Chapter 526
Chapter 526:
Seeing an opening, Richard quickly latched onto it like a drowning man grabbing a lifeline. He reached for Vince’s hand and said with a broad smile, “Vince, such generosity is overwhelming. How have your families been lately? I’ll bring Rosanna by for a visit soon p>
But to his astonishment, Vince immediately pulled his hand away, wearing a cold smile laced with contempt.
Vince hadn’t let go of how the Morgan family had acted just moments before — every insult still fresh in his mind. If it weren’t for the need to bring Maia back to the Morgan family and win his grandfather’s blessing to marry her, he wouldn’t have spared the Morgan family a second glance.
The gift he brought wasn’t random. He’d picked it with Maia in mind, and considering how tight money had gotten for the Wards, it carried genuine meaning.
Without even sparing Rosanna a single glance, Vince walked directly over to Maia, holding out the box. “Happy birthday, Maia p>
Rosanna’s expression snapped like a rubber band. It was as if someone had slapped her across the face — her skin flushed crimson in an instant.
Richard and Sandra didn’t fare much better. Their faces drained of color. Richard even stumbled back a step, clearly rattled.
How had this happened? Why were the very people they’d been so desperate to impress now lining up to show favor to Maia?
Whatever hold the Morgan family thought they had, it was slipping fast — and the chaos now unfolding was beyond anything they could reel back in.
Standing off to the side, Claudius narrowed his eyes at Vince. He’d already looked into Maia’s background and knew that the two had once been engaged. Now, seeing this play out, he could only sneer inwardly — aside from Chris, there was a whole swarm of irrelevant men circling Maia.
And Vince? He was the worst of them. Arrogant. Unworthy. A has-been from a family sliding into ruin.
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Since the Ward family was already on the verge of collapse, Claudius figured that he might as well accelerate their downfall and make them vanish completely from the ranks of the four great families in Wront. He’d been waiting for an excuse to swallow up their businesses anyway.
Vince’s gesture caught Maia off guard, but her face stayed still — no warmth in her gaze, no flutter in her chest, no disappointment at all. She’d stopped expecting anything from him long ago.
“I can’t take this,” Maia said, taking a step back, her voice calm but resolute.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd — no one had expected Vince to still be clinging to her like this.
Wasn’t he putting Rosanna in an impossible spot all over again, and in front of so many eyes?
For a brief moment, Vince froze, his expression faltering as the rejection landed. He hadn’t thought that she’d turn him down again.
Words caught in his throat, but before he could get anything out, someone barreled past and shoved him aside.
It was Jarrod.
The frustration that had been simmering inside him finally boiled over. After betraying Maia and shaming the Morgan family during Rosanna’s engagement party, Vince had lost every right to stand here.
Jarrod had seen enough. He didn’t want Vince anywhere near his sisters — ever again.
“She said no, didn’t she? Take the hint and get lost,” Jarrod retorted, not even bothering to be civil.
Off to the side, Claudius watched the drama unfold, a cold smile tugging at his lips.