Chapter 88: The Comedy Ends

During the banquet, someone said, "Mr. Ross has some cool stuff, and he's only showing it to Mr. Drake? No way. I gotta see it, too."

Others chimed in, "I'll go too."

"I want to see as well."

Everyone followed but cautiously.

Juniper furrowed his brow, stood up, and blended into the crowd. He also wanted to know about the secret dealings between the Ross family and the Drakes Family.

Covington and the others reached the second floor. They heard a woman's scream! It was coming from the end of the corridor. The Ross family members became tense all of a sudden.

Covington hurried over. Closer and closer they got! The scream grew more piercing.

"This... this is Maxwell's resting room." Dalvin saw the nameplate on the door and felt a pang of anxiety. Holland had been missing for a long time.

Maxwell was the type to go after any woman he fancied, and it didn't matter who she was.

In the crowd, there were murmurs.

"Maybe she went to change her clothes."

"It shouldn't take this long to change clothes."

Covington was the center of attention, and Holland beside him also garnered much interest. Many knew Holland had left, but they paid little attention to others.

"The person inside... Maxwell is bold as hell!"

They assumed the person inside was likely Holland.

Juniper couldn't help but let out a scoff.

"Rustic, lacking manners," he sighed, "She's the only one who dirtied her clothes at the banquet, unlike others."

He finally found an opportunity to vent. Some agreed with him, while others pretended not to hear.

Clementine said to Covington, "I... I'll go in first."

In case it was indeed Holland inside, her embarrassing situation wouldn't be exposed to everyone.

"No need!"

Suppressing his anger, Covington kicked the door. The door shook a few times and swung open. A disheveled woman in tattered clothes ran out, her hair disheveled, and she crashed into him. Covington dodged as if avoiding a contagion, quickly stepping aside. The woman fell to the ground, revealing her delicate features beneath the messy hair.

"It's... Poppy!"

"It's her!"

"She and Maxwell, actually..."

Juniper's expression froze as he pushed through the crowd to the front, confirming it was indeed Poppy.

"You... shameless!"

Juniper grabbed her, delivering a slap.

"Dad! I... I was forced..."

Poppy cried miserably, especially frightened by the crowd's gaze. She knew her reputation was utterly ruined.

"Poppy."

At the door, Maxwell, now dressed, strolled out leisurely.

"Be careful how you speak about what happened between us," Maxwell cautioned. 

He was a troublemaker, always causing many girls to suffer in silence. Upon hearing his words, Poppy cried even harder. She feared the truth coming out. If people found out she brought the drugs, Covington would kill her! And she didn't know what Maxwell had done or where the other packet of drugs had gone.

She also stole glances at Covington and saw he appeared normal.

"I..."

"Poppy! Tell the truth, was he forcing you?" Juniper tried to salvage what little dignity remained.

Maxwell's mother in the crowd frowned, "If your daughter and my son did such a thing, how can you claim my son forced her?"

"Poppy!" Juniper warned coldly.

Poppy desperately tried to hide behind him, shaking her head tearfully. "No! He didn't force me!"

She suffered a great loss but dared not say a word!

"You... you disappoint me greatly! How can a young person lack such self-control!" Juniper, following his merchant instincts, proposed the best solution.

"Since you both like each other, our families can sit down and discuss marriage!"

The Morgens and Evans families would make a good match! It was just Maxwell's terrible reputation! In this situation, Juniper had no choice but to resort to this, or his daughter would never find a match!

Mrs. Morgen was ecstatic; her son could marry a daughter of the Evans family!

But Maxwell was displeased.

Shaking his head, he said, "Mr. Juniper, we slept together for fun, but I don't want to marry her."

He continued, criticizing, "She has a good figure, a solid nine. But her makeup is too heavy; without it, she's just a six!"

His comments implied Poppy was not up to his standards.

Finally, Maxwell concluded, "I slept with her just to see what Ramsey's women are like. Now that I've tried, there's nothing special!"

Maxwell and Ramsey had a history of discord, but they were both interested in Fannie. But Fannie was cunning, and Maxwell's jealousy simmered.

In terms of looks, Fannie far surpassed Poppy.

"You... you..."

Juniper trembled with anger.

Poppy, humiliated, left in tears.

"Uncle Juniper, don't blame me for being irresponsible. She got pregnant before marriage; she's not a good person," Maxwell remarked.

What a mess!

Juniper left in a fit of rage!

The comedy finally came to an end.

Maxwell recalled that Poppy wasn't bad at all. He had taken many photos as leverage. Keeping her as a backup wasn't a bad idea.

Calvin's family looked on, all furious.

"Mrs. Morgen, your antics have ruined Calvin's banquet. Please leave, and we will return the gifts you brought," Clementine said coldly.

"This..."

Mrs. Morgen was furious but didn't dare offend the Ross family. She could only twist Maxwell's ear and sarcastically remark as she left, "Why can't you control yourself? When someone comes on to you, can't you avoid it?"

"Mom! She insisted on sleeping with me. What could I do?"

His words were blunt and absurd.

Others shook their heads; Maxwell truly had no boundaries.

"Cov, thankfully it wasn't Holland!" Dalvin finally spoke up. He had never seen Covington so angry; he had been worried that it might be Holland inside.

Covington looked towards the other end of the corridor, where a girl in a pink dress was walking towards him. In fact, after hearing the scream upstairs, he knew it wasn't Holland inside. He was too familiar with her voice, but his concern prevented him from making the most rational judgment. But he feared the commotion inside might be the reason for Holland's disappearance. So, he let the situation unfold.

"Mr. Covington..." Holland approached slowly, calling out softly.

She stood outside the crowd, witnessing everything. Poppy had run downstairs in front of her, and she couldn't understand why she would engage in such behavior with a man in such a setting.

But Poppy's affairs were none of her concern.

Covington took her wrist, his body burning hot, his temperature unusually high. Holland looked at him in surprise.

"Holland, let's go back," he said hoarsely, his breath seeming to carry heat.