Whispers began to spread around, “There’s a thief…”
“How disgraceful…”
“Stealing from Marilyn…”
Each word felt like a mountain pressing down on Callie. She never looked at Nelson, nor did she respond to his intense gaze.
A crowd had gathered. Sienna and Ahmad arrived upon hearing the commotion and frowned at the sight of Marilyn confronting a stranger.
“Catching a thief is quite a novelty,” Isaac remarked as he prepared to leave, only to be stopped by Jaquan. With a heavy tone, Jaquan said, “Don’t be in such a hurry. Do you have something important to handle?”
Isaac furrowed his brows in confusion.
The hat belonged to Jaquan, but it was Marilyn who noticed the flower on it.
As the media raised their cameras, Callie finally spoke, “Miss Ellison, I did not steal your belongings.”
“With such clear evidence, you still dare to deny it?” Marilyn sneered and pressed further, “If you didn’t steal, then where is your invitation? Without an invitation, did you sneak in? Why are you dressed like this?”
Her gaze fell on Mikayla, who was at a loss for words.
“She came to see me.” A calm voice suddenly broke the silence, captivating everyone’s attention.
Callie looked up in surprise at the man before her.
Marilyn was incredulous. She clutched Nelson’s sleeve and gently shook her head, signaling him not to proceed.
But Nelson seemed oblivious. He stepped forward and stood beside Callie. “She came to see me. Is there a problem with that?”
The crowd gasped in astonishment.
Even Sienna exchanged a shocked glance with Ahmad.
Jaquan’s grip on Isaac’s hand tightened, his eyes bloodshot.
“Nelson…”
Callie was equally stunned. She looked at Nelson, whose profile exuded an unapproachable aura.
“I put the hat on her just now. It has nothing to do with her,” Nelson calmly explained to everyone. “If you want to hold someone accountable, come to me. I will compensate you tenfold for the hat tomorrow.”
Marilyn stood frozen in place.
The murmurs grew louder. This “theft” was neither significant nor trivial, and Marilyn didn’t lack a hat.
But Nelson had stepped forward, something no one expected!
For the first time, he publicly protected a woman!
Who was this woman?
All eyes turned to Callie.
Marilyn trembled as she spoke, “Why are you doing this…”
She had been certain that Nelson wouldn’t reveal Callie in front of the media, but she hadn’t expected him to actually do it.
He was crazy… Did he understand what this meant?
Nelson took Callie’s hand and raised it high. “I brought my wife to the party. Is that too much to ask?”
The crowd erupted once more.
The sound of cameras clicking was deafening as the media eagerly captured the moment.
This was Nelson’s wife!
Most people knew Nelson had a wife but didn’t know who she was. No one expected him to reveal her at Marilyn’s birthday party!
This news was destined to be tomorrow’s headline.
Callie, as the person involved, was also surprised. She hadn’t expected him to do this…
She tried to pull her hand away, but Nelson’s grip was firm. He looked at her with deep determination in his eyes. “This time, and every time after, you can trust me.”