Winona gracefully walked to the center of the garden, where Zachary and others stood. She greeted Zachary and Nellie warmly, then turned to Robert and his wife. “Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, hello.”

Although Richard didn't need to show excessive deference to the Carters, given Winona's impending marriage to Victor, he maintained a cordial demeanor.

Yulia stepped forward, took Winona's hand, and showered her with praise. "Winona is my ideal daughter-in-law—good family background, talented, and now with Richard as her mentor. She's perfect. Any lingering guilt Yulia harbored about Yvette vanished with everyone's compliments. Only a girl like her is worthy of being our future daughter-in-law."

Robert, equally pleased, nodded and smiled at Winona but didn't immediately respond. Instead, he extended his hand to Richard with a fawning expression. "Ah, Mr. Griffin, you're as vigorous as ever! I last saw you at the Betrica auction, where one of your paintings sold for 660,000 dollars. That's still vivid in my memory! It's a shame my company had issues then; otherwise, I would have bid 3.3 million, maybe even 7 million—I regret it so much!" Robert's tone was genuinely regretful.

Richard enjoyed this, and his attitude toward Robert softened. "Mr. Carter, you're too kind. That painting fetched that price due to the generosity of Betrica's elite. It's nowhere near as great as you say. But with Winona soon joining the Carter family, we'll all be family. I happen to have an earlier piece. If you don't mind, Mr. Carter, you can come by Betrica and pick it up anytime."

Robert was overjoyed. Winona, he realized, had changed Richard's attitude. A few years ago in Betrica, Richard wouldn't have even acknowledged him. This shift strengthened Robert's resolve to announce the engagement that day. He'd already had Yulia finalize the details with Nellie.

Victor's lecherous eyes were fixed on Winona. From the moment she entered, she felt his gaze. She pretended not to notice, teasing him by keeping him on edge. When she felt he'd waited long enough, she offered a shy, fleeting glance before quickly looking away. This had Victor completely captivated.

Meanwhile, Zachary, who had been standing silently, glanced toward the garden entrance. Not seeing the person he expected, he furrowed his brows and called Lucas over. "Go check upstairs. Why hasn't Yvette come down yet?"

Lucas nodded and quickly left.

Nellie overheard and smirked coldly. "Come out? Yvette's face is probably ruined. How could she show her face to the guests?"

After the initial greetings, Winona and Victor joined the younger guests. The Chambers family and the Carters dispersed, with Zachary and Robert chatting with business acquaintances. Nellie and Yulia remained by Richard's side, like guardians.

"Wow, Winona, you're stunning! Who are you trying to charm?" one girl, adorned in luxury jewelry, asked, glancing at Victor. Everyone knew about the engagement.

"Exactly!" another chimed in. "The moment you walked in, everyone's eyes lit up. That dress is Louis Vuitton haute couture, isn't it? At least 2 million dollars—absolutely gorgeous!"

Compliments poured in, and while Winona appeared shy, she humbly responded. "Come on, you guys, stop teasing me." She even blushed and hid behind Victor.

Victor's pride swelled. "Winona's shy, you all know that. If you keep going, my wife might run away, and then what? You'll have to find me a new one!"

Winona blushed, and the crowd cheered. But someone mentioned Yvette, and the atmosphere shifted, becoming awkward. The girl immediately regretted it.

Victor glared. "Why bring her up?"

The conversation turned to disparaging Yvette.

"Yeah, yeah, everyone knows this party is for Winona. Yvette's just an extra."

"Exactly, Winona's the star today. Besides, it's getting late, and we haven't seen your sister. She's probably hiding."

"I bet she hasn't even tasted the desserts or wine!"

"She's a country bumpkin."

"Yes, let's raise a glass to Winona! When you're internationally famous, don't forget us!"

Winona felt a surge of satisfaction. "My sister is actually really nice, so please don't have any prejudice against her."

However, her defense only fueled the harsh comments. Winona raised her wine glass, a sinister smile briefly playing on her lips before she resumed an innocent expression.

In less than ten minutes, Lucas returned alone, his expression strange. Word spread that he'd been sent to fetch Yvette. Seeing him return alone, most guests assumed Yvette had chickened out, further diminishing her in their eyes. Zachary, distracted by the conversation, frequently glanced towards the entrance.