At the Harris family’s villa, it was bustling early in the morning.
Isabella was awakened by the noise.
“Ava, what’s causing such a racket?” She sat up in bed, lazily stretching, her beautiful brows almost furrowed together.
Ava came in holding a bowl of oatmeal with milk, nonchalantly replied, ‘Aria had a stomachache early in the morning and just went to the hospital. Mrs. Ada went along too. They probably won’t make it to the banquet.’
Upon hearing this, Isabella snorted disdainfully. She had already guessed that Mrs. Ada and Aria might not fulfill their plans this time. Charlotte was impatient to reintroduce Emily into high society circles, so how could she miss such a good opportunity at the Turner family’s banquet?
Charlotte was indeed astute and could keep a cool head. She had kept Mrs. Ada and Aria entertained for so long but managed to bring them down at the most crucial moment.
In terms of scheming and patience, ten Eleanors might not necessarily be Charlotte’s match. Suddenly, Isabella felt that her mother’s loss wasn’t entirely unfair.
“Did Dad say anything?”she asked.
“David asked Lily to accompany Mrs. Ada to the hospital to take care of Aria. Emily went with you to attend the banquet,” Ava replied.
Isabella frowned slightly, feeling uncertain.
David asked Lily to go to the hospital. It was ostensibly to take care of Aria, but there were professional nurses and caregivers in the ward, so there was no need for her to take care. It seemed more like surveillance to prevent Mrs. Ada and Aria from causing trouble.
So, was Aria’s sudden accident solely Charlotte’s doing, or was it actually David’s decision? After all, Aria was just a niece, difficult to control, whereas Emily marrying into a high-status family would be of utmost benefit to him.
Silently, Isabella accepted the oatmeal, contemplating this matter while sipping it.
In Ithaca town, the Turner family was almost god-like. Their mansion estate was comparable in size to a royal palace.
At the entrance, there was a continuous stream of cars, one luxury vehicle after another. The ladies and heiresses stepping out of the cars were all stunning and noble, one more outstanding than the other.
People were probably most afraid of comparisons. In front of true wealth and power, the Harris family appeared insignificant.
David managed to strike up a conversation with a few acquaintances. After Charlotte registered the gifts, she took Emily and Isabella to greet Mrs. Hannah.
Mrs. Hannah’s room was on the third floor, and the servants led them to the elevator.
Installing an elevator in one’s own villa, besides the richest Turner family, was a rarity.
‘The second room on the left is Mrs. Hannah’s room. Please come in, ladies,’ the servant invited them respectfully.
At this moment, Mrs. Hannah’s room had turned into a lively reception area. Fortunately, the room was over a hundred square meters, so even with more people, it didn’t seem crowded.
She sat on the center sofa, surrounded by twenty-something young ladies. At first glance, they were colorful and even more beautiful than flowers in a garden.
She was chatting and laughing with them, not noticing the newcomers.
Isabella didn’t want to stand out and directly took a seat in a corner, casually observing the hustle and bustle.
At this time, the hall was also bustling.
Suddenly, Isabella felt a chill.
The crimson red wine dripped from the hem of Isabella’s dress, making a ticking sound as it fell.
“Isabella, I really didn’t mean it,” Nora said with affected sincerity.
Nora Turner was Henry’s younger sister, Mrs. Hannah’s only granddaughter. Isabella couldn’t openly get angry at her. She spilled a full glass of red wine on Isabella, claiming it was unintentional, but Isabella wouldn’t believe it even if she were beaten to death.
Where Nora was, there were always those young socialites who liked to flatter, eagerly waiting to see others’ misfortunes.
Isabella’s hand hanging at her side clenched and relaxed repeatedly before she restrained the urge to punch someone. Fists wouldn’t solve the problem.
“I’ve just turned twenty.” She suddenly said.
“What?” Nora and the others seemed to not quite understand her meaning. Could it be the effect of too much red wine, saying nonsense like this?
Isabella took a tissue and casually wiped the wine stains off her skirt, speaking calmly, “Nora, judging from the crow’s feet at the corner of your eyes, you must not be that young. Calling me ‘sister’ one after another, it gives me goosebumps.”
“You!” Nora subconsciously reached to touch the corner of her eyes. Are her crow’s feet really that severe?
People around were almost bursting into laughter. Two couldn’t hold it and actually laughed out loud. It was their first time seeing Isabella criticize someone like this, not using any foul language but making one wish they could vanish into thin air.
Nora’s face turned bright red. Through gritted teeth, she repeated the same words, just changing the address, “Isabella, I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional.”
As long as she insisted it wasn’t intentional, someone from such a humble background like Isabella couldn’t do anything to her.
After hearing Nora, Isabella remained composed, just looking down at her ruined dress, feeling a great pity. “Whether it was intentional or not, you know it in your heart. However, it doesn’t matter. Whether you did it on purpose or not, this dress is ruined because of you. It’s only fair you compensate me for a new one.”
“What?” Nora stood there stunned, encountering such a situation for the first time. Someone dared to demand compensation from her.
“This dress of mine is custom-made, worth a hundred thousand. I’ll have my assistant send you the invoice and bank account details. The esteemed Miss Turner of the Turner family shouldn’t default on payments, right?” Isabella tilted her chin, speaking calmly and methodically.
Her dress was not custom-made at all, just a thousand-dollar purchase from the internet. Splashing her with wine was a way to get some interest back, anyway, her family wasn’t short of money.
Nora was fuming but couldn’t do anything to Isabella. If she lost her temper in public, it would only make her seem uncultured.
Ignoring Nora’s anger, Isabella turned and walked towards the restroom.
She stood in front of the basin dealing with her stained dress. Then, the restroom’s door opened and closed, and Victoria walked in from outside, carrying a bag in her hand.
“Isabella, I finally found you.” Victoria stopped in front of her with a bright smile, casually placing the bag on the counter.
“I heard your clothes got wet. Fortunately, I brought a spare. Hurry up and change.”
Isabella lazily glanced at the bag on the counter, not even touching it, and said indifferently, “Then, thank you, sister.”
“We’re all sisters, stop with the formalities. Isabella, change into the clothes and go apologize to Nora. Let’s forget about today’s incident. After all, we’re guests in her house; it’s not good to offend the hosts.”
“I don’t quite understand what you mean. How did I offend Nora? She was the one who splashed wine on me, and yet, I offended her?” Isabella sneered.
Not retaliating or speaking harshly wasn’t her style.