Chapter 766 Did You Find the Prospective Groom?
Jane couldn't help but wonder if Richard knew she liked Xavier Loosen or if it was just a coincidence.
"It's great that you no longer have a prestigious status," Richard continued, "That way, marrying you won't be a burden."
‘But why wouldn’t he feel burdened?’ Jane thought. She didn't give up and said, "Mr. Foster, even if I have a reputation, it’s bad. I've offended many people, and marrying me would surely burden you."
Richard smiled and asked, "Ms. Watkins, do you see any burdens in my eyes?"
Jane felt she might not have the chance to drink Xavier Loosen’s white wine. Richard had excellent communication skills and could respond to anything. "You're luring me into your trap, aren’t you?" Jane muttered softly.
"Yes," Richard raised an eyebrow. "So, now you know I'm serious, right? I like you, just the way you are."
"What do you like about me?"
"You're very interesting."
Jane was speechless. She awkwardly smiled, wanting to tell Richard he was interesting too. Despite his serious appearance, he loved to play around. Jane decided not to continue discussing this topic with him for now. On one hand, it was too sensitive and dangerous. On the other, Jane doubted Richard’s feelings for her.
The Foster family was influential, so Richard’s marriage should be carefully considered. Even if Richard's parents didn't require his future wife to come from a wealthy family, Jane felt she wasn’t a suitable match for him. She knew herself. She wasn't deserving of Richard.
Jane and Richard spoke in low voices, standing to the side as if sharing secrets. Jane usually wore a cold face around strangers. But that day, however, she was taken aback by Richard. She couldn't control her expression, making her appear lively and more like a woman in her twenties.
The guests were convinced that Jane and Richard were having a delightful conversation. At the same time, they also had a question. In their eyes, Natalie was lucky to have met Oliver, a man willing to reconcile with her. But they were curious about Jane, a person from a declining family, who had someone like Richard pursuing her. Moreover, Jane was notorious for her bad temper. They couldn't understand why Richard wanted to marry her.
However, at the same time, some socialites and wealthy ladies couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. When Jane attended events while still single, they felt a sense of crisis that their men might cheat on them with Jane. Everyone knew Jane was a dream woman for countless men. Regardless of Jane’s status, her charm remained unchanged.
The live music suddenly became more romantic. Everyone knew the engagement was about to begin. Jane looked around the room. Seeing Aurora, who was dressed up, she suddenly realized Anthony’s absence. He was nowhere to be found. Jane couldn’t spot him, and the guests quickly noticed this too.
"Why isn't the groom here?"
"Where's Mr. Clark? I haven't seen him anywhere."
"Yeah, aren’t he supposed to be the groom? How could he not be here?"
"Let's ask around, does anyone know where he is?"
The engagement was about to start, but the emcee didn’t see the groom. He found Ann and asked, "Mrs. Clark, do you know where your son might be?"
Ann glanced at a servant and she shook her head. It seemed none of the servants could find Anthony.
"The engagement banquet shall continue without him." Ann's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. Even if the groom wasn't present, she insisted the engagement party continued. The emcee nodded and returned to the podium, saying, "Please welcome Mr. Anthony Clark, and his bride-to-be, Ms. Aurora Dewar!" the guests applauded while looking around, searching for Anthony.
The engagement party wasn’t as formal as a wedding party. In a wedding, the bride and groom would typically be separated first. The bride would be escorted by her father and handed over to the groom at the altar. But in an engagement, the bride and groom would appear together. Yet, at that moment, Aurora was the only one on the stage.
Aurora held a bouquet of white roses, nervously gripping them with both hands. She looked around but didn’t see Anthony. Finally, she looked at Ann for help. The panic on her face was evident. However, Ann gave Aurora a reassuring look, signaling her to proceed according to the plan.
‘Anthony doesn’t show up. He doesn’t show up as he had claimed! Does he truly like Jane that much?’ Aurora's gaze suddenly halted. The corner of her eye caught a glimpse of Jane standing in the crowd. She was wearing a black dress, exquisitely tailored, revealing her perfectly sexy shoulders. It was said that Flora had specially tailored her dress for the evening. Next to Jane stood a handsome and elegant man, Richard Foster, a wealthy individual whose popularity was out of the question.
Aurora wondered, 'Why is Jane still here? And why does she look unbothered?'
Aurora took a deep breath. She walked to the stage with one hand holding the bouquet and the other lightly lifting her skirt. She was determined to fight for everything she wanted.
Along the way, people looked at Aurora with strange expressions. Surprise, curiosity, ridicule, mockery, and many others were directed at her. Aurora felt cautious and uneasy with each step, but she kept her gaze fixed ahead, constantly reminding herself not to give up on the man she had loved since childhood, and not to give up on her happiness.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply grateful and delighted to see you all coming for my son's engagement party!" Ann almost reached the center of the stage as Aurora. She took the microphone and continued, "Now, I'm sure everyone is curious about Anthony’s absence. As you know, our family has been through some rough patch. An unwanted individual showed up at the venue today, which caused Anthony to skip this engagement to avoid further extreme actions."
But the guests were not fools. They could understand Ann's implications. “Some difficulties” referred to the fact that Jane's father had taken advantage of the Clark family multiple times but ultimately betrayed them. “Extreme actions” was a subtle indication that Jane might ruin the engagement ceremony, or even take Anthony away.
The silence in the room was suddenly broken with a mocking laughter. The sound wasn't loud, but in the quiet room, it seemed particularly clear. Everyone's gaze turned toward the source of the voice. It was Jane's.
Jane pretended to realize something and said, "Did I laugh too loud just now? Sorry, I didn't mean to. I found Mrs. Clark's mention of ‘extreme action’ quite amusing. Also, what could be funnier than a couple of in-laws standing on the same stage for an engagement party? With such a scene, other people might even think Anthony was already..." Jane intentionally paused.
She was meant to say, “Other people might even think Anthony was already dead!”
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