Chapter 180

With his head held high and an air of arrogance, Leland clinked glasses with Kieran. The sound of their glasses meeting was crisp and clear, cutting through the hum of conversations and causing an abrupt silence to blanket the room. All eyes turned toward Leland. From a distance, a sly smile crept onto Freya’s face.

Oblivious to the gravity of his action, Leland downed his champagne in one gulp, and Johanna remained equally unaware of any faux pas. Eloise’s expression soured noticeably. On the other hand, Kieran hadn’t touched his champagne, his gaze growing darker.

Wide-eyed, Luna exclaimed, “Is Leland out of his mind? Who does he think he is? Does he have any idea how this will affect his standing here?” Leland didn’t say a word until he finished his champagne, which was a real party foul.

What was Kieran’s status? And what was Leland’s? How dare Leland not speak to welcome and thank Kieran during a toast? That was practically inviting ridicule.

The room was eerily silent, everyone watching Kieran’s reaction closely. Over the years, no one dared to be so arrogant before Kieran. Even Ronan, who had fiercely competed with Kieran, would say something when clinking glasses with him. But Leland’s audacity knew no bounds.

“Mr. Sutton, thank you!” Leland shamelessly thanked Kieran, further igniting the amusement in Freya’s eyes. Previously, with her dancer background, Johanna lacked understanding of these nuances, and ever the rogue, Leland never bothered to learn drinking etiquette. It was common knowledge within their peer group but not to Leland. Even the simple etiquette of toasting, something even the most average children knew, was lost on Leland.

No one in the room would believe Leland’s ignorance was innocent. It seemed more like a deliberate provocation, likely even in Kieran’s eyes.

“Quite the bold move, young man,” Kieran remarked, though his champagne remained untouched. Eloise’s face soured even more, since the whole toast thing was her idea. She wanted to put Freya on the spot, but she didn’t expect Leland to lack such basic manners.

“Mr. Sutton, what seems to be the problem?” Johanna asked, seeing Kieran’s cold departure and feeling utterly confused. Frowning, Eloise criticized, “Mr. Leland has no sense of proprieties. Doesn’t he know to say something honorable to Mr. Sutton before drinking his champagne?”

With that, she hurried after Kieran, worried he might think she had orchestrated this blunder to make him look bad. Johanna and Leland were left in the dark, baffled by the turn of events.

Chapter 181