Chapter 195: You Are Unbelievable
It had been a long time since Tiffany had been this close to Casimir. She couldn’t help but blush, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red as a surge of emotions overwhelmed her. When Casimir stepped forward, the despair in Waverly’s eyes was replaced with a spark of hope.
“Casimir, save me!”
Casimir stared at Tiffany, his tone calm yet firm. “Ms. Tiffany, this is a minor issue. There’s no need to go to such extreme measures to take her away. After all, Waverly is the daughter of the Goodridge family. The Lorimer and Goodridge families have long shared the same social circles. There’s no need for unnecessary conflict.”
To everyone’s surprise, Casimir spoke up in Waverly’s defense. Tiffany’s expression darkened instantly, and her voice became stern.
“You call this a minor issue? My birthday cake was destroyed, and my assistant was injured! So tell me, Mr. Sutherland, what, in your opinion, actually counts as a big issue? Murder? Arson?”
Casimir, unfazed by her scorn, remained composed. “Waverly is my fiancée. Ms. Tiffany, I’d appreciate it if you could show me some respect and let her go.”
“Show you respect?” Tiffany repeated, narrowing her eyes. “Your reputation carries weight, no doubt. But that reputation also hinges on the worth of your fiancée, doesn’t it?”
She turned to Waverly, her gaze filled with disdain, scrutinizing her as though she were no more than someone stripped of all dignity.
“What exactly makes this woman worthy of you? She showed zero respect for etiquette at my event, recklessly knocking over my cake without any trace of the grace expected from someone of her status. And instead of apologizing, she escalated things by physically attacking someone. At this point, it’s no longer just bad manners—it’s a legal matter. I really can’t fathom what you see in her. A man known for his maturity and good judgment, yet even you seem to have made a poor choice this time.”
Hearing Tiffany’s scornful words, Waverly burned with anger, but she didn’t dare to show it. Against Tiffany’s overwhelming influence, she felt like a helpless stray dog backed into a corner, powerless to resist the bullying. Embarrassed, she cast a fleeting glance at Casimir, her heart sinking into utter hopelessness.
After everything that had unfolded, securing her safety was already in question, let alone her marriage alliance with Casimir. That prospect had surely crumbled to dust. The thought alone was a heavy blow, leaving her drowning in sorrow so profound that she wept uncontrollably. Her tear-filled eyes shimmered, and her gentle sobs pulled at everyone’s emotions.
Even Tiffany couldn’t ignore the undeniable impact of Waverly’s innate fragility at that moment. She carried an air of delicate vulnerability, a quality that stirred a deep protective instinct in others. It was no surprise that both Samuel and Casimir had fallen for her. She was a pretentious woman.
Casimir’s expression tightened in response to Tiffany’s taunts, yet his determination to protect Waverly remained steadfast.
“Ms. Tiffany, you have no right to pass judgment on the character of my fiancée. I’m asking you to let her go. If possible, take this as a favor I owe you.” His face grew serious, though his plea remained sincere.
Tiffany, however, was entirely unfazed. With a sneer, she shot back, “And if I refuse?”
At his signal, two lines of bodyguards marched into the banquet hall. One group represented the Lorimer family, while the other belonged to the Sutherland family. The two groups of bodyguards stood in the center of the hall. Tension crackled in the air as both sides stood poised for confrontation, the atmosphere heavy with an unspoken threat of conflict.
“If you refuse to relent, then let’s settle this with a contest,” Casimir growled, his handsome features darkened with sullen anger. “Let’s see whose bodyguards truly come out on top.”
Tiffany’s face flushed crimson with fury as she pointed a trembling finger at Casimir. “Casimir, you’re unbelievable! You’re actually willing to turn against me over a woman like her?”
“Waverly is not some kind of disaster; she is my fiancée. You’re not taking her away from me—not unless you want to break ties with both me and the Sutherland family!” His words carried significant weight. By mentioning the Sutherland family, Casimir elevated the issue from a personal dispute to a full-blown clash between two powerful families.
The guests, witnessing this standoff, were dumbfounded. They never thought they would live to see the heirs of two prominent families locked in such an intense feud over something so trivial. It was just a toppled cake and an injured bystander, yet these events had dragged the interests of two powerful families into the fray. It all seemed like a game of make-believe. But no, this was no child’s play. The ripples of this confrontation were destined to shake the very foundations of high society in Jexburgh. The guests watched with barely concealed excitement, eagerly speculating on who would emerge victorious in this clash of egos and influence.
For Waverly, however, it was a moment of salvation. Hearing Casimir pledge to protect her, invoking the weight of his family name, sent a surge of elation through her. The despair that had clouded her eyes faded, replaced with a renewed glimmer of hope.