Chapter 388

Chapter 388:

The venue buzzed with whispers full of disdain aimed at Tatiana and her family.

Tatiana’s fists tightened as she struggled to keep the rising tide of criticism in check. After years of humbling herself because of Howard, she had finally gained the courage to lift her head, only to be met with ridicule. She believed she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“If Howard had really wanted to save me, he wouldn’t have expected anything in return!” Tatiana suddenly snapped. “Everyone talks about him like he’s some kind of hero, but deep down, he’s just as selfish as anyone else. Since he was disabled and disfigured, he should have just broken up with me. If he really loved me, he’d want me to be happy. But instead, he used the pretense of saving me to keep me tied to him.”

The venue went silent.

Elaine’s eyes widened in disbelief as she finally lost her restraint.

Smack!

A sharp slap hit Tatiana’s face.

In an instant, she snapped back to reality, staring at Elaine in shock. She couldn’t believe that Elaine had slapped her again.

“Oh, my poor girl!” Luna hurried over, gently cradling Tatiana’s face as she glared at Elaine. “Elaine, this is outrageous! Just because our family isn’t as powerful as yours, you think you can slap my daughter like that? It’s a good thing I didn’t marry into your family, or you’d be slapping her every day!”

As Luna’s accusations rang out, a bitter smile played on Elaine’s lips. She had always treated Tatiana like her own daughter and had gone out of her way to support the Fernandez family, but now she saw this family’s true colors. Ungrateful wretches! Elaine’s mind seethed with resentment.

“Elaine, you’ve gone too far. Just look at the mark you made! You owe Tatiana an apology!” Luna declared, standing upright with a haughty glare directed at Elaine. The earlier humility she had shown while courting an alliance with the Johns family was completely gone.

“It’s no surprise Tatiana turned out like this, given that she has a mother like you,” Elaine retorted with biting sarcasm.

Luna sneered, “So you’re not going to apologize? Alright. Elaine, I see how it is. Just wait! When Corbett takes over as the heir to the Klein family’s leadership, I’ll make sure Madisyn faces consequences.” Luna was brimming with self-importance, as if Corbett’s rise to heir was already guaranteed.

“Mrs. Fernandez, if you hold Corbett in such high regard, I must ask you to leave our event at once,” Andrew said as he stepped in.

With a flick of his hand, Andrew signaled security, who promptly escorted Luna and Tatiana out of the event. A hush fell over the venue as the crowd absorbed the sudden commotion.

Andrew looked at Elaine with a trace of regret in his eyes. “I apologize for my delay.”

“It’s alright,” she replied, taking a deep breath to compose herself. “Is the event about to begin?”

“Yes, it’s about to start,” Andrew confirmed, as he arranged for coffee to be served. Elaine took a sip of her coffee, gradually regaining her composure.

Madisyn reassured Elaine, saying, “Mom, don’t worry. Howard is extremely skilled. Corbett can’t compete with him. Tatiana will get what she deserves.”

“Alright.” Elaine set her cup aside. She had full confidence in her son.

The venue was almost at capacity, and the event was about to start. Howard stepped onto the stage. Under the spotlight, he stood out in a white suit, tall and attractive. His handsome features reminded everyone of Apollo from Greek mythology, making him the center of attention.

With his strong, imposing physique, Howard exuded an air of elegance.

“Wow! Howard looks incredibly handsome!”

“Howard is good-looking.”

The whispers started up again. Howard used to be many people’s ideal, and with him back in the tech industry, he quickly drew everyone’s attention. He offered a warm smile, his voice soothing and engaging. “Thank you all for being here today. Let’s not waste any time; I’ll dive right into introducing our new products for this event…”

Unlike many events where speakers dragged on with lengthy monologues, Howard got straight to the essentials, saving everyone’s time. The focus quickly shifted from him to the products being showcased. Along with the new smartphone, Howard had also developed a range of smart home devices.

Elaine watched Howard, once more the focal point on stage, her eyes filled with tears. She knew just how exceptional he was. She felt deep satisfaction that Howard had finally emerged from his shell and reentered the spotlight.

Overwhelmed by her emotions, she allowed the tears to flow freely.

Meanwhile, Tatiana and Luna were still recovering from their abrupt ejection from the event. They had ended up face-down in the dirt.

Luna was furious. “Andrew is completely rude! When Corbett is in charge of the Klein family, I’ll make Andrew pay for this.”

Unable to attend the event in person, they had no option but to join Corbett and watch via live stream. Thankfully, the event was being broadcast live.

Corbett lounged on the sofa, absorbed in the screen. When Tatiana entered, he gave her only a greeting while she tried to flatter him, only to be met with his cool indifference.

Luna’s frustration grew.

She thought of Howard. Despite the Johns family’s superior status compared to the Fernandez family, Howard had always shown her respect, arriving with gifts on every visit. His manners had always been impeccable.

Watching Howard on screen, elegantly dressed in his suit and standing tall, Luna was taken aback. He appeared just as impressive as he did at the height of his career.

If not for his leg injury, Luna would have genuinely considered him a suitable son-in-law. But now… Corbett had to outshine Howard.

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