Chapter 25: A Banquet in Minston

Glenda chuckled. “It’s not like that. Winford has finally found a girl he likes, and I’m very relieved to see him happy.”

Elva stuttered, “But she’s so arrogant…”

Glenda waved her hand dismissively, her gentle tone laced with a hint of relief. “What’s wrong with being arrogant? She’s Winford’s wife. Whether we’re in Minston or back in Kingchester, if she wants to put on airs, no one dares say anything.”

Elva fell silent, feeling both bitter and envious. She knew Glenda was right.

Ophelia, having gone outside to see Glenda off and wanting to talk to her, overheard the conversation. Seeing Elva’s expression, Ophelia almost laughed aloud, her lips curling slightly. What was the purpose of those intricate tricks? Ultimately, what wasn’t hers would forever remain beyond her grasp.

Elva had ambition, and that was fine, but she lacked the strength to back it up. Moreover, she constantly caused trouble, so she would inevitably end up making a fool of herself. Elva glanced back subconsciously and saw Ophelia; her face darkened instantly.

Ophelia smiled at Elva, her eyes cold, her clear voice calling out, “Grandma.”

Glenda turned around and saw her; her tone was a bit warmer than before. “Why did you come out?”

Ophelia held a medicine bag. “Winford couldn’t come, so he asked me to see you off.” She handed the bag to Glenda. “I heard you have trouble with your legs. This is a remedy made by an elder in my family. Use it to soak your feet every night, and it should help.”

The medicine was actually made by Ophelia. She had thought about Glenda’s leg problem a few days ago and quietly prepared some. But saying it was made by her might not convince Glenda, and she probably wouldn’t use it anyway, so Ophelia vaguely attributed it to an elder. After all, everyone knew her mother was a skilled doctor, so having an elder with great medical skills wasn’t surprising.

Glenda was a bit surprised but still accepted it, speaking softly, “You’re very thoughtful.”

As she watched Glenda leave, Ophelia turned around and saw that Elva was gone. She didn’t care and started walking back. Suddenly, she heard a faint argument. Her ears perked up, and she changed direction, moving quietly toward the sound. She immediately saw Madeline and Elva arguing under a thick bougainvillea wall.

Madeline lowered her voice, “They say I have to go to jail if I don’t pay! Elva, I’m not an idiot. What you said to me yesterday was clearly on purpose! If you hadn’t egged me on to do this, how could I have acted so recklessly?”

“And it was you who asked me to steal those flowers!”

Elva said, “Madeline, be reasonable. Deliberately breaking the jade pendant and framing Ophelia was all your idea. What does it have to do with me?”

“So you really won’t give me the 80 thousand dollars, huh? Then I’ll go and tell Mr. Winford! Guess what he’ll think when he hears this?”

“You…”

They were about to continue when they suddenly saw Ophelia. Ophelia stood behind two clusters of flowering vines, her figure hidden, her hands crossed over her chest in a relaxed posture. Elva’s expression suddenly changed.

Ophelia smirked. She realized that Elva was behind all this. Her gaze swept over Elva and Madeline. She didn’t bother to say much, only addressing Elva, “I’ve recorded your conversation. I hope you’ll behave yourself from now on, or I won’t hesitate to give the recording to Winford.”

With that, she turned and left gracefully.

“Elva, you need to give me at least 70 thousand dollars, or I’ll go tell Mr. Winford as well!”

Elva’s face turned dark.

Ophelia walked back lightly, her hands empty. She hadn’t brought her phone with her, so there was no recording. She was just bluffing to scare Elva.

Back in the living room, Winford was still there, with Graham whispering something to him. Her steps involuntarily quickened as she ran over.

“Back already?” He signaled Graham to pause and looked up at her, his deep, profound eyes reflecting her approaching figure.

“Mm.” Ophelia curved her lips slightly. She hadn’t expected that a casual mention from her would prompt Winford to agree to deliver the medicine. He didn’t say anything like there were plenty of doctors around Glenda and she wasn’t needed.

Thinking of his two instances of defending her earlier, a sweet feeling spread through her heart. She ran over and sat beside Winford, deliberately asking, “Honey, were you afraid Grandma would misunderstand me, so you spoke up for me just now?”

Winford’s expression remained calm. “You didn’t do anything wrong, so of course, I will stand by you and explain the situation clearly to Grandma.”

Ophelia felt moved but told him, “Next time in front of Grandma, don’t speak up for me. I don’t want her to think that you are biased towards me everywhere. I know the bond between you and Grandma is deep, so I don’t want there to be any rift between you because of me. I can handle many things myself.”

Thinking of how she had been so ungrateful in her past life and how he had hurt Glenda’s feelings several times to protect her, she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

When Winford heard her say “don’t speak up for me,” he thought she was upset, but then he heard her subsequent words. After a moment of surprise, he said, “It’s okay, Grandma will understand.” His voice even carried a hint of tenderness.

Graham couldn’t help but marvel at Ophelia’s considerate and meticulous nature. No wonder Winford was so special to her. The previous girls didn’t even bother to care about or think for Winford, and they looked fearful even when talking to him. How could Winford possibly have feelings for them?

Elva entered and saw Ophelia leaning close to Winford, talking to him. The distance was intimate for Winford, yet he didn’t show any sign of annoyance. On closer inspection, there was even a barely noticeable hint of indulgence. She couldn’t help but feel jealous and a bit anxious.

Damn Ophelia! What was she saying to Winford? Ophelia seemed to have glanced at her just now. Could Ophelia really keep her promise not to give the recording to Winford?

Elva’s gaze became more intense. No, she couldn’t trust Ophelia. She had to destroy that recording, and she also needed to figure out how to gather the 70 thousand dollars for Madeline. With her teeth tightly clenched, Elva quietly went to her room.

Ophelia couldn’t have imagined that a casual glance from her would cause Elva to think so much. She hadn’t mentioned at all the conversation she had just overheard; she was talking to Winford about a different topic. This week, the Pruitt family would be hosting a banquet in Minston.

The Pruitt family consisted of the main branch in Kingchester and the side branches in Minston. Winford was the only heir of the main branch, while Cullen’s family was one of the many side branches located in Minston. This time, it was Cullen’s family’s turn to host the banquet. This morning, Bessie had specifically sent her a message, insisting that she attend. She wasn’t sure what Bessie was planning.

Unexpectedly, Winford also mentioned it. Winford nodded, his handsome face showing no emotion, his tone calm. “Hearing about my recent marriage, they invited me to attend with you. The organizer, Arturo Pruitt, is my eldest uncle’s illegitimate son. His son, Cullen Pruitt, is supposedly also a student at Ventura University. You might know him.”

Cullen? His sudden mention of this name caused Ophelia’s heart to skip a beat. Facing his deep, unreadable eyes, she felt uneasy. For a moment, she couldn’t tell if he knew about her and Cullen, or if he was testing her.

Winford looked at her and asked, “Are you going?”