Ella returned to the brightly lit hall where the dancing had concluded, and people were engaged in socializing. Jack was busy leading Daisy toasting with the guests, adding to the vibrant atmosphere. Ella glanced around and headed towards Cendy, who was affectionately engaged with Bowen, talking and laughing together. They looked quite intimate.

As Ella approached, Cendy grumbled, asking, "Ella, where have you been?" The lights were on, but she had no idea where Ella had disappeared to.

Cendy had wanted to praise Ella for finally convincing her family to abandon their overly humble attitude. She had advised Ella before that her mother's beauty shouldn't be hidden by their simple lifestyle, but Ella and her mother hadn't taken her advice seriously.

Tonight had proven Cendy's point. Daisy only needed to dress up a little, and she had captivated the entire audience. Many people were envious of her beauty.

"I was in the restroom." Ella lied.

"Oh," Cendy accepted that at face value. Then she suddenly squinted, "What happened to your ear?"

"What?" Ella exclaimed.

"Right there." Cendy pointed to Ella's left ear.

That was the ear that Eden had teased with his mouth when they were outside.

"It looks like it’s been tickled. Is it red because you’re embarrassed?" Cendy asked.

Ella couldn't help but feel tense at that moment. Cendy's way with words was truly something.

Bowen chimed in with a smile, "You always use such colorful language. Why is it that you could never write a good essay in school?"

The teacher was equally surprised by Cendy's extensive vocabulary, considering her essays were a mess. In fact, all of her schoolwork seemed to be a mess.

Cendy scowled. "If I had written good essays, would I have met you?"

Cendy and Bowen had attended high school together. During that time, the school had one-on-one tutoring sessions, where sophomore honors students like Bowen would tutor the freshman underclassmen like Cendy in their studies. They became the school's classic sweethearts.

Ella couldn't help but envy Cendy for her fearless approach to love. Cendy's heart was unwavering when it came to the person she liked; she was determined to be with him regardless of his circumstances.

However, Lucas was against their relationship. He believed Cendy was too young to fall in love during her first year of high school. To make matters worse, Bowen's family background was challenging: he was an orphan and who only attended their prestigious school due to his exceptional grades and a tuition waiver.

Despite Lucas's concerns, Cendy was determined to be with Bowen. Lucas had always spoiled Cendy, partly due to guilt from her mother's past actions, and rarely denied her requests. He reluctantly agreed to their relationship.

Thankfully, Bowen was ambitious and made significant progress in his studies. After high school, he attended a top financial university in America and graduated last year. He even secured a job at Chase Bank, becoming Lucas's right-hand man.

Ella watched Bowen without making a move. In her past life, she had been unaware that Bowen had approached Cendy with a cruel ulterior motive.

"Cendy," Ella interrupted their flirting.

Cendy turned her head to look at Ella, and Ella asked her, "Come with me for a minute."

Cendy let go of Bowen, asking, "Are you okay on your own?"

Despite Cendy's confident demeanor, she cared deeply for Bowen's feelings, knowing that his background might have caused him to struggle with self-esteem. So she always took special care of him at such parties.

Bowen reassured them, "That's okay. There are a few familiar faces I can go talk to."

Cendy smiled slightly, and Ella took Cendy's hand as they left the scene.

Cendy appeared puzzled, asking, "What's the matter? Why are you so worked up?"

"You haven't forgotten what I told you, have you?" Ella replied.

"10:30. I remember," Cendy said, feeling speechless. "When have I ever forgotten something you explained?"

Ella couldn't help but smile, saying, "You're doing great, so I'll give you a reward."

"You can't bribe me," Cendy retorted with a scrutinizing look. Something about Ella's behavior felt strange…

Ella didn't give Cendy a chance to refuse as she purposely led her past Lucien.

"Ella," Lucien called out to her.

Ella smiled and turned back, saying, "Lucien, it's my mom's birthday today, so I've been quite busy and didn't get a chance to greet you."

Cendy rolled her eyes next to her. She couldn't believe how skilled Ella was at acting. She knew Ella was planning to end her marriage in a month, so why was Ella still pretending to be a loving partner for Lucien?

Cendy could admit that Eden was charming, but she didn't think Lucien was a bad choice for Ella.

What kind of evil was her best friend possessed by?

"Your mother's party today is amazing. I've never seen her look so beautiful." Lucien praised from the bottom of his heart.

It seemed like a sincere compliment, but Ella knew the truth. She sneered internally.

Lucien was the reason she had to keep up her act as the doting fiancee.

Ella noticed that Lillian's expression was somewhat tense that day. It seemed that Lillian had planned to embarrass her own mother by attending the event, but she hadn't anticipated being outshined by her mother instead.

In fact, all the noble wives who attended the banquet that day, especially those who had previously looked down on Ella's mother, were left with their egos crushed.

"Let's go to my parents' side. Lydia is here and wants to apologize to you in person," Lucien suggested, noticing Ella's lack of enthusiasm.

Ella glanced over at the gathering of the four major families and replied with a faint smile, "Okay." She walked over with Lucien and Cendy.

The three eldest generations were gathered together, engaged in a conversation.

Just then, Jack spoke up abruptly, addressing Daisy, "By the way, my love, Lillian said she had a gift for you." Daisy turned towards Lillian, her face beaming with a smile. However, Lillian struggled to put on a smile of her own.

The so-called gift was nothing more than a strategy to showcase her own modesty and decency, with the intention of making Daisy feel ashamed and others feel inferior in comparison. However, as Lillian looked at Daisy's noble and stunning appearance, she felt a pang of unease. She no longer wanted to give the gift to her.

Nonetheless, since she had already made the commitment, there was no turning back now.

Lillian took out a string of bracelets from her exquisite handbag. The style was rather ordinary, and the chain seemed a bit thick and loose. She said enthusiastically, "I spotted this while shopping and thought it would suit you. Try it on and see if it fits."

She eagerly placed the bracelet on Daisy's wrist. To be honest, it didn't look good at all.

Daisy expressed her gratitude, saying, "It's beautiful, I like it."

"I knew you would," Lillian responded with a hint of annoyance. In her heart, she despised Daisy's taste, unable to fathom how someone with such poor taste could have picked out a stunning gown like the one she wore.

Lillian had carefully chosen gowns from various design masters, but she hadn't come across this unique style. She made up her mind to find out which designer had created it so that she could prevent Daisy from stealing the limelight next time.