Chapter 755 Demonstration
The engagement banquet had not yet begun, and Mrs. Clark had not yet arrived at the venue.
Natalie learned that Mrs. Clark was in the corner tower on the east side of the expansive lawn.
As Natalie walked from the lawn to the corner tower, she observed the art photos and engagement portraits of the bride-to-be.
The woman in the high-definition photos was attractive, though her features were not as refined as those of Jane. She had a pleasant demeanor, yet she lacked Jane’s brilliance. She might be described as a gentle beauty, but next to Jane, who possessed exceptional looks, she did not stand out.
"What a blind man!" Natalie cursed.
Oliver raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't cursing at you," Natalie clarified, still indignant, "I was referring to Anthony. Jane's so much better than her..."
Natalie trailed off. No matter what, it was unethical to speak ill of others behind their backs. Moreover, she did not even know Aurora, so she did not have the right to pass judgment on the other party.
"Aurora, the new generation pianist..."
Natalie noticed the small captions on the oversized poster and scoffed.
"Jane's incredibly talented at the piano. She won a global gold medal at the age of ten and was once hailed as a piano prodigy," Natalie murmured to herself. After all, Jane truly was remarkable, and it was somewhat difficult to accept this.
Oliver displayed no particular emotions about the situation; he appeared detached and impassive as he commented, "The Dewar family and the Clark family have been close friends. When the Clark family faced difficulties, many former 'friends' distanced themselves, but the Dewar family stood by them."
This was the reason why despite the Dewar family’s decline, the Clark family still chose Aurora, the only daughter of the Dewar family, as the future lady of the house.
"A gesture of gratitude?"
Natalie grasped the main point.
"Does the Clark family intend to repay their debt through this marriage?"
"Not entirely," Oliver said, gazing toward the corner tower, "Ann and Aurora have a very good relationship."
Ann was Mrs. Clark's name.
It did not require much insight to deduce that this good relationship had developed during the period when Anthony was absent from Mrs. Clark's life, and Aurora had been by her side.
Natalie felt uneasy. It was not Ann's marriage; why was Ann meddling in Anthony’s marriage? But then she considered, this was a dilemma even many ordinary families faced, let alone a prominent family entangled in complex interests.
"Are you angry?" Oliver asked Natalie, holding her waist.
Natalie was so angry that she did not even reply.
"Take a closer look at the photos. What's wrong with them?" Oliver asked encouragingly.
"I don't want to look at them."
The more she looked, the angrier she became.
Oliver could not help but laugh. It seemed like she had gotten somewhat childish after getting pregnant. He said patiently, "In these photos, there is no photo of Aurora and Anthony together."
After Oliver pointed it out, Natalie finally noticed that something was off when she looked at the photos again.
'Indeed, there are no couple photos!'
Most of these photos were solo shots of Aurora, and there were a few solo shots of Anthony. Anthony's photos were all candid shots, with a stern and cold expression on his face. Even if the lighting was made softer through editing, it was clear that he was reluctant.
"How could there be no couple photos at the engagement banquet?"
"Could it be that Anthony... is unwilling?" Natalie was startled by her own speculation.
"That’s right," Oliver answered.
If Anthony was willing, there would be photos of him and Aurora together.
Moreover, based on Oliver's interactions with Anthony, it seemed likely that Jane was the only one in Anthony’s heart. If his heart was small, it could only accommodate one Jane; if his heart was large, it could include Jane's family and friends.
Despite the enmity between the two families stemming from their parents' bitter rivalry, Anthony had still secretly visited Paykston multiple times to see Jane without letting anyone from the Clark family know. Could he let go? It would be strange if he could let go.
Oliver asked Natalie, "Do you feel happier now?"
After careful consideration, Natalie realized that Anthony being forced into an engagement seemed quite miserable. She felt rather satisfied thinking that Ann knew Anthony had feelings for a woman Ann disliked. Although it did not bring any advantages to Jane, it did feel more comforting to think about.
Humans were indeed strange creatures.
…
The corner tower did not have any servants, probably because no one expected someone to come here, especially someone like Natalie who was looking for trouble. It was silent, and only faint sounds came from the reception room.
Ann, dressed in a custom black dress, sat upright in the main seat, staring icily at Jane, who was standing in front of her.
Several servants still stood in the room, prepared for any aggressive actions from Jane.
After all, everyone knew that Jane had been trained in martial arts by Jovan, and what Ann did not know was that many of Jane's combat skills had been taught to her by her own son!
"Jane, let me be clear. I called you here to show you the current state of the Clark family and to contrast it with your family, the Watkins," Ann declared.
Jane faced Ann expressionlessly, her face void of any emotion.
Ann raised her chin, pleased with Jane's impassive reaction. She said, "Now that you've seen everything, let me make this clear. My son is getting married, and you should stop pestering him. Regardless of whether you're worthy or not, you simply don't qualify to stand by his side."
"Mrs. Clark, are you finished speaking?"
This was the first sentence Jane uttered after entering the room.
"What's the matter? You can't stand here anymore?" Ann elegantly sipped her tea and leisurely added, "I would invite you to sit, but as the daughter of a murderer, you have no right to sit in the Clark family's territory."
"I can stand; I'm just fed up," Jane retorted with a cool, piercing gaze, "Honestly, I can't bring myself to sit down in the home of the person who conspired to kill my elder brother either."
"You!"
"Ann, are you sure you want to continue this conversation? Your daughter-in-law is waiting outside."
Jane’s gaze shifted to a reflection in a side mirror beside Ann, where she could see Aurora's figure.
Only then did Ann notice Aurora. Her previously fierce expression was quickly replaced by a welcoming smile.
"Aurora, come in! Come in!"
Ann looked at the servants pointedly, faulting them for not notifying her sooner. She personally greeted Aurora, scrutinizing her from head to toe. Looking very satisfied, she said, "The new bride of our Clark family is so beautiful!"
Aurora wore delicate makeup and a fishtail dress, not a grand wedding gown but clearly part of a series of wedding outfits, which was suitable for an engagement.
"Ann, I, I..."
Aurora appeared somewhat uneasy, glancing at Ann and then at Jane. She grew even uneasier when she looked at Jane.
This was Jane's second time encountering Aurora. Their first meeting had occurred at a banquet, where Aurora had attended as Anthony's companion. At that time, Aurora had been well-behaved and submissive.
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