Chapter 176

Chapter 176

Neville and Jasmine's engagement banquet had been publicly announced online, and the day of the official announcement had set the entire City A business circle ablaze.

On the day of the event, luxury cars filled the area outside the opulent hotel. Elite figures and business moguls from all circles gathered. Dozens of mainstream media outlets swarmed the scene, their equipment trained on the entrance to the banquet hall, eager to capture every moment.

Trending hashtags cycled endlessly across the internet, all filled with blessings for Jasmine and Neville. Everyone envied Jasmine for winning over Neville and becoming the future Mrs. Cooper in the spotlight.

As the buzz intensified, some netizens dug up old dirt and pushed Grace into the eye of the storm.

【She'd do anything to climb the ladder, spreading rumors and slandering Jasmine everywhere. Does a woman like that even deserve to be the heiress of the Lane family?】

【She used to throw her weight around with that arranged marriage. Who even knows if it was real!】

A flood of negative comments dominated the comment sections, every word dripping with disdain and mockery toward Grace.

Grace scrolled through the vicious online criticism, her face ashen. She was already tormented day and night by Jasmine's existence, and now she had to endure public humiliation from the entire internet. The hatred in her heart grew wildly out of control.

"Jasmine, you forced me into this!"

Murderous intent surged in Grace's eyes. She grabbed her coat and drove straight to the hotel hosting the engagement banquet.

If everyone wanted to watch her fall, then she'd make a scene at the event. Even if it meant mutual destruction, she'd drag Jasmine down with her.

At the hotel's main entrance, security personnel strictly screened the guest list.

Grace, dressed to the nines, strode forward, about to walk straight into the banquet hall when two security guards stepped forward and blocked her path. Their tone was polite but firm. "I'm sorry, your name isn't on the guest list. You're not authorized to enter."

"I'm not authorized?" Grace looked as though she'd heard the world's greatest joke. She laughed bitterly in fury. "Everyone in City A knows I was Neville's original fiancée. This engagement banquet should have been mine! You dare to stop me?"

"We're just following protocol. Please don't make this difficult for us." The guards didn't budge.

Being publicly blocked by two low-level security guards, with media reporters nearby snapping photos, was more than Grace could bear. Days of pent-up negative emotions exploded. She shouted at the guards, "Get out of my way! Who do you think you are to stand in my way? I'm going in today no matter what!"

The commotion instantly drew a swarm of media reporters. Cameras turned toward the unraveling Grace.

Seeing this, Grace threw all restraint to the wind. She turned directly toward the cameras and raised her voice, making a public accusation. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, take a good look! Today's grand engagement banquet should have been mine and Neville's! Our families arranged our engagement ten years ago. I am Neville's legitimate fiancée!"

The crowd erupted. Camera shutters clicked in rapid succession.

One sharp reporter smelled a scoop and immediately started a live broadcast. Within a minute, the viewer count exploded into the hundreds of thousands.

Emboldened by the live cameras, Grace became even more reckless. Her tone was tragic and tearful as she slandered Jasmine. "It was Jasmine who shamelessly inserted herself between Neville and me! She used despicable methods to seduce him and steal everything that should have been mine! Everything she has now—she stole from me!"

"Empty words mean nothing. Ms. Lane, if you say there was an engagement, can you provide proof?" one reporter pressed.

Grace was prepared. She raised her phone and played an old audio recording on speaker. The aged sound quality carried a conversation between Louisa and Jean from ten years ago, clearly referencing an arranged marriage between the two families, agreeing that the next generation would be wed.

"Did you hear that? This is the proof!" Grace held her phone high, her eyes wild with mania. "The engagement between our families was set in stone. Everyone assumed I was the chosen bride. Neville broke his word. Jasmine stole someone else's fiancé. Why am I the only one being smeared?!"

The live chat instantly split. Public opinion began to sway dramatically.

Some bystanders, misled by the recording, began questioning Neville's integrity and accusing Jasmine of interfering in someone else's engagement. Others continued to support Neville and Jasmine. The two sides were locked in a standoff.

Inside the banquet hall, Neville and Jasmine, who were entertaining guests, learned of the commotion outside. They walked out of the hall side by side, facing the dense wall of cameras and surrounding reporters.

Microphones were immediately thrust toward them. Reporters fired questions in rapid succession. "Mr. Cooper, did you have an early engagement with Ms. Lane? Did you unilaterally break the agreement? Is Miss Hale a third party?"

Neville's expression was indifferent, his aura ice-cold. He glanced at the disheveled Grace and responded, "There was indeed a verbal engagement years ago, but it has long been voided. Grace and I never confirmed a relationship. The so-called fiancée title was nothing more than her one-sided delusion from start to finish."

Neville's casual dismissal completely negated Grace.

Grace instantly exploded in rage, screaming at Neville, "Voided? You think one sentence can erase the agreement our families made? Neville, you're a backstabbing hypocrite!"

"Watch your mouth." Jasmine frowned and spoke, her tone cool. "The engagement was always a matter of mutual consent. It never bound anyone. Instead of making a scene here, you should reflect on yourself."

"You have no right to lecture me!" Grace glared daggers at Jasmine. "You stole someone else's man. What gives you the right to stand there and judge me?"

The confrontation escalated.

The onlookers outside and millions of netizens watching online held their breath. Public opinion gradually tilted toward Grace. Jasmine found herself caught in a storm of negativity.

Grace watched the comments increasingly favor her. A faint, smug smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She thought victory was in her grasp.

Just as Grace was about to completely control the narrative and crush Jasmine, a faint sound of rolling wheels came from the back of the crowd.

"Excuse me."

Jean's calm voice rang out. The crowd instinctively parted to create a path.

Every gaze instantly shifted from the three confronting figures to the approaching wheelchair. Jean personally pushed the chair. Louisa sat upright in it. Though her complexion was still somewhat weak, her eyes were clear and bright, and she carried an air of authority.

The simultaneous appearance of the two elders instantly silenced the scene. Even the live chat paused briefly.

Reporters swarmed forward, firing questions one after another. "Mrs. Cooper, Mrs. Lane! Was the engagement between the two families real? Who was the intended bride?"

Facing countless cameras, Jean's expression was open and honest. She didn't hide anything and answered publicly. "Yes, ten years ago, the Lane family and the Cooper family did arrange an engagement. I won't deny that."

Jean's words caused an uproar.

Grace's tense nerves suddenly relaxed. The weight on her heart finally lifted.

A soft, aggrieved expression immediately appeared on her face. She quickly walked to the wheelchair, leaned down slightly, and looked at Louisa with feigned affection. Then she turned toward the cameras, her implication clear. "Thank you, Mrs. Cooper, for telling the truth. I knew it—you've always known who the right person for Nev is."

She was certain Jean would take her side.

Grace's eyes gleamed with hidden triumph as she waited for her final victory.

In the next second, Louisa, seated in the wheelchair, slowly lifted her gaze. Her eyes swept coldly over the self-satisfied Grace. Then she faced all the cameras. Her words were clear and resounding. "The engagement is real. But the bride our families agreed upon was never you."

Grace's smile froze instantly. "What do you mean?"

Louisa ignored her panic. Her tone was calm, yet it set off a tidal wave. She publicly revealed the truth that had been buried for over twenty years. "Ten years ago, the engagement was between Neville and my biological daughter."

She turned her gaze, her eyes landing tenderly on Jasmine in the distance. Her voice echoed across the entire venue. "My real biological daughter is Jasmine."