Chapter 169

By the time things had reached this stage, nobody in the room was willing to speak up for Lillian. Even Spencer felt as though his cheeks were on fire.

Had Lillian really broken the law? Was Brielle the one who had been making the donations all along?

How could Lillian do such a thing? The cracks in their once beautiful relationship were showing, but he didn’t want to admit it.

At that moment, it seemed that Lillian finally remembered him, calling out through her tears, “Spencer!”

Her innocent demeanor, that wronged tone in her voice, made it seem as though she was the one who had been mistreated. Spencer stood amidst the crowd, his mind thundering with confusion.

Brielle, witnessing their deep connection, couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, “Spencer, I forgot. to mention earlier, consider our engagement off. You love Lillian so much, and now that she’s in trouble, you should be the first to step up, as her fiancé, and bail her out, right?”

Lillian’s eyes were bloodshot with hatred. That bitch!

Spencer, however, was frozen in place as if someone had struck his pressure point. He was at a loss, even looking up at Faith for some kind of guidance.

What should he do in a situation like this?

In the crowd, Faith’s expression was so dark it was almost comical. After tonight, Lillian would surely become the laughingstock of their circle. Livid, Faith made a snap decision and stepped forward with a façade of kindness. “Bri, dear, the prior mess was Spencer’s fault. We had no idea Lillian was such a person.”

Faith quickly weighed the pros and cons, deciding that distancing herself from the joke that was Lillian was the best course of action.

Brielle raised an eyebrow, her gaze dripping with sarcasm, curious about what Faith was going to say.

Faith’s forehead beaded with sweat as she grasped Spencer’s hand, almost as if she were pushing him toward a decision. “Bri, don’t talk nonsense about calling off the engagement. Spencer does care for you. He’s just temporarily confused, that’s all. His fling with Lillian was just a moment of folly. You two should work things out and not let others come between you.”

Faith had endured so much for the sake of Ryan’s reputation, which spoke volumes about her character. Now that Brielle had garnered sympathy and admiration from the onlookers, there was no way Faith would let her son be associated with Lillian’s stain. Even if Faith disliked Brielle, she had to swallow her pride.

She glanced up at Max, who sat collected, a rosary draped over his wrist, seemingly indifferent to the proceedings as if they were but a trivial play before him.

15-

Faith withdrew her gaze. After all, Brielle had caught Max’s eye, and the engagement, for the time being, could not be broken.

Brielle had never expected Falth, who despised her the most, to be so flexible. She found it amusing.

“Ms. Faith, it’s a pity, but I’m the one ending the engagement.”

She looked at Spencer, void of any attachment, “Spencer loves Lillian. Surely he won’t abandon his beloved in her time of need? We can’t let Mr. Dorsey think that his nephew is a man without conviction.”

That last statement was a severe one. To be seen as lacking conviction in front of Max was tantamount to being completely cut off from returning to Dorsey International.

Brielle’s use of Max’s name left Faith speechless.

Spencer, as if struck by lightning, retorted without hesitation, “I’m canceling our engagement. Lillian is my fiancée! Brielle, I never cared for you.” His voice was firm yet trembled slightly, as if he was desperately suppressing something.

Lillian couldn’t have broken the law. It all had to be a misunderstanding. After all, she was so. kind. It must be Brielle’s doing!

Spencer almost hypnotized himself into believing this narrative, refusing to admit he had made. a mistake, and was now scrambling to vindicate Lillian. He began to despise Brielle even more.

Faith was livid. She had just offered not to break off the engagement, and Brielle, that upstart, had flatly refused? She felt utterly humiliated. In her anger, she raised her hand in a threatening gesture. “You!”

But her slap was caught mid–air by someone else. Following the strong wrist, her eyes met al string of black beads.

No one had noticed Max approaching. His eyes calm and unfazed, “Have we had enough. drama?”

With that one cool remark, Faith’s fire was extinguished, leaving her flustered, “Max, Spencer is just young, and I was only…”