Seizing the moment, Lorna quickly pulled him aside and murmured, “Son, don’t let your father find out about the embezzlement. He won’t forgive you.”
Derek felt a cold sweat on his back, gripped by fear. The truth, he realized, had come out far sooner than he anticipated. Just two days earlier, Melinda had uploaded photos of her dress online, igniting Derek’s fear that his deception might be discovered. Nothing had occurred immediately, and Derek had slowly begun to relax. Yet, unexpectedly, the issue surfaced during the engagement party
Luckily, Lorna was helping him cover it up. After some contemplation, Derek approached Neil and explained, “Dad, Mom’s been overwhelmed with the party preparations. She got fooled by a crooked broker. But it’s only thirty million. Just let it slide. I’ll earn it back soon.”
Earning thirty million wasn’t a daunting task for a top internet celebrity like him. Neil, convinced of Derek’s ability to amass wealth, decided not to delve further. He turned his attention to Melinda and said, “Melinda, Lorna’s oversight has caused you distress.”
Melinda, realizing she was wearing a fake dress, couldn’t hold back her tears. Yet, she stubbornly believed that if her dress was a fake, then Marissa’s must be as well. Pointing at Marissa, she questioned Virgil, “Her dress is a fake too, right?”
As soon as Melinda finished speaking, Ayla chimed in enthusiastically, “Exactly. Tiffany’s dress has to be counterfeit too. There’s no way she can afford Sara’s design! Miss Warren was duped into wearing fake attire by mistake. She, on the other hand, wears a fake deliberately to appear wealthy!”
Everyone agreed with Ayla. Tiffany had cultivated a reputation for being clueless, leading everyone to doubt her ability to possess such luxurious attire. Thus, fueled by the assertions from Melinda and Ayla, the group regarded Marissa with disdain
Ignoring their judgmental glances, Marissa gave Virgil an indifferent look. Understanding his boss’s silent command, Virgil spoke up with authority. “This lady is wearing the authentic Purple Angel gown, valued at thirty million and crafted by Sara, the leading designer at our Sarth Group.”
A wave of shock swept through the crowd
“Oh my goodness! It really is the Purple Angel. It’s no wonder this dress caught my eye immediately.”
“Thirty million dollars? How on earth did Tiffany acquire such wealth?”
Sansa and Ayla were utterly flabbergasted. It was beyond their comprehension that Tiffany, typically clad in shabby garments, would one day wear a dress of such grandeur. They refused to accept it. Chloe felt bewildered
She recalled the conversation between Leila and Rachel about Marissa and Connor’s agreement to enter into a sham marriage. Why would Connor buy such an expensive dress for his fake wife? It certainly wasn’t Connor who bought the dress! If not Connor, then who? Was there another benefactor behind Marissa? But how could an unassuming village girl catch the eye of such a wealthy man?
Melinda, her fists clenched tight enough to bury her nails in her flesh, confronted Virgil. “Mr. Hanson, are you merely trying to avoid offending the hostess of the Daniels family by lying? It’s disappointing to see Sarth Group, a beacon in the fashion industry, show such cowardice.”
Virgil’s expression grew stern. “Miss Warren, you must not question the integrity of the Sarth Group. Since you have doubts, I will clarify them right here.”
He then turned respectfully towards Marissa. “Ma’am, every dress from the Sarth Group comes with a small bag containing a fabric sample attached by the tag. May we see it, please?”
Luckily, Marissa had not yet removed the tag. She confidently pulled off the tag and displayed the bag with the fabric sample. Virgil carefully took the bag in both hands, gently opened the outer packaging, and extracted the fabric sample
“Everyone, this is a sample of the finest taffeta. To demonstrate the authenticity of this gown, I will perform an on-the-spot test. The way to verify real silk is by burning it. Genuine silk smells like burning feathers when ignited and turns into fine ash with a gentle rub. Additionally, there’s a remarkable aspect unique to the finest taffeta. As it burns, the white smoke spirals upward, forming cloud-like swirls-a spectacle that can’t be produced by burning any other fabric.”
With no further ado, Virgil produced a lighter and set the fabric sample ablaze. True to his words, as the fabric burned, white smoke gracefully ascended in spirals, resembling ethereal clouds, and carried a faint scent reminiscent of feathers. The crowd murmured in awe
“I’ve witnessed various silks being burned, but never have I seen such distinctive clouds.”
“It’s clear why Sara’s taffeta is regarded as the finest. It possesses a unique charm.”
“Such exquisite fabric truly merits its thirty-million-dollar price tag.”
As the fabric sample finished burning, Virgil lightly rubbed the residue, and it disintegrated into a fine, brown powder. Lifting his gaze, Virgil addressed the crowd assertively, “Does anyone else have any doubts?”
No one could harbor any doubts now. The dress Marissa wore was unmistakably the Purple Angel designed by Sara. Instantly, Marissa became the object of envy among all the female guests. Each woman longed to don such lavish attire and stand out in the crowd
Envy and spite filled Sansa’s and Ayla’s eyes. Melinda, visibly agitated, scoffed, “Oh, Tiffany, so you’re wearing the real Purple Angel. Big deal! Everyone knows you’re a failure who couldn’t possibly afford it. Come on, tell us, did your foolish lover buy it for you?”
Suddenly, a loud clap echoed through the hall. Connor had slapped Melinda across the face. “How dare you!”
Stunned, Melinda retorted defiantly, “Connor, Tiffany has betrayed you with another man. Aren’t you going to do anything about it?”
Connor signaled to Domenic, who promptly produced the purchase certificate and invoice. Snatching them up, Connor hurled them at Melinda’s face, his voice icy. “See for yourself.”
Melinda picked up the documents from the floor, and the onlookers crowded around to inspect them
“It appears Mr. Connor Daniels is the one who purchased the dress for Tiffany.”
“Whoever said that Mr. Daniels didn’t care for Tiffany? He was ready to shell out thirty million dollars just to buy her a dress. Clearly, he holds her in high regard.”
Following this revelation, everyone swiftly distanced themselves from Sansa and Ayla. Moments earlier, Sansa and Ayla had been relentless, badgering Tiffany like mad dogs. The crowd feared that they might get caught in the fallout when Connor decided to discipline the two of them
Initially, bolstered by Melinda and numerous others, Sansa and Ayla had led the charge. But now, they found themselves suddenly isolated, unsure of what to do next
In the midst of their panic, Connor declared, “Remove these two nuisances. They are banned from attending any Daniels family functions from here on out.”
Marc and Terry, who had been waiting for their cue, promptly stepped up and dragged Sansa and Ayla away, much like hauling away lifeless bodies
Melinda trembled with fear. Today was her engagement party, and she had intended to overshadow Marissa in the celebrations. Instead, Melinda found herself publicly humiliated and even physically assaulted. Now, she dreaded the possible consequences that might follow. Regret washed over Melinda for her actions
Connor shot Melinda a frosty look and rebuked, “I don’t care about the kind of upbringing you had in the Warren family, but once you’re a Daniels, you need to learn to respect your elders and shed your devious ways.” This chastisement left the entire Warren family disgraced. Was he accusing them of poor upbringing?
Trenton, red-faced and uncomfortable, wanted to defend his family, but Connor’s authoritative presence silenced him
Tears welled up in Melinda’s eyes as she clenched her fists, her body nearly breaking under the weight of her jealousy and grief. Connor paused, then added, “Given that your engagement party is today, I won’t discipline you this time. However, repeat this mistake, and expect twice the punishment. Understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” Melinda replied, her voice wavering with sobs. Connor turned away, addressing the gathered crowd. “Let it be known. If anyone else dares to slander my wife, expect no mercy from me.”
No sooner had Connor finished than Arabella chimed in, “And should anyone think to mistreat my grandson-in-law again, they’ll find I’m no less forgiving.”
Arabella gestured towards Marissa’s neck and declared, “Do you all see this? It was part of my dowry, and now, I’ve passed it on to my granddaughter-in-law.”
A voice from the crowd exclaimed, “Oh my! It’s no wonder that necklace caught my eye. Since it once belonged to Mrs. Arabella Daniels as part of her dowry, that must be an incredibly valuable piece.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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