Chapter 299 Maud's Sour Expression
Susanna fiddled with the bling on her wrist, noticing it didn't quite match the one around her neck.
The chick who just spoke zeroed in on her wrist and blurted, "Wait, is that the Mystic Moonstone Tiara that Sarah designed for her secret crush? The one and only piece!"
Susanna's eyes popped wide open as she stared at her wrist, totally floored. She wasn't a jewelry whiz, but the name Sarah rang a bell—a big shot in the world of shiny stuff.
The Mystic Moonstone Tiara, one of Sarah's top ten killer designs, had this vibe of unmatched elegance. Even DivineDynasty had a knockoff inspired by this dreamy piece.
The room buzzed with gasps.
Maud jealously eyed Susanna's wrist, thinking the Jones family was spoiling her too much.
Aviana chimed in coolly, "Yep, that's the necklace. I don't have many hobbies, but I'm all about collecting these beauties. Always wanted a sister, and now I got one. Susanna can rock all the stuff I've collected."
A middle-aged lady grinned and said, "I heard there's a Ms. Johnson in Novaria who's crazy about jewelry but keeps it on the down-low. If I hadn't seen this Mystic Moonstone Tiara bracelet today, I wouldn't have known it was you. So, the mysterious lady is actually Mrs. Jones."
"Yeah, I heard this mysterious Ms. Johnson has a stash of famous jewelry. Some folks in Novaria even wanna borrow her pieces for exhibits."
Aviana stayed chill. "It's just my thing. I get a kick out of collecting these gems. Now it's awesome; Susanna can wear them and show them off to the world."
"Edward's one lucky dude to have a wife like you."
"And Susanna's pretty lucky too. Before she came back to the Jones family as the heir, she was Mrs. Abbott of the Abbott family. A woman born to stand out will always stand out."
The party vibe totally flipped as the rich ladies showered Susanna with non-stop compliments. The once tense scene turned all warm and lively.
Hearing all the praise for Susanna, Justin grinned like a kid on Christmas morning. Even the usually stone-faced Edward cracked a smile.
For the first time, Susanna was blown away by how these high-society women could switch up their attitudes so fast. They used to barely notice her, but now they were all about her, gushing over her looks, manners, and grace.
Maud stood there, looking all bummed out. She had her own fancy jewelry on, but compared to Susanna's, it was like night and day.
Feeling the sting of the comparison with Susanna, who she used to look down on and even bully, Maud felt the bitterness hard.
But she couldn't show it, not with Susanna's six brothers standing guard. Who'd dare say anything bad?
Swamped with envy, Maud quickly changed the topic to dodge more heartache, asking Susanna, "So, Susanna, when are you heading back to Novaria?"
Susanna replied coolly, "Soon, once I wrap up some school stuff."
Another woman chimed in, "So, Susanna's the Jones family heir who was MIA for years. Are you throwing a big welcome bash for her?"
Edward shot a cold glance and said, "Yep."
Austin jumped in, "We're throwing it at the biggest, most secretive spot in Novaria—the Velvet Sky Hotel. We're inviting all the relatives, friends, and high society folks to officially introduce Susanna as the Jones family heir."
"Velvet Sky Hotel? That super exclusive place that can make any wish come true?"
Aviana nodded. "Exactly. Only a place like that is fitting for Susanna's big debut."
Maud's mood took another nosedive hearing about the Velvet Sky Hotel.
Elaine sneered, "It's just a hotel. What's the big deal?"
A nearby woman laughed, "You clearly don't know the Velvet Sky Hotel. Regular folks can't even get a booking. I tried once, and they were booked solid for two years!"
Elaine huffed, "So how did Susanna snag a spot? Is she cutting in line? I remember Aunt Maud tried to book there once and got nowhere."
"Elaine, what are you saying?" Maud's face darkened. Truth be told, she had tried to book a room there to see what the fuss was about, only to get turned down!
It was super embarrassing, and she never told anyone. Now, they were hosting Susanna's welcome party at the very hotel that had snubbed her.
Brian smirked, "There's nothing in this world you can't cut in line for if you've got the cash."
Elaine got the hint and shut up.
Aviana graciously said, "If any of you are free, we'd love to have you join us. Susanna's been with the Abbott family for the past three years and is friends with everyone. We'd really appreciate your presence on her special day.."
Several women nodded. "Of course, we'll be there." The allure of the Velvet Sky Hotel was too tempting to pass up.
Aviana turned to Maud. "I hope Maud can make some time to come. We've arranged for our out-of-town guests to stay at the Velvet Sky Hotel. Since you didn't get to experience it before, this would be a perfect chance."
Susanna noticed Maud's sour expression after Aviana's pointed words.
Maud forced a stiff smile. "We'll see. I might be busy."
Elaine quickly said, "I'll definitely make time."
Maud shot Elaine a look of disgust. Couldn't Elaine see they were being mocked by the Jones family? Why rush to get humiliated? What was so special about booking the Velvet Sky Hotel anyway? It really ticked her off.
She became even more determined to stop Susanna and Aaron from getting back together, to avoid any future bullying from Susanna!
Everyone started buzzing about the party at Velvet Sky Hotel. That place was legendary in Novaria, and the rich folks in Lindwell had only heard of it but rarely got in.
Throwing a grand party at Velvet Sky Hotel was a luxury only the elite could afford. Plus, the hotel rarely hosted such events.
With almost all the high-society women flocking around Susanna and Aviana, Maud found herself stuck with just a few companions, including Elaine.
Maud fumed with anger.
