Chapter 90: The arrival of the Grandpa Porter and Sandra Porter

Chapter 90: The arrival of the Grandpa Porter and Sandra Porter "President Taylor, Miss Melissa," Aria raised her glass with effortless grace, her smile warm and poised. "Pleasure to meet you." Mr. Taylor, much like Calvin, stood at the very pinnacle of the social hierarchy in the capital. Under normal circumstances, someone like her wouldn’t even have the chance to catch a glimpse of him, let alone exchange words. Of course, that was precisely the perk of being Calvin’s decoy. "The pleasure is mine," Taylor lifted his glass slightly, his lips curving into a polite yet distant smile. Outwardly, he exuded the refined elegance of polished jade, yet beneath that veneer lay an impenetrable aloofness. Aria quickly sized him up. This man would be even harder to handle than Calvin. "Mm," Melissa, though reluctant to clink glasses with her so-called "rival," didn’t want to compromise the Taylor family’s dignity. She raised her cup half-heartedly for a perfunctory toast. Having dealt with the likes of Taylor and Calvin—masters of masking their true emotions—Aria was unfazed. Observing Melissa, whose emotions were written all over her face, one couldn’t help but find her innocence utterly endearing. "President Taylor, may I take the liberty of proposing a toast?" "It’s been a while, President Taylor—" "The camaraderie between President Taylor and President Calvin is truly enviable." A junior member of the Luther Family, tasked with handling social engagements, stepped forward first to greet Taylor and Calvin. Soon, a crowd of elites followed suit, raising their glasses with practiced smiles—some genuine, others less so—gathering around them. Taylor and Calvin navigated the glitzy social scene with effortless charm, exchanging pleasantries and laughter. Melissa, however, had little patience for such affairs and chose not to join them. Yet, given her status, it wasn’t long before young women around her age flocked to her side. "Miss Melissa, we haven’t seen you in a while—where have you been hiding?" "Melissa, I’m hosting a ball at my estate in the southern district in a couple of days. You simply must grace us with your presence!" "By the way, we’re organizing a horseback riding competition at the end of the month. Would you like to join?" Melissa responded with half-hearted politeness, her mind already drifting elsewhere. Sandra had previously asked her to cooperate during the birthday banquet to target Camilla. How on earth was she supposed to refuse?! Speak of the devil. "Grandpa Porter and Miss Sandra have arrived!" Amidst the murmurs and gazes of the crowd, two figures made their entrance. Grandpa Porter, clad in a Traditional black dress, wore a genial smile, yet the commanding aura radiating from him was enough to make anyone’s heart skip a beat. Supporting his arm was Sandra. She wore a deep burgundy strapless gown, its tailored silhouette perfectly accentuating her graceful curves. Her porcelain skin, adorned with exquisite jewelry, shimmered under the lights, making her all the more dazzling. With her striking features and aristocratic bone structure, she was the very picture of a noble rose in full bloom—utterly breathtaking. In an instant, she eclipsed the presence of many other society debutantes in the room. People are naturally drawn to beauty. The moment Sandra appeared, she captured the attention of nearly every young man present. "Miss Porter truly lives up to her reputation as the ’Flower of the Capital’—stunning beyond words." "Marrying a woman like her—beauty, pedigree, everything—would be the best of both worlds." "With Miss Porter as your wife, you’d gain the Porter family’s backing. Who wouldn’t want that kind of advantage?" While most of the men’s gazes held admiration and appraisal, the women were laced with envy, resentment, and thinly veiled scorn. "So what if Sandra is outstanding and the Porter family is influential? She still didn’t become the matriarch of the Luther Family, did she?" "Exactly. She used to act all high and mighty, putting down anyone who wanted to marry into the Luther Family. Now look at her—what a joke." "Sandra hasn’t shown her face lately. Probably too humiliated by the whole thing." Melissa clenched her teeth, itching to defend her friend. But as harsh as the words were, they weren’t wrong. There was nothing she could say to refute them. Biting her lip, she stayed silent. "Still, I can’t help but wonder—who is this mysterious new Mrs. Luther, anyway?" What kind of person? Melissa thought of Camilla’s face and curled her lips with a silent scoff. Definitely far prettier than any of you. "I’m more curious about Sinclair. Hardly anyone in the capital has seen his real face. I wonder how different he is from the rumors." "Look at how Sandra throws herself at him. His looks must be decent at the very least—certainly not ugly or frightening," the voice paused before continuing, "But his ruthlessness is definitely real. Every woman who ever schemed to get close to him or tried to sleep with him ended up leaving in pieces." ... "If you know how ruthless he is, how dare you gossip about him behind his back?" Melissa suddenly turned around, cutting off their chatter. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll report this to Sinclair?" Only then did the group notice Melissa. Remembering Taylor’s close ties with Sinclair, their eyes flickered with panic. They immediately shut their mouths and scattered into the crowd. At last, silence returned. Melissa averted her gaze. "Tsk, tsk," Calvin took a sip of his wine, watching Sandra make her grand entrance—clearly trying to steal the spotlight. "To those in the know, this is Grandpa Luther’s birthday banquet," His peach-blossom eyes, always alight with an inscrutable amusement, crinkled slightly. "To those who don’t, they’d think this party was thrown in honor of Miss Porter herself." "Hardly surprising," Taylor’s gaze swept indifferently over Sandra before settling on grandpa Porter. "Come, let’s pay our respects to the old man." As he spoke, he turned to glance at Melissa. Meeting her brother’s eyes, she immediately lowered her head, deliberately avoiding his gaze. She didn’t know how to face Sandra. "Sure," Calvin didn’t hesitate, swapping his glass for a fresh one before striding alongside Taylor toward grandpa Porter. The two men naturally stood out in the crowd, and grandpa Porter had long since taken notice of them. A knowing glint flickered in his smiling eyes. Whether it was family background, capability, or looks, these two were second to none. If either of them married Sandra, the Porter family would have a solid foundation for the future. "Sandra, both Taylor and Calvin are outstanding young men. What do you think?" "One’s a playboy, the other’s sickly," Sandra replied, casting a glance at Taylor and Calvin. "Neither holds a candle to Sinclair." "Sinclair is already married. The position of Mrs. Luther is taken," grandpa Porter retorted, his voice laced with unmistakable displeasure. "You should let go of any foolish notions and start thinking about the Porter family’s future." Sandra lowered her head, silent. So what if he’s married? If Mrs. Luther ever disgraced the Luther Family, divorce would be inevitable. And then, wouldn’t the title of Mrs. Luther be up for grabs again? Her eyes gleamed with barely concealed excitement at the thought of what was about to unfold. "Grandpa Porter," Calvin raised his wine glass, his strikingly handsome face breaking into a warm smile. "It’s been a while, but you look even younger than before." Though clearly flattery, his words carried such genuine sincerity that they felt utterly convincing. Beside him, Taylor nodded in quiet agreement. "Grandpa Porter has always been this distinguished." Thanks to the Luther Family’s connections, Grandpa Porter was quite familiar with both Taylor and Calvin. "You boys always know just what to say," he chuckled, his expression fond, as if addressing his own grandchildren. "You’re far more polished than my Sandra. For a girl, she’s far too rough around the edges—it gives me such a headache." His tone was affectionate, tinged with exasperation. "At my age, all I want is to find her a suitable match and see her settled soon." At this, Taylor and Calvin exchanged a fleeting glance before quickly looking away. Just then, Uncle Carlos descended the stairs. "Grandpa Porter, Grandpa Luther requests your presence upstairs." Simultaneously, the sound of a heated argument erupted from outside the door. "How dare you stop me from entering?!"