Chapter 65
Elizabeth's words hit the room like a bomb, sparking instant outrage.
"Elizabeth's talking nonsense, right? That gift's from the Russell family, and Lily loves it! No way it's fake!"
"Exactly! None of us have seen such a rare saffron before. Who are you to say it's fake?"
"Rumor has it she's divorcing Alexander. Maybe she's just here to cause trouble out of spite?"
"Yeah, she's totally here to ruin the party!"
The crowd's accusations and insults made Elizabeth clench her fists. Lily's brow furrowed; she couldn't afford any drama at her birthday bash, especially with all these high-profile guests and the event being live-streamed. Any slip-up would be a public spectacle.
Unbeknownst to Lily, the internet was already buzzing about the saffron.
[Esme's gift is a fake?]
[Could it really be a counterfeit?]
[Is the Russell family's saffron legit or not?]
Elizabeth glared at Lily, fuming inside. Sure, she was divorcing Alexander, but she wasn't petty enough to crash the party. She took a deep breath and said softly to Lily, "Grandma, Esme's saffron is definitely fake."
Elara rushed over, grabbing Elizabeth's arm with a frown. How could Elizabeth call out Esme's gift in front of everyone? Moments ago, the crowd was thrilled about the rare saffron, and now it was supposedly fake? If it was, the Russell family was deliberately embarrassing Lily.
Sensing trouble, Kieran quickly called Alexander. "Where are you? Why aren't you at Grandma's party yet? You need to get here now—your wife and Esme are about to throw down!"
Esme, seeing the crowd siding with her, decided to deny everything. No one had seen this rare saffron before, so she could just insist it was real. "My gift isn't fake! Elizabeth, you're just jealous because I'm close to Alexander, and you're trying to slander me!" Esme retorted, arms crossed and chin up. "If you say mine's fake, then show us a real one!"
Elara tugged at Elizabeth. "You don't need to compete with Esme. Even if you can't produce this rare saffron, we still love you. The Tudor family won't—"
Elizabeth knew Elara worried she'd be humiliated. But she had it covered. "Mom, do you think I'm joking?" Elizabeth looked at Elara, who froze. Did Elizabeth really have the rare saffron?
"The Russell family is one of the big four. What does the Percy family have? No way she got that rare saffron!"
"I don't buy it!"
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and dialed a number, her eyes locked on Esme. "Felix, bring my gift."
"Yes."
She hung up, a confident smile on her face. Elara and Lily exchanged glances as Felix walked in. Dressed in a black suit, white gloves, and carrying a box draped in black velvet, he commanded the room's attention. Everyone held their breath, stunned.
Elizabeth really had the saffron?
Even Esme straightened up, realizing she had to take this seriously.
