Chapter 110

At the critical moment, Everett gripped his cane tightly and brought it down hard against Diana's leg. Diana cried out in pain, collapsing to the floor.

"Diana!" Melissa exclaimed, her voice trembling with alarm as she rushed to her daughter's side. Crouching beside her, she asked, "Sweetheart, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Clinging to her mother's arm, Diana sobbed, her cries filled with indignation. "Mom, Grandpa doesn't love me anymore! He hit me! He hit me for an outsider!"

Her wails echoed through the room, drawing hushed murmurs and pitying glances from the guests. Everett remained impassive, his expression hard. His voice, low and commanding, cut through the silence. "What are you standing there for? Take her away! She's disgracing herself!"

Melissa, after a brief hesitation, pulled Diana to her feet and guided her from the room. Diana, still fuming, muttered, "Vivienne, you just wait!" Fearing further escalation, Melissa quickly covered her daughter's mouth and hurried them away.

Vivienne's eyes followed their retreat, her expression unreadable except for a faint glint of sarcasm. Turning to Everett, she said sharply, yet with restraint, "You're protecting her, aren't you?"

The room had already rendered its judgment. Everett's strike had prevented Diana from kneeling to Vivienne and shielded the Mitchell family from further disgrace. It was a calculated move.

Everett appeared momentarily flustered, fiddling with his cane as he sighed. After a long pause, he spoke, his tone softer. "This mess is entirely Diana's making. She brought this upon herself."

He offered a weak, uncomfortable chuckle. "I can't ask you to forgive her, but… for my sake, perhaps you could let this go."

Even without an apology, Diana's reputation lay shattered under the weight of public opinion.

Vivienne listened quietly, a faint, unreadable smile playing on her lips. Her response was measured. "It's your 80th birthday. Since you've asked, how could I refuse?"

Everett breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing. But Vivienne's next words cut through the moment. "But that doesn't extend to the others."

Everett's expression stiffened, his relief vanishing as he saw the unwavering smile on her lips. She wasn't backing down.

He sighed wearily, his gaze thoughtful. "So… what exactly do you plan to do?"

He knew he could plead for Diana, but the others… that was a different matter entirely. They had chosen to escalate the situation; they could have withdrawn.

Vivienne's eyes swept over Marianne and the other relatives. A flicker of cold amusement played behind her calm demeanor. "Aren't you the ones who kept insisting this was fake? Why so quiet now?"

"Since you're part of Timeless Treasures, why didn't you say so earlier?" Marianne retorted, bristling with accusation. "It's obvious—you were plotting against us!"

Steve met her gaze, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "And who told you Miss Hayes is a member of Timeless Treasures?"

"Not a member?" Marianne's brows furrowed, her anger rising. "Vivienne, what's the meaning of this? Are you deliberately messing with us?"

Before Marianne could continue, Steve interjected calmly, "The entire Timeless Treasures belongs to her."

The words hung in the air, silencing the Mitchell family. The revelation hit them with the force of a cold slap.