Chapter 17 Who’s that girl?
Could it be that tonight's banquet was the engagement party of the Martínez family's eldest son?
The Martínez family, ranking in the top ten in Cuenca, and Justin being the prospective son-in-law, sought after by many affluent women in Cuenca, everyone wanted to see which prestigious lady was so lucky to become the fiancée of the Martínez family's eldest son.
In an instant, the hundred pairs of eyes in the banquet hall landed on the woman beside Justin.
Then, a gasp of astonishment filled the room.
She was too beautiful!
Where did this beauty come from? How could she be so stunning?
Her appearance made all the socialites present feel ashamed of their own appearances.
"My goodness, where did the Martínez family find this fiancée? She's so beautiful, her looks are simply heavenly!"
"Her skin is so fair, her figure is incredible. As a woman, I am even mesmerized by her. Ah, ah, ah!"
"Don't you think the Martínez family's fiancée of the eldest son looks a lot like the eldest daughter of the DeRoss family? They both possess that astonishing beauty."
"Are you referring to Haley? Ah, well, even though Haley was once named the most beautiful woman in Cuenca, compared to the Martínez family's fiancée of the eldest son, she might still fall a bit short!"
Haley now, compared to four or five years ago, was even more stunning and captivating.
Four or five years ago, she was eighteen, innocent, with her eyes filled with naivety and fantasies of the future.
Under the baptism of time and the tempering of years, her eyes became more resilient and peaceful.
Her figure had become even more curvaceous, her demeanor increasingly elegant and captivating. Every frown and smile carried a fascinating and tantalizing allure.
"What the hell! Isn't that the mermaid from yesterday?!"
Louis widened his eyes, filled with disbelief.
Mark mocked, "The mermaid has become the Martínez family's fiancée of the eldest son. You won't be able to catch up to her even if you take a rocket."
Meanwhile, Ivan's entire face turned cold.
So, was it really his misunderstanding?
Was this woman not intentionally getting close to him?
The fiancée of the Martínez family!
Very well!
A surge of resentment suddenly rose in Ivan's heart as he tightly held onto the wine glass in his hand.
Haley stood before Justin, her eyes shining with joy and affection, as if she was the happiest woman in the world.
Just then, she felt a sharp gaze land on her.
Frowning, she swept her gaze away, only to meet Ivan's cold and starry eyes.
This man...
Why was he looking at her like this?
Haley pursed her lips and averted her gaze.
Justin stood on the platform, bowing slightly to the crowd, and then began speaking: "Thank you all for coming to the Martínez family's banquet amidst your busy schedules. However, tonight's guest of honor is not just any member of our family, but my cousin, Ms. Haley DeRoss."
As his voice fell, the banquet hall suddenly quieted down.
Then, it erupted with whispers.
"Haley?!"
"Am I hearing correctly? Did the young master of the Martínez family say she is Haley? But, didn't Haley die four years ago?"
"I've been saying all along that this lady looks like Haley, but you didn't believe me. Now you must believe it. She really is Haley, with the same eyebrows, eyes, and figure as back then!"
"But she's supposed to be dead. How could she be standing here alive?"
"The news made quite a buzz back then. She set fire to the DeRoss family and committed suicide by jumping into the river out of fear, and you can still find the news online!"
"I remember on her eighteenth birthday, she had a passionate night with a wild man, which the reporters captured. Then she disappeared for eight months, and it was later revealed that she had given birth to a pair of stillborn twins. Holding a grudge against the DeRoss family, she burned down the house... So, she never died?"
"She thought she could fake her death and hide for four years, and we would all forget about those scandals. Impossible!"
Four to five years ago, the news made a huge splash.
The DeRoss family was a prominent figure in Cuenca, and the coming-of-age ceremony for the DeRoss family's daughter was celebrated magnificently, envied by countless people.
However, the next day, the youngest Miss DeRoss was photographed in bed with a wild man by the reporters.
From then on, the image of Cuenca's number one beauty crumbled, becoming an object of ridicule for everyone in Cuenca.
For nearly a whole year, Cuenca's number one beauty disappeared from people's sight, and just when everyone was starting to forget about it, the DeRoss family's house burned down.
The sinful deeds of Miss Haley DeRoss were exposed.
At eighteen, she slept with a wild man, got pregnant before marriage, gave birth to an illegitimate child, and suffered from complications resulting in the death of the child... She set the house on fire and committed suicide by jumping into the river...
Each of these incidents alone would cause the entire internet to stir.
Not to mention the fact that it can be said that in those two months, the words 'Haley, wild man, illegitimate children” occupied countless headlines.
In the high society of Cuenca, there is no one who doesn't know these words. Including Ivan.
Four years ago, this incident caused a great uproar online, and even those who didn't pay much attention to news like this had heard a lot.
It was really difficult for him to connect the street rat that was condemned by everyone four years ago with the dazzling woman in front of him.
"So we have actually met before..." Louis said in astonishment, "The first beauty of Cuenca, isn't that the wife my mother intended for me?"
Mark shook his head, "If all the events from four or five years ago hadn't happened, Haley might have already become the future Mrs. Granger. Unfortunately—do you think your mother would allow her to go through so much before entering the Granger family?"
Louis glanced at him, "Who said I want to marry her? Just playing around, no need to take it seriously."
"I remember, you came here today for Miss Versta," Mark kindly reminded him.
"Tsk, compared to the first beauty of Cuenca, what is Miss Versta?" Louis said with a wicked smile, "Just wait and see how I conquer the first beauty of Cuenca."
Ivan coldly replied, "She's not a woman you can mess with."
Louis immediately approached him, "What, are you interested in her?"
"No," Ivan denied.
Louis clicked his tongue twice and swayed his wine glass without saying anything.
Meanwhile, the banquet hall had already erupted. Countless people were freely discussing, and those voices could be heard clearly by Haley.
Justin frowned, about to say something, when Haley spoke up first.
Her cold gaze swept across the room, and she calmly said, "It seems like everyone here knows me, so I don't need to introduce myself."
She lifted her skirt and descended the stairs step by step.
Her figure was petite, but standing among the crowd, she was still the most eye-catching presence.
A casual smile appeared at the corner of her lips, "There were indeed many rumors about me four or five years ago. But the fact that I am standing here alive proves that those rumors were nothing more than gossip, right?"
Everyone said she was dead, but she was still alive.
So, the rumors can't be true.
However, how could everyone be convinced by just her words?
The DeRoss family said Haley was dead, and the process was so tragic that it couldn't be cleared up with just a few words from Haley.
As much beauty as Haley possesses, there are just as many people jealous of her.
Some jealous socialites couldn't resist speaking out.
"Ms. DeRoss, you are the DeRoss heiress?
"Ms. DeRoss, why did you come to the Martínez family gathering instead of the DeRoss family, where you belong?"
"Ms. DeRoss, you can't deny that you had a one-night stand with a wild man and that the photos were all over the internet, can you?"
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