Lillian was taken completely by surprise when she realized that the woman in front of her was Daisy. In Lillian's mind, Daisy was a simple woman—a country bumpkin—with no ounce of elegance or sophistication. Among the pampered circle of noble wives, Daisy was nothing.

In private, there were rumors that Daisy was born just to be Jack's wife. After marrying into the Ford family, she was supposedly treated more like a nanny than a wife.

But right now, taking in Daisy's stunning appearance and the grand banquet organized by her husband, Lillian couldn't help but feel an overwhelming surge of jealousy, turning green with envy.

And she wasn't the only one affected.

Ethel, the Ford family's eldest daughter-in-law, felt similarly astounded and envious of the attention Daisy was suddenly getting.

Ethel had always hated Daisy. From the moment Daisy joined the household, Ethel made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with her. She targeted Daisy at every opportunity and even conspired with her mother-in-law to make her life difficult.

Despite the challenges she faced, Daisy endured it all. If it wasn't for Jack being named as the Ford family heir, she never would've been able to gain any respect within the family.

Ethel never imagined that Jack would give Daisy such an extravagant and luxurious banquet. This event was bound to create a sensation in high society, and Daisy's transformation and stunning appearance would undoubtedly be the talk of the town.

Daisy's gorgeous dress, her youthful appearance, and her well-maintained figure only intensified Ethel and Lillian's jealousy.

However, they forced themselves to conceal their feelings and put on a facade of composure in front of everyone.

At this moment, all eyes in the hall were fixed on the loving couple dancing gracefully on the floor. The audience's reactions varied, from jealousy and envy to sheer enjoyment of the spectacle. There was no doubt that this birthday banquet had become a major event in high society.

Ella's mother, Daisy, had now entered the circle of noblewomen, garnering attention and admiration from all around. Ella couldn't help but smile as she watched her parents.

She overheard familiar voices engaged in a conversation.

"Jonas said you spent $30 million to buy your sweetheart a token of your love..." Winston's voice rang out, "I must say, I didn't expect such a mature romantic gesture from you."

They were discussing the $30 million sapphire that was currently nestled in Daisy's crown.

Jonas spat his champagne back into his glass, and the two men next to him cringed.

He hurriedly wiped the corners of his mouth and said, "She's just using him."

"Huh?" Winston didn't think his lighthearted teasing would take such a personal turn.

"Isn't it obvious? Eden's having his affections trampled on," Jonas remarked, turning his head to address the man next to him.

Eden glanced at Jonas and then abruptly left the scene.

"Hey..." Jonas called out to him in an attempt to stop him.

It was just a joke. Did he really piss Eden off that badly?

But a moment later, Jonas realized he was just overthinking things, as he saw Eden in the dim light, holding a woman's hand and heading towards the garden in the back of the manor.

Ella was genuinely surprised to be dragged out, as she hadn't intended to eavesdrop on their conversation just then. What surprised her even more was hearing Winston's conversation with Jonas and Eden. Did they know each other well? Ella had grown up with Winston, and she had never seen him and Eden interact before.

Feeling a bit shaken, Ella tried to regain her composure.

Suddenly, Ella felt a sense of crisis as she found herself physically pressed against the back garden wall. Eden's tall figure loomed over her, leaning in close.

"Eden, what's gotten into you?!" Ella reacted, squirming against him

"Miss Ford, you know men can't resist a pretty woman playing hard to get," Eden whispered.

Hard to get?! Ella wanted to explode with anger at that moment. She stared at Eden with a face full of frustration and annoyance.

But Eden seemed unaffected by her anger, as he simply took in every detail of her face with his mesmerizing, pitch-black eyes. They seemed to have a magic power all on their own, capable of making people fall in love with him effortlessly.

"You embarrassed me in front of my friends today," Eden's magnetic voice and warm breath caressed her cheek as he spoke.

'Damn!' Ella cursed to herself.

How was this guy so good at making her blush?

She was so close to him at that moment. Her entire body trembled and her hair stood on end.

"Tell me, how are you going to make it up to me?" Eden asked, his body moving even closer.

Ella's heart raced in her chest.

Eden's powerful body felt almost as if it was pressing against hers. His lips, intentionally or unintentionally, came close to her ear, causing her entire body to shiver.

She hissed, exasperated, "You gave it to me, so I could do whatever I wanted with it. I gave it to my mom."

Ella knew he was talking about the Crown Sapphire.

Winston was obviously teasing Ella for taking Eden's gift of a gemstone and giving it to her mother.

"Are you always this casual about other people's gifts?" Eden whispered, nipping at her earlobe.

Ella's heart fluttered, beating even faster. She pushed her hands against Eden, demanding, "Let go of me!"

"You haven't answered me yet," Eden said, his lips parting as he leaned closer.

"Just think of it as your gift to your future mother-in-law. Just as a casual gesture!" Ella quickly found an excuse to divert the topic, but the moment she said it, her face turned red. The words seemed to hold more meaning than she had intended, making their relationship feel more intimate than just a formal marriage arrangement.

Eden smirked against her skin.

"If that's the case, then I can live with that," he said, his voice lilting.

It gave her goosebumps.

"Are you cold?" Eden asked.

Ella was taken aback, her heart racing, as she felt Eden's hand on her exposed shoulder. The sheath gown she wore tonight left her cleavage on full display.

"Or maybe I'm just hot…" Eden murmured to himself.

As he spoke, his tongue licked Ella's earlobe.

Ella gritted her teeth and pushed Eden away with a jerk.

He stumbled back several steps away from Ella. Instead of being upset, he had an appreciative look on his face, seeing the way she was blushing and breathing heavily.

"Are you just constantly horny?" Ella gritted her teeth.

She knew she should feel disgusted, but… she couldn't deny Eden's mastery in the art of love. His expertise in flirting with girls had reached its peak.

In her past life, she had been a married woman of thirty-two. Now, as she was reincarnated, the twenty-five-year-old Eden playfully teased her, causing her heart to race. It'd been so long since she felt such intense emotions. Her previous love affair with Lucien and marriage seemed shallow in comparison.

"No." The corners of Eden's mouth turned up, "I just wanted to show you what shameless passion is."

Ella was speechless.

The way Eden, the man, seemed to hold a grudge was evident. Taking a deep breath, she decided not to engage with him. After all, the main event at their house was tonight, and she had more important things to attend to.

She got up and headed straight into the hall. Just as she left, his magnetic voice sounded once more, saying, "And my passion is only for you."