Chapter 373 Mr. Abbott Starts Defending His Wife
Upon hearing this, Susanna's face went ice-cold in a heartbeat.
The whole room felt like it hit a deep freeze.
Vivian, never one to miss a chance, chimed in, "Ms. Sullivan, you sure you haven't had one too many? How could you say something like that?"
"I'm not just blabbering. Nova's background is shady, and she acts all high and mighty. She only got with Aaron 'cause she looks like his dead wife. If she can pull that, why can't I talk about her?"
"Because I won't let you!"
A cold, stern voice cut through the tension like a knife.
Aaron strolled in, rocking a dark blue suit, looking all classy and regal.
Susanna couldn't help but be a bit awestruck seeing Aaron in his new getup.
Honestly, black suits never did him justice; he looked way more dashing in colors.
With a face that could freeze over hell, Aaron turned to Violet and Penelope, "If you got such issues with my girl, you can bounce right now."
Violet gasped, "You're kicking us out?"
Penelope was on the brink of tears; she didn't wanna leave. She was hoping to cozy up to Aaron, a rare shot.
But neither of them budged.
Tyler stepped up to them, "Need help finding the door? I got you."
Susanna's lips curled up slightly; Tyler was on point.
Violet, still defiant, said, "We were invited by Mrs. Maud Abbott. You can't just kick us out."
Aaron's brow furrowed, "One minute. Get them outta my sight."
Tyler wasted no time, calling in the security guards who promptly escorted Violet and Penelope out. Their screams and curses echoed as they were dragged away.
But the dining area stayed eerily quiet.
No one saw it coming—Aaron standing up for Nova so fiercely, booting Violet and Penelope without a second thought.
Even Susanna was a bit taken aback; she didn't expect Aaron to be so cutthroat. It was kinda impressive.
Susanna walked over to him, "Let me grab you something to eat."
Aaron followed her to the buffet, just the two of them now.
Susanna glanced at him, "Mr. Abbott, Violet and Penelope were Mrs. Maud Abbott's special guests. Won't this make her lose face?"
"As long as I tell her the Sullivan family is about to go broke, she won't care."
"Mrs. Maud Abbott, always the money-chaser."
Aaron's tone was chill. "Don't sweat what they said. I've never seen you as a stand-in."
"I know. Someone as awesome as me doesn't worry about that stuff."
Switching gears, Susanna asked, "Mr. Abbott, what do you think of the Velvet Sky Ballroom?"
"It's alright. You like it here?"
Susanna nodded. "The vibe's nice, the garden's beautiful, and the food's top-notch. What's not to like?"
The kicker was, it was her place. Of course, she loved it.
Soon enough, Maud's angry voice cut through, "Aaron, look at what you've done!"
Vivian stood next to Maud, smirking at Susanna, eager to see how she'd handle this. After all, Penelope was Maud's special guest.
Right then, Taylor sidled up to Maud and whispered something in her ear. Maud's eyes widened, "Are you serious?"
The Sullivan family going bankrupt? No way.
Taylor nodded, dead serious. "Yep, just got the scoop. They've been keeping it under wraps."
Maud's mood soured instantly. The Sullivan family going broke and still trying to marry into Aaron's wealth? Dream on!
Maud quickly turned to the guests. "Everyone, enjoy the food and drinks. Sorry for the little hiccup."
The guests perked up, like they totally forgot about Penelope getting the boot.
Vivian was fuming. Wasn't Maud supposed to put Nova in her place? Why'd she suddenly drop the whole Sullivan family drama?
What did Taylor spill to Maud? Was the Sullivan family really in deep trouble?
Vivian couldn't stand it. She'd planned to use this to get Maud to scold Nova, but it all backfired. So frustrating!
Susanna noticed Maud happily mingling with the rich ladies, like she forgot all about Violet and Penelope.
She looked up at Aaron, "Mrs. Maud Abbott should try acting."
Aaron stayed cool, "Enough, let's go."
He took the plate from her hand, and they headed to the dining table and sat down.
Just then, Vivian pulled out a gift box. "Aunt Maud, happy birthday. Hope you like this little something."
Maud peeked at the fan inside. It was fancy and pretty, and she immediately showed it off. "What a gorgeous fan. It goes perfectly with the dress I ordered last month."
"I made it myself. Glad you like it."
A woman next to Vivian chimed in, "Our fashion mag invited Chloe to the show, and Ms. Nguyen personally learned from her."
Maud's eyes lit up hearing that Vivian learned fan-making from Chloe.
Lvy jumped in, "Maud, a handmade gift like this is so your style."
Vivian added, "And there's a card made by Ramond himself."
"You really put thought into this. I love it."
After accepting the gift, Maud glanced at Nova sitting next to Aaron. Seeing that face identical to Susanna's, Maud's mood tanked.
After all these years, why can't their family shake off Susanna?
Lvy noticed and said, "Aaron, Nova came to your mom's birthday party without a gift?"
Susanna's lips curled up. "Of course not. I went to the mall with Mr. Abbott yesterday to pick out a gift. Didn't you bring it?"
Aaron looked at her, knowing she was stirring the pot, but he couldn't call her out.
He nodded. "I was in a rush and forgot it."
"Then you should bring it to Mrs. Maud Abbott later."
Susanna smiled; she had no intention of getting Maud a present.
"Aaron, are you covering for her?" Lvy suddenly blurted.
Maud cut in, "Aaron wouldn't lie. He must've just forgotten. He's so busy with work, how can he remember these little things?"
In front of others, Maud still kept Aaron's dignity intact.
Lvy wasn't giving up. "Aaron, I heard Ms. Ramirez has a daughter. Why didn't you bring the kid today? Kids make things more lively."
Susanna's eyes flashed with annoyance.
