Chapter 228 The Provocation Was Unmistakably Intentional
Ashton too had assumed that the woman standing with Darwin was Lilian. He hadn't even intended to give her more than a cursory glance.
"My condolences," offered Kenny, his voice a gentle murmur.
Ashton echoed the sentiment, "My condolences."
At that moment, Kenny and Ashton were hand in hand. Fiona's gaze drifted casually from their intertwined fingers, recalling the announcement that had labeled them as Mr. and Mrs. Walker.
"Thank you, Mr. Walker, Mrs. Walker, for your thoughts," Fiona spoke with measured composure.
Ashton's reaction was as if he'd been struck by lightning. His eyes shot up to meet Fiona's.
While her mask concealed much, those expressive eyes could belong to none other than his precious Fiona.
"Babe?" Ashton's voice shook a bit as he quickly let go of Kenny's hand.
Fiona's gaze was sharp as a blade.
Kenny turned to look at her, then at Fiona, and again at Darwin.
Kenny was a man who had no interest in poking his nose into other people's secrets.
The fact that Darwin was with a woman didn't pique his curiosity in the slightest. He didn't care who she was.
But now, things were different.
His wife had just called this woman "babe."
And she had dropped his hand, no less!
"She's your sister-in-law," Darwin responded.
Fiona's silent stare drifted toward Darwin.
"Sister-in-law?" Ashton chimed in, her look now just as cutting.
Fiona remained silent.
"Could we possibly discuss this later? There are still guests," Kenny suggested to Ashton after catching a hint of the rising tension.
Shortly after, Kenny and Ashton made their exit.
"Darwin, don't you start rumors about me!" Fiona moved closer to Darwin, almost hissing through her teeth before the next guests arrived.
She thought to herself that with so many eyes on them, Darwin, a man of standing, surely wouldn't dare make a scene.
And yet, defying expectations, that man of grace took her hand in his.
The air conditioning in the hall was set on high, and Fiona's hand was chilly.
"Cold?" Darwin asked, his voice gentle.
Fiona was stunned by Darwin's demeanor. Had he really not changed at all in five years?
Digging her nails into the palm of his hand, she whispered fiercely, "If you don't let go this instant, I swear I'm walking out!"
Darwin tenderly grazed the back of her hand before finally letting go.
"Understood."
She quickly stepped back into her place.
A couple, eyes brimming with tears after saying their farewells, approached.
Fiona and Darwin responded with neat gratitude.
This moment was captured by a journalist who had infiltrated the event.
Fiona's expression was obscured by her mask, but Darwin's was clear to the camera.
The way he looked at the lady beside him, it was as if love could turn into tangible warmth.
He even took the brief moment between guests to warm her hands, a tender gesture of concern.
The reporter couldn't believe their luck.
They came for a story and stumbled upon a goldmine!
Was this Darwin's fiancée? Some guests who had just come by for the thank-you whispers speculated in hushed tones.
"From what I understand about the Solomon family's customs, a fiancée typically wouldn't be at the position reserved for the eldest grandson's wife. It's likely they've already had a quiet wedding!"
"It's not impossible. Maybe they wanted to fulfill the late Mr. Solomon's dying wish. What old person doesn't hope to see their descendants marry and have children in their lifetime?"
"Having children? She's not already expecting, is she?"
Their eyes surreptitiously drifted toward Fiona's belly.
And to put it one way...
If you think a woman's pregnant, then she's pregnant, no matter how you slice it.
"It's true!" The group concluded in unison.
The reporter nearby was overjoyed to overhear the conversation.
Just look at the benefits of sneaking in—you find a random crowd, stand there, and bam, two explosive headlines just land in your lap. Married and pregnant!
"So, it looks like Miss Robbins has finally made it to the top after such a long struggle," the reporter chimed in.
But little did they know...
"It's not Miss Robbins!" one of them corrected, "Mr. Solomon would never let her through the door. She's never been fond of Lilian."
Lilian's history of abandoning Darwin, who was once comatose, was no secret among those close to the Solomon family—quite a few were aware of it. That's why she wasn't exactly held in high regard.
"Not Miss Robbins? Then who is it?" the reporter asked, perplexed.
"With her graceful demeanor and beautiful eyes, she must be some low-profile heiress from a well-to-do family!"
"I agree!"
Their speculation continued, with everyone talking over each other.
The reporter quietly slipped away to a secluded spot and zoomed in on the photo he'd just taken. Although the woman was wearing a mask, her eyes and brows were captured clearly in the picture.
"Those eyes... they look so familiar," the reporter mumbled to himself, then seemed to recall something.
He immediately pulled out his phone, opened his cloud storage, and quickly began searching through it. Before long...
The reporter's scrolling finger halted and clicked on a particular photo—a photo that was almost legendary in its impact.
It featured a stunning woman, her eyes brimming with love, gazing at the man beside her.
"Darwin really... he's truly a master at finding look-alikes," the reporter muttered as he compared the photo he’d snapped today with that of Secretary Woods in the legendary photo.
The resemblance was over 70%!
What the reporter didn't realize, while he was completely engrossed, was that he'd been caught red-handed by Solomon family's security cameras.
Shortly thereafter, the security supervisor found Darwin.
"I've got something to take care of," Darwin said to Fiona.
"Mhm," she replied nonchalantly, hoping he would hurry off.
"I'll be right back." Darwin squeezed her hand quickly and, before Fiona could lose her temper, followed the security supervisor away.
After watching the surveillance video, Darwin was stone-faced, "No worries. Let him go."
"What?" The security supervisor was shocked.
"Mhm," Darwin nodded, handing back the iPad to the supervisor, who didn't dare to ask any more questions, simply nodding with sweat on his brow.
Darwin then returned swiftly to Fiona's side.
"What happened?" Fiona asked.
It was unusual for the security supervisor to seek out Darwin if it wasn't important.
"Nothing to worry about," Darwin reassured her, "Tired? We have quite a few guests today; this could take a while longer."
Fiona shot him a glance. "You knew this place would be swarming with guests and yet you dragged me here. Darwin, you're up to no good!"
Darwin had to admit, he was probably out of his mind.
Even as she snapped at him, he couldn't help but feel delighted.
"Who's this Kenny guy?" Fiona genuinely hadn't heard the name before.
"A Walker," Darwin replied succinctly, "recognized as the next head of the Walker family."
Fiona furrowed her brow, then her eyes widened. "The Walkers who built the first modern factory in our country?"
"Mhm," he nodded.
It dawned on Fiona that Darwin might not have engineered this situation after all.
Who would have the influence to draw in the heir to such a prominent family and jeopardize their marriage prospects?
"You're really clueless about Ashton's wedding?" Darwin asked once more.
Her sideways glance cut through his pretense.
Clearly, he was stirring the pot.
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