Chapter 378

The makeup artist thought, "So, Tiffany is behind this?" Her eyes flashed with realization. It made sense. Originally, Tiffany was meant to marry into the Harper family. Sadly, her feelings were unrequited. Even after years of pursuing Kenneth, she never won his heart, and the engagement ended. Now, her own sister was marrying him. Everyone thought Tiffany couldn't accept this, so the makeup artist considered it normal for Tiffany to hurt Melody.

The makeup artist sighed inwardly and thought, To ruin her sister's face on such an important day Tiffany is truly ruthless! But as the herbal mask was removed, her opinion quickly changed. Melody slapped the makeup artist several times in rapid succession.

"This is what you call 'effective'? Are you trying to ruin me? Are you and Tiffany working together?" Melody was nearly hysterical.

After twenty minutes with the herbal paste, her face showed no improvement; the red welts had worsened, making her appearance even more grotesque. She couldn't show her face in public.

Avianna Santiago, the makeup artist, reeled from the blows, blood dripping from her mouth as she held her swollen face, pleading, "Miss, I… I didn't know this would happen! Normally, those herbs have anti-inflammatory properties. I never expected it to make things worse…"

"Useless! You're useless! You're doing this on purpose, just like Tiffany!" Melody's rage was unsated, and she kicked Avianna hard, twice more.

"Stop!" Avianna cried, clutching her stomach protectively. But it was too late. She was kicked to the ground, pain washing over her as her face turned pale. Warm blood slowly seeped from beneath her.

"My child…"

Melody didn't expect this outcome. Stunned, she asked, "You're pregnant?"

Avianna, barely able to speak through the pain, pleaded, "Please take me to the hospital… please." She feared she might lose her child if she delayed any longer.

Melody grimaced with distaste. She couldn't let Avianna die on her engagement day. She called for the servants to take Avianna to the hospital, instructing them to say, "She accidentally fell and hurt her stomach. Take her to the hospital immediately."

Downstairs, the Wedding House car was still parked outside, with several backup makeup artists and stylists waiting. When they saw Avianna, covered in blood and being carried out, they were shocked.

"What happened? What's going on?"

Nobody answered, as Avianna had already lost consciousness. She was quickly loaded into the car, which sped toward the hospital. The remaining stylists and makeup artists wanted to follow, but Melody's chilling voice stopped them.

"Remember your place." They were just employees of the Wedding House, but she was the future Mrs. Harper and the future owner of the Wedding House. They couldn't go to the hospital without her permission.

Left with no choice, the others reluctantly nodded. Melody rewarded their submission with a sweetened promise: "Today is my engagement day with Kenneth. I'll personally visit Avianna at the hospital after the engagement, and I won't let her down." But no one knew what she meant by "not letting her down." If Avianna lost her baby, there was nothing Melody could compensate for. Her words were disgustingly empty.

The stylists nodded outwardly but cursed inwardly. They wondered how Avianna just "fell." She was always careful. They suspected it was no accident. Despite their anger, they continued preparing Melody's gown, styling her hair, and applying makeup. The bright red bumps on her skin couldn't be concealed quickly, so the stylist suggested covering her head with a white veil. This would complement her gown while subtly masking the blemishes. This was their best option. Though unwilling, Melody nodded in agreement.

After freshening up and heading downstairs, Tiffany first checked on her mother's room. Thalia was still asleep. Since Tiffany had knocked her unconscious the night before, she hadn't woken up. Checking her pulse carefully, Tiffany found Thalia's condition stable. The blood loss had drained her energy, causing her to sleep deeply, but after some rest, she would recover. Relieved, Tiffany left the room quietly.

Charlie waited for her outside and asked anxiously, "Honey, how's your mom? Should we wake her or take her to the hospital?"

Tiffany said, "No need. She'll wake up in the afternoon. Let her sleep well."

"Alright." Charlie had complete faith in Tiffany's words and acted without hesitation. Last night, after finishing at the office, he'd returned to find Thalia with cropped hair and a small wound on her shoulder. He hadn't questioned it, fully trusting his daughter.

Tiffany blinked, feeling a wave of gratitude. "Thank you, Dad."

"Silly girl," Charlie gently ruffled her hair. "You haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? Go on, I asked Lucy to make you something. I'll go to the hotel to meet the guests. Bring Eric with you later."

"Alright," Tiffany nodded.

"One more thing…" Charlie's face suddenly turned serious. "That jerk… we don't need him. My daughter, who I've cherished and raised with all my love, deserves far better." At today's engagement party, as the ex-fiancée, Tiffany was bound to face some ridicule. But Charlie's message was clear: Tiffany deserved someone far better; Kenneth was hardly worth their concern. This was a father's reassurance, his pride. To him, Tiffany was a rare treasure, one of a kind.

Tiffany paused, a sudden ache spreading at her nose. Whether in her past life or this one, her father had never changed. Every bit of love, every moment of care he gave her had never faded. Tiffany's eyes stung as tears welled up, and she threw herself into her father's arms, eyes red but smiling like a child.

"There, there. How old are you? Still crying?" Charlie teased her, but his gentle pats on her back were soft and loving. Tiffany chuckled, realizing she probably looked silly. But she couldn't help it. She was easily moved, and those closest to her touched the softest parts of her heart.

After Charlie left, Lucy served breakfast with a smile. "Miss, this is the breakfast Mr. Kelley asked the kitchen to prepare for you. Please eat while it's hot."

Sitting at the table, Tiffany recalled the morning commotion she'd heard. "Lucy, what happened this morning?" Lucy filled her in on Melody's red welts and the pregnant makeup artist who had been kicked and taken to the hospital, sharing all the details.