Chapter 165

The room was abuzz with chatter, each remark sharp enough to skewer Brielle where she stood.

Meanwhile, Lillian, having delivered her barb, didn’t miss a beat to gauge Max’s reaction. Even if Max valued Brielle’s skills, would he continue to favor her knowing this side of her? A smirk curled on Lillian’s lips, her heart brimming with smug satisfaction.

“Bri, come up here, will you?”

Everyone expected Brielle to remain reticent, but she slowly set down her glass and made her way to the stage.

Even Lillian was taken aback, puzzled by what Brielle might be plotting, but in a heartbeat, her excitement surged. It was all the better for Brielle to show her face; it would be a spectacle for the entire Beaconsfield social elite to witness Brielle’s true, ugly colors.

Miranda, standing nearby, was stunned too, but as she watched Brielle approach, her eyes. reddened with the prospect of a sentimental mother–daughter scene.

Brielle, however, simply took the microphone from Miranda’s hand and turned to face the crowd.

“The kindness the Haywood family has shown me is something I will never forget,” she began. her voice steady.

Her words sent a jolt through Miranda and Lillian. Was this surrender?

When Miranda received that ten million, a fire had been burning in her heart. Now, she finally felt a sense of triumph. She patted Brielle on the shoulder, adopting the image of a nurturing mother. “Bri, it’s good that you’re grateful. Just apologize to Lillian, and we can be a family again.”

Lillian’s inner scoff was masked by a feigned reluctance. “No need to apologize, Bri hasn’t done anything wrong. Like she said, she was only ten at the time.”

Her demeanor was graceful and magnanimous, a stark contrast to Brielle’s earlier defensiveness. This only reinforced to the onlookers the importance of one’s lineage; after all one’s genes dictated character and stature.

Brielle’s lashes fluttered downward as she spoke, her tone nonchalant, “I indeed haven’t done anything wrong, so I never considered apologizing.”

The room erupted in a collective gasp. No one expected Brielle to be so brazen, and their disdain deepened.

“Besides, I have already repaid the Haywood family’s kindness. Miranda, didn’t you accept the ten million I wired just yesterday?”

As she spoke, a screenshot of the transaction appeared on the large screen behind her. The 15:40 screen, initially set up for a touching moment for Lillian, showcasing her charity work at the orphanage, was now hijacked by Brielle.

Damn her, when had that cunning woman set this up? Panic gripped Miranda. How could she explain the ten million without raising suspicions?

Lillian chimed in, feigning shock, “Mom, Bri’s really gone all out for you, hasn’t she? To send your ten million like that, it’s the first time she’s ever given you such a gift. Are you regretting taking me back now? I’m not as capable as Bri, nor do I have that kind of money.”

Her tone was playful and slightly reproachful, transforming the transaction into a generous gift from a daughter to her mother.

Ten million was a fortune to ordinary folks, but in their circles, it was pocket change, gone with the purchase of a single car. Lillian’s words were clever, and she emphasized that this was Brielle’s first gift, subtly accusing Brielle of being ungrateful.

Most importantly, Lillian explicitly mentioned that she didn’t have money. As for why she didn’t have money, the crowd couldn’t help but connect it to her previous donations to the orphanage. It was said that she only kept enough for her living expenses every month.

In contrast, Brielle, who could easily transfer ten million, hadn’t donated a dime to the orphanage that raised her, making her seem utterly unthankful. And now, Brielle had the audacity to suggest that ten million was enough to settle her debt to the Haywoods. Just how shameless was she?

The crowd had rarely seen such effrontery. Even the most easygoing among them couldn’t hide their disdain.

“Ten million to settle a debt of gratitude? Is she treating them like beggars?”

“To raise a daughter in a wealthy family, it would cost more than that just in tutors.”

“The Haywoods have indeed raised an ingrate.”

“How can she have the nerve to say that? Clearly, no matter where you come from, your true nature reveals itself in time.”