Meanwhile, Zoe kept her head low in anger. She dared not utter a word after what had happened.
Betty learned about the incident just now and secretly laughed and relished in Zoeâs rare display of dejection.
Preston laughed merrily and replied, âDad, donât mention it. Of course, Iâd help my niece. I canât be helping the outsiders, can I?â
His remark reminded Cornelius of Landonâs recent behavior.
Right then, Landon showed up and announced, âGrandpa, Mom, weâre here.â
Everyone turned to look at him. He strode over, fingers interlacing with Lauren, looking as sweet as newlyweds.
Landon cast a loving gaze at the shy Lauren, to the envy of the onlookers. Nevertheless, there was tension in the air. Cornelius and Penelope treated the couple with an icy demeanor.
âOh gosh, is Mr. Landon with Ms. Lauren now?â Daisy, who was oblivious to the complex dynamics, broke the ice. âWow, you make a lovely couple! Congratulations in advance to both of you, as well as your parents!â
Javier and Sophia seemed unbothered by the remark, but Penelopeâs smile froze. Betty stared glumly at Lauren, only to be stunned by Laurenâs outfit.
Lauren was clad in a light yellow chiffon cocktail dress adorned with black ribbon, the work of renowned designer Rose Emerson. Betty burned in jealousy when she set sight on Laurenâs dazzling dress, especially because it was tough to get oneâs hands on Rose Prior to this, Betty had attempted to make appointments a few times, only to be turned down. Never had she expected her younger sibling to have the honor of wearing Roseâs design before herself. Betty worried that the others might look down on her and think that she was beneath Lauren despite being born into the same family.
Betty did not have to guess. She knew Landon had bought the dress for Lauren. The thought added to her resentment. She clutched at her dress so tightly that she nearly ruined it.
âIf I remember correctly, youâre friends with Jasper, arenât you, Landon? Your friendship resembles mine with Winston. Itâs great news that youâre in love with Lauren and getting hitched,â remarked Victor with a smile.
He turned to Cornelius and remarked, âCongratulations, Mr. Cornelius. Whenâs the wedding?â
Cornelius smirked without answering, a clear indication of his disapproval of Lauren, which he did not bother to conceal in front of Javier.
The situation grew awkward. Corneliusâ attitude did not sit well with Javier and Sophia. Despite her heartlessness, Sophia could not stand seeing the Harpers looking down at her daughter.
âMr. Victor, the wedding is near. When the time comes, I will send your the invitation in person. Do grace my big day with your presence,â said Landon as he held Laurenâs hand with a bright smile. It was as if they were getting married tomorrow.
All the while, Lauren stared at her feet shyly and stood close to her lover. The love between them was firm enough to withstand harsh disapproval.
âLandon, marriage is not childâs play. It is a serious matter that needs. her emotions.
Still, she couldnât bring herself to openly express her disapproval like Preston had encouraged her to do. Instead, she opined, âYou havenât known Ms. Lauren for that long. Donât you think itâs unwise to talk about marriage at this stage?â
âThatâs right, Landon. Youâre notorious for dating around before you settled down with Ms. Lauren. You pampered your exes, giving them whatever they wanted.â