nment had already spread

s face perfectly blank, yet the quiet authority he carri

t the storm inside her gradually

her striking eyes distant and sharp. "So you're mocking the Shaw family-the

on, she redirected the tension back onto Iris,

suddenly fell

s he hurried to ease the situation, fully aware that even a mere bu

ease, forgive her," he remarked evenly,

her sides. "John. Eliana is about to marry into the most powerful family around," she said lightly, her voic

the remark landed with precision, pressin

face, his expression d

r play along, he would wear that same stern expression before launching into a suffocating

mily at fourteen, she had endured far more exploitation than anyone should have. Now, a

tugged at her lips as h

have one condition," she declare

u still have the nerve to make demands?" As she watched Eliana push further,

ore replying in a calm, cutting tone, "Since you're so convinced it

is mid-breath, leaving h

eginning. Everything had been set in motion-until, after a single afternoon nap, Iris abruptly refused, declaring she would never go through with it. Ir

e entirely true. Even so, walking away from a chance to ally with the most powerful family in the city was something t

ologetic smile and said, "Fine. You've taken Iris' place and borne the burden for her, so

lip across her face. "I want the w

ha

the air as Phyllis, John

, forcing a cooperative tone. "That's perfectly fair," she said quickly. "John already m

words, each phrase placed with careful precision. Eliana understood that the Marshall family was tr

se from the groom's? In this day and age, does the bride's family still think it's acceptable to take what the groom's fam

the color from the Marshall

e corners of her mouth twitching

on awkwardly. "It's just... when it comes to wedding gifts, Iris is marrying into a less affluent household than yours. She needs to keep some fun

ned the truth until after the wedding-Phyllis had prepared a list of

needs to own more cash and properties. That way, she won't be looked down on. You're

the entire situation h

ok cheap-otherwise, people will think poorly of us. Just think about it. If we offend the Shaw family, we won't just lose future benefits, we could damage our en

ward the Shaw family's butler, her eyes cool an