Patrick remained stunned for a long time, standing there as if his soul had left his body.
His mind reeled, feeling as though the ground had been entirely pulled out from under him.
A terrifying, absurd thought that he had always refused to believe, always denied... ...began to sprout wildly in his mind.
Could it be that the Wynn family's previous success in securing the core partnership with Titancrest Group and the massive investment from NovaForge Capital...
...was really because of Serena?
Did Titancrest Group and NovaForge Capital choose the Wynn family because of Serena?
Was the Wynn family's foothold in Vaelion City truly all because of Serena?!
In that moment, Patrick's mind was terrifyingly clear.
The withdrawal of funds from Titancrest Group and NovaForge Capital had happened right after Serena left the Wynn family!
Was that really just a coincidence?
The thought sent an icy chill through him, and he began to tremble uncontrollably.
"Sh-She just walked in like that?" Marianne's eyes were wide with disbelief as she shrieked, "Didn't they check her invitation? Are the guards blind?"
"Maybe the guards thought Serena was Mr. Anderson and Mr. Keaton's date, so they..." Hailey's heart was twisting with jealousy.
Just moments ago, she had been flaunting her invitation in Serena's face, and now the woman had walked right in without even needing one!
This was more humiliating than a direct slap to the face.
But Hailey, having already lost her composure once, couldn't show her true feelings again.
She bit her lower lip, glancing in the direction Serena had gone, and said with feigned difficulty, "If Serena got into the banquet that way, what if she makes a fool of herself later..."
“And she's wearing a fake YB dress. There are so many socialites and wealthy women in there. If she gets found out..."
Marianne's expression soured with disgust and contempt. "So she
actually managed to sneak in!
Looking at the way those two net
men treated her, who knows...
Serena is probably their sugar baby! So filthy, so cheap!"
"Shut up!"
Agitated and furious, Patrick glared at Marianne with bloodshot eyes. "If you don't stop your insane rambling and watch where you are, you can get the hell back home right now!"
"Even if you have doubts about Serena, you don't say them in front of Mr. Anderson and Mr. Keaton! You were basically slapping them in the face!"
The more he spoke, the angrier Patrick became. He pointed at Marianne, his hand trembling. “How did I marry such a stupid woman! I told you to watch your mouth, don't you understand?"
If it weren't for the public setting, he really would have hit her again.
How could someone be so foolish?
"Dad..." Benedict sensed Patrick's intent and quickly stepped between them. "We should get inside too."
Patrick pressed a hand to his forehead, his vision darkening slightly.
His head was starting to hurt again. The pain felt like a thousand tiny needles
stabbing into his brain, making him grimace in agony.
At that moment, he felt an intense longing for...
...the soup Serena used to make for him.
He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "You... and the rest of you, keep your mouths shut! I ê don't care how Serena got in, and don't care what methods she used. You all need to remember this: the
people she's with now are all people the Wynn family cannot afford to offend!"