Chapter 210: She’s Crying Again
In the face of real power, all pretense had to give way. Elsie had only managed to stay afloat these past few years by clinging to Owen and Paul, thinking that was enough to elevate her. But the truth was, outside of the little greenhouse those two built around her, Elsie couldn’t withstand a single storm.
“Excuse me, please let me through!” Owen’s voice rose from the back of the crowd. He pushed his way forward, clearly in a rush. By the time he came into view, his neatly styled hair had come undone, strands falling across his forehead, even the collar of his suit had come loose. But he couldn’t have cared less about appearances. The moment he saw Elsie crying on the ground with blood on her lip, his expression changed. He pulled out a handkerchief and gently pressed it to her wound.
Elsie gasped between sobs and clung to Owen’s jacket. “Owen, don’t worry about me. I need to apologize to Taylor. I was the one who gave the ginseng. I don’t know how it got listed under her name; this whole mess is my fault. If she slapped me, I probably deserved it…”
“She gave the ginseng?”
“Who is this girl, sending hundred-year-old ginseng to Mr. Jackson?”
“I’ve seen her before—Ms. Saunders, right? She attended a medical conference once. Seemed like a polite young lady.”
Someone whispered, “Ms. Saunders? Isn’t that Wyatt’s fiancée?”
“No, no—that’s just the one listed under the Saunders name. That girl spent years in a psych ward, from what I heard. This one is the real Ms. Saunders. And unmarried, too.”
Huajing heard the whispers and cast a sideways glance at Carl. Sure enough, Carl’s face had gone dark. She’s the real Ms. Saunders, then that makes Yunice… just a stand-in? It’s laughable, completely backward! What a joke!
And Owen was devoted to the daughter of the very people who had hurt his parents. It was both pathetic and disheartening.
Owen helped Elsie to her feet, believing every word she said. His brows drew together as he turned to Taylor. “It was just a mix-up with the gift ledger, Ms. Taylor. Did you really need to be so aggressive? What you did today reflects poorly on both the Powell and Kendall families.”
He’d once had a bit of a crush on Taylor, but after she broke Elsie’s finger the last time, that fondness had vanished completely.
Chapter 216: She’s Crying Again
Taylor shot back, “She deliberately wore the same dress as me and got her gift listed under my name. Mr. Owen, who’s really trying to stir things up here!”
One of Taylor’s friends stepped in to back her up. “Exactly. She obviously wanted to steal the spotlight. Fine, the gift list was a mistake—but no one forced her to wear that dress.”
Plenty of guests had noticed the identical dresses. And in a crowd like this, full of sharp minds and sharper instincts, everyone could see through the act. It was so obvious—she was trying to piggyback on Taylor’s status to boost her own exposure.
Elsie shook her head in Owen’s arms, tearful and trembling. “Owen, I wasn’t trying to compete with Taylor. Someone sent me the dress and told me to wear it to the party. I don’t even know how it turned out like this…”
Taylor sneered, “You’ve always got an excuse. So who supposedly sent you the dress?”
Elsie whispered, “I don’t know…”
Owen’s frown deepened. He didn’t believe Elsie would pull a stunt like that. Someone had to be setting her up.
Thinking back to the tension between Taylor and Elsie, Owen couldn’t help but spiral into a conspiracy theory. He muttered, “Ms. Taylor… did you send Elsie the dress? Was this your plan to humiliate her?”
That dress was a custom piece—only Taylor and her designer had access to the original. How else would Elsie know?
Taylor’s face twisted in disgust. She had never found Owen so repulsive.
Before the argument could escalate, the old man returned. He had changed outfits and reentered the hall, instantly drawing everyone’s attention back.
Elsie’s eyes lit up. I need to make the most of this ginseng! She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, stepped forward, and positioned herself sweetly in front of Jackson.
“Mr. Jackson,” she said softly, “Paul told me you’ve been under the weather lately. I traveled halfway across the country and finally managed to buy this wild hundred-year-old ginseng from a farmer. If it can help restore your health, it would be the greatest honor for the ginseng—and for me.”
When she finished, Jackson kept his smile, but his expression noticeably stiffened.
“The Saunders family and Powell family must be real close. Even the old man’s health issues made it to her ears…”
“I heard the two families go way back—generations of close ties.”
Chapter 210: She’s Crying Again
The way people looked at Elsie changed. They figured if she could, she must be worth cultivating. Connections like that were valuable.
Send Gifts