanced at Zoe, who was sitting upright nearby. Was it because that woman was bullying Zoe? Shane didn’t ask further questions and turned to carry out the order.
Peyton Joyce, sitting nearby, naturally heard this. She cast a complex look at Simon. Even though he seemed outwardly impassive and detached from the situation, he was still... defending Zoe after all.
Before security arrived, Miles Yates slowly set down his teacup next to them. His tone was gentle yet deep. "The Lancaster Family? You mean that lady living in the Lancaster home who doesn’t even have a marriage certificate?"
His unexpected interjection made Wendy’s face turn ugly for a second. When she turned her head to look, she was startled. The lighting had been dim just now, and her attention had been entirely on Zoe; she hadn’t realized the man sitting there was actually President Yates. But Miles’s words practically made her feel as though she had been stripped naked in public.
Zoe also turned her head to look at him.
The man’s gaze was mild, gentlemanly, and elegant. He seemed to have a certain approachable charm, but upon closer inspection, that wasn’t entirely true. "A stepmother, at best. Since you’ve taken on this role, even if you don’t get along, you should at least maintain some basic decency in public. Does Chairman Lancaster know about your classless words and actions, Ms. Lawrence?"
Wendy’s expression changed drastically. "No... President Yates, I was just making a..."
Miles faintly curled his lips. "It seems I haven’t thought things through regarding my project collaborations with the Lancaster Family."
Wendy’s face instantly went pale. She certainly understood how important a partnership with Miles was. If Martin Lancaster found out she had ruined this, she would have hell to pay! She frantically looked at Zoe. "You silly child, hurry up and explain! We were just joking around. There’s no need to make such a big deal out of it, right?"
Understanding that Miles was standing up for her, Zoe gave him a grateful look before saying, "What does it have to do with me if you run your mouth and cause trouble for the Lancaster Family? Even if my dad gets angry, the blame won’t fall on me."
Wendy’s vision darkened. "You!"
Simon’s gaze landed on Zoe, then discreetly swept over Miles, his eyes devoid of any warmth. This knight in shining armor certainly loved showing off. How come he had never noticed before that Miles was such a kind-hearted man?
Shane returned, bringing security with him. They stepped forward and directly grabbed hold of Wendy. "Ms. Lawrence, you are disrupting the auction. You are not welcome here."
Only then did Zoe turn her head in astonishment to look at the man, who was now lowering his eyes, absentmindedly rubbing his pinky ring.
Being evicted in public was worse than death for Wendy. More importantly, it was a blatant slap in the face to the Lancaster Family. Once Martin Lancaster found out, she’d be in deep trouble!
Wendy’s face contorted in panic as she hurriedly shouted, "My daughter is still here! I’m not leaving! I bid on items too; you can’t treat me like this!"
Zoe suddenly realized. Riley and Sean had been gone for quite a while now. What were they talking about that was taking so long?
Sean led Riley to a lounge. Sitting on the sofa, he spread his legs and lit a cigarette. "Speak."
Riley looked at the man with a touch of infatuation. His family background and looks were both absolutely impeccable. The urgency in her heart only grew stronger. "Marry me."
Sean took a drag of his cigarette. Hearing this, he curled his lips and laughed out loud.