Chapter 201: Not Going

Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Not Going

"That whole business with Gael Keane, when you get down to it, he’s just reaping what he sowed. The underage girl deliberately hid her real age to sneak into the club and work as a hostess. He was dead drunk that night, saw she was somewhat attractive, and got some wicked ideas. And as it happened, the girl was a vain social climber. Faced with his advances and pressure, she was half-resisting, half-complying. Afterward, the situation blew up. When the girl’s parents found out, they went straight to the Keane family’s front door, demanding Gael take responsibility for their daughter."

"And what kind of family are the Keanes? They’ve always been snobs who only care about marriages between social equals. Why would they ever accept a daughter-in-law from a lowly background who lied about her age? The negotiations completely broke down. In a fit of rage, the girl’s parents sued Gael Keane directly. Now the whole affair is the talk of the town."

"So you’re saying he was set up?"

"If he could have just controlled himself, not given in to greed and lust, and not acted recklessly after drinking, how could he have ended up so utterly disgraced? In the end, he brought it all on himself." Gwen Grayson’s voice was icy, her eyes filled with disdain and disgust. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief that she hadn’t been foolish enough to get involved with Gael Keane back then.

’If I had actually ended up with someone like that, and this sordid affair had happened, I would just feel utterly nauseated.’

’Getting drunk and letting yourself run wild, with no self-control or bottom line—that kind of person is just trash, rotten to the core.’

Thinking back on the slight, shallow crush she once had on Gael Keane, Gwen Grayson now found it absurd and laughable.

Vesper Grayson sat to the side, treating it all as irrelevant gossip, her expression unruffled. Such incidents were common in the circles of the rich and powerful. It was nothing more than each party getting what they wanted—one craved wealth and status, hoping to climb the social ladder, while the other lusted after beauty. Ending up with both sides losing was hardly a surprise.

’The Keane family would certainly never let a woman like that through their doors. They’ll just have to bleed a little money to send her away.’

’The lawsuit is only because they haven’t agreed on a price yet.’

She looked up at Gwen Grayson, her tone placid. "I’m not going to the blind date. You go meet him first and see what your first impression is. If you feel comfortable with him and want to pursue things, then get his personal information for me. I’ll have someone investigate him quietly to see if he’s truly worthy of you spending your life with him."

Now that she was pregnant, she felt naturally lethargic and didn’t want to make a public appearance for such a trivial matter.

Besides, if she went, her looks would inevitably steal Gwen’s thunder. Joyce Rivers already held a grudge against her, and who knew what kind of resentment she would harbor this time, creating a lot of unnecessary trouble.

Hearing this, Gwen Grayson’s face immediately fell. She sidled over pitifully, tugging on Vesper Grayson’s sleeve and whining.

"Sis, are you really not coming with me? I’m a little nervous going alone."

"I’m not going," Vesper Grayson said firmly. Her eyes lifted in a slight, teasing arch to lighten the mood. "What if I go and the blind date falls for me instead? How would we handle that?"

Gwen Grayson was momentarily stunned into silence, at a loss for words.

She had to admit, Vesper Grayson possessed a face of supreme, breathtaking beauty. Her features were exquisitely perfect, and her cool, unique aura was enough to captivate both men and women. Who could possibly look away from a face like that?

Seeing her speechless, Vesper Grayson simply raised an eyebrow and smoothly changed the subject.

"I might not be at the company much for a while. You’ll have to keep a closer eye on things there."

Ever since confirming her pregnancy, her body’s reactions had become more and more pronounced. She was drowsy and fatigued all day, and her appetite was dwindling. Nothing tasted good.

The morning sickness she had been dreading the most had arrived without warning, and it seemed to be getting progressively worse.

If the morning sickness continued to torment her, she planned to work from home and recuperate, leaving all the trivial matters like external business meetings and errands to Gwen Grayson.

Gwen Grayson’s expression immediately turned serious, and she nodded solemnly. "Don’t worry, Sis. I’ll be sure to manage the company’s affairs diligently. You won’t have to worry about a thing."

During the family dinner, Gwen Grayson and Jonathan Grayson were the first to rise. They presented Joyce Rivers with her birthday gifts and spoke in unison.

"Mom, happy birthday!"

"Mom, I hope you stay young forever and live a long, healthy life."

Looking at her son and daughter, Joyce Rivers’s face was wreathed in genuine smiles, her heart filled with joy and emotion.

Finally, it was Vesper Grayson’s turn. She had never been good with flowery, pleasing pleasantries and simply said, "Miss Joyce, happy birthday."

Joyce Rivers reached out for the gift box. When she opened it and saw the diamond necklace inside, a flicker of surprise, nearly imperceptible, crossed her face.

The craftsmanship of the diamond’s cut, its color, and its clarity were all top-tier. It had to be worth several million at the very least—it was by no means an ordinary gift.

She suppressed her astonishment and said coolly, "Thank you."

’In truth, when I first married into the Grayson family, I once tried to treat young Vesper with sincerity, out of love for her husband. Back then, Vesper was bright and clever, as exquisitely carved as a jade doll, but the child was naturally shy and never let me get close. On top of that, Milton Grayson always doted on Vesper with extraordinary care and favoritism. Over time, resentment and a grudge began to grow in my heart.’

’Later, after I became pregnant with my own children, my hostility toward Vesper deepened. In my eyes, she was always the biggest rival to my own children for the family inheritance.’

’Further down the line, I would constantly argue with Milton over his shameless favoritism toward Vesper and his differential treatment of my children. Somehow, word of this reached the Grayson family patriarch. The old man made a special trip back, insisting on taking Vesper to Mount Corvath to raise her personally.’

’Milton was heartbroken and firmly refused, but no one knew what the old man said to him in the study. In the end, Milton relented.’

’After Vesper left for Mount Corvath, the conflicts between Milton and me did indeed ease. We never fought over Vesper again. At that time, I even secretly wished that Vesper would never, ever come back.’

’I’ve never seen Vesper’s biological mother, but looking at Vesper’s stunning, flawless face, it’s not hard to imagine that her birth mother must have been a peerless, radiant beauty. Otherwise, how could she have captivated Milton for his entire life, to the point that he still can’t forget her?’

’That mother and daughter have always been the bane of my existence!’

After the family dinner, Vesper Grayson returned to Citadel One with Jared Hawthorne.

In the car on the way back, Vesper Grayson leaned back in the passenger seat and asked the man beside her in a low voice.

"Why did you prepare such an expensive diamond necklace for her?"

In truth, she had come to the Grayson family home today without any gift at all. Jared Hawthorne had secretly pressed the necklace into her hand just before dinner. She hadn’t known how valuable it was until Joyce Rivers opened the box.

Jared Hawthorne kept his eyes on the road, his voice deep. "I prepared that modest gift out of respect for your father. You know as well as I do that Joyce already harbors ill feelings toward you. If we were lacking in etiquette and caused another argument between her and your father, she would only take all her resentment out on you, making you suffer for no reason."

"But even with this gift, her attitude toward me won’t change at all." Vesper Grayson pressed her lips together, her tone flat. How could prejudice and hostility built up over more than a decade be completely erased by a single gift?

Jared Hawthorne glanced at her, a smile touching his lips. "We just need to observe the proper etiquette. The rest is her problem. Besides, it’s not like we come back to the Grayson family every day."

Hearing this, Vesper Grayson’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and she nodded lightly.

"Right. If it weren’t for Dad, I wouldn’t have wanted to come at all."

「In the blink of an eye, the day of the court hearing arrived.」

Sheryl Garland stood alone at the defendant’s stand, her figure so thin it seemed a gust of wind could blow her over. Her face was ashen, her eyes filled with panic and helplessness.