Chapter 29 Wrong Target for a Setup!
As if oblivious to William's mounting anger, Laura gently tugged on his arm with a coquettish gesture, "Look how thoughtful Mr. Spencer is toward Isabella, personally selecting that dress for her."
Laura slightly pouted, her delicate face flushing rosy, "Unlike you, you're clueless about these things. All you do is work, work, work. You never have time for me!"
Laura's perfectly timed display of affection as she leaned against William, whispering sweet complaints, appeared to onlookers as the epitome of a loving couple.
Isabella recognized Laura's deliberate performance for exactly what it was—pure theatrics designed to flaunt her victory.
After stealing what had once been hers, Laura now felt compelled to parade it in front of her.
Such childish behavior was beneath Isabella's notice.
She focused entirely on assisting Richard with the networking conversations at hand.
Though Isabella rarely attended such events, her emotional intelligence was sharp. Combined with her solid technical expertise from years in the lab, she spoke with genuine substance.
"Mr. Spencer really struck gold with Ms. Capulet—beautiful and brilliant. With her support, I'm certain Infinity Ventures Corporation will reach even greater heights!"
Isabella maintained perfect composure, offering a gracious nod to the complimentary executive, "Thank you for your kind words, but I still have much to learn professionally. The industry veterans and professors here are all mentors I look up to."
"Infinity Ventures Corporation is also a young company with a long journey ahead," Richard added modestly.
The two seemed cut from the same cloth, their chemistry undeniable.
While Richard and Isabella engaged in substantive professional discussions, William and Laura's corner buzzed with nothing but superficial compliments about appearances.
Throughout the evening, William's ears were assaulted with endless streams of "so handsome" and "so beautiful."
Laura had transformed what should have been a serious business gala into her personal showcase.
Initially, he'd played along, but eventually his patience wore thin. His expression grew increasingly glacial, devoid of any warmth, standing beside Laura like an ice sculpture.
As Isabella gracefully moved through the crowd on Richard's arm, William couldn't help but track their movements.
Laura immediately picked up on his mood shift and followed his gaze, which was unmistakably fixed on Isabella and Richard.
Her smile faded as she tactfully released William's arm, "I see Zara over there. I'll go chat with her for a bit."
Zara Jenkins was the first friend Laura had made after entering these social circles through her connection with William.
Both women came from humble backgrounds. Zara had previously been a social media influencer and content creator until she caught the eye of Martin Collins, one of William's wealthy friends.
From there, her story paralleled Laura's—using romance to climb the social ladder.
However, Martin lacked William's influence, and everyone looked down on Zara's former career, leaving her perpetually on the outside of their elite circle.
Laura, with her prestigious university degree and intellectual credentials, enjoyed a completely different reception. Having aligned herself with someone of William's stature, plus her own capabilities, she'd been well accepted by William's social circle.
Yet despite her successful integration, Laura never abandoned Zara. Whenever appropriate social occasions arose, she always brought her friend along.
Finding Zara, Laura began pouring out her troubles with a deliberately worried expression, casually revealing her current frustrations.
Across the room, Richard had encountered a business partner who enthusiastically invited him to continue their collaboration discussions.
Unable to refuse such enthusiasm, he had to leave Isabella to navigate the gala alone for a while.
Isabella had little interest in networking; the gala's elaborate spread proved far more appealing.
Events of this caliber featured desserts crafted by internationally renowned pastry chefs—not only visually stunning but absolutely exquisite to taste.
Isabella enjoyed analyzing these culinary creations, especially since Olivia loved sweets. Wine glass in hand, she positioned herself at the dessert station, studying the masters' techniques.
To accommodate guests, the organizers had thoughtfully placed dessert stations on both sides of the ballroom, each displaying an impressive array of confections.
After examining one side, Isabella decided to cross the entire ballroom to investigate the other station.
She remained completely unaware of the eyes tracking her every movement.
As she moved through the crowd, a young woman suddenly approached from the opposite direction. With a sharp scream, they collided heavily.
Isabella's grip on her wine glass faltered, sending most of the red wine splashing across both their gowns. The young woman's canary yellow dress was instantly ruined.
Isabella's white gown suffered even worse damage—a dark crimson stain bloomed rapidly across her chest.
The crystal glass shattered upon impact, sending shards scattering around their feet.
In the refined atmosphere of the gala, where every movement was graceful and elegant, the incident was jarringly conspicuous.
The young woman's eyes widened in shock. After surveying her ruined dress, she looked up at Isabella with apparent disbelief.
Their eyes met, and Isabella frowned slightly, finding the woman's face familiar.
After mentally searching her memory, she suddenly remembered seeing this woman with Laura.
As the pieces fell into place, Isabella recalled her name was Zara and remembered her background.
Clearly, Zara had come prepared for confrontation tonight, specifically targeting her.
"Do you have any idea how much this dress costs? Now it's completely ruined!" Zara immediately launched her attack, her voice carrying across the refined gathering with complete disregard for the venue's importance.
She pointed an accusatory finger directly at Isabella.
Isabella refused to take the bait, maintaining perfect composure, "You're the one who came charging out and crashed into me. If anyone owes compensation, it should be you paying me."
Zara hadn't expected such a direct counter-attack, but her resolve remained firm, "The wine came from your glass, so you're responsible for the damages!"
Abandoning all pretense of dignity, Zara began acting completely unreasonably.
Seeing Isabella's unshakeable demeanor, Zara suddenly drew out a long "Oh," her expression turning calculating.
"Everyone knows Mr. Montagu has filed for divorce. Given your financial situation, you probably can't afford to replace my dress anyway."
"If you personally hand-wash the stains from my gown and beg for my forgiveness, I might consider letting this slide."
Designer gowns were never meant to be laundered by hand—the fabrics simply couldn't withstand it.
Her suggestion was clearly designed to publicly humiliate Isabella.
Their confrontation had drawn considerable attention, with nearby conversations halting as guests turned to observe.
Some faces showed stern disapproval, while others simply enjoyed the drama unfolding.
"Say whatever you want, but this ballroom has security cameras. Anyone can review the footage to see exactly who came running out and deliberately crashed into whom."
Zara was obviously attempting a setup, but Isabella wasn't someone to be easily intimidated or shamed into submission by curious onlookers.
Zara found herself momentarily speechless—she knew perfectly well that security footage would expose her staged accident.
However, having orchestrated this confrontation specifically to defend Laura's honor, retreating now would be utterly humiliating.
"Alright, no need to let such a trivial matter damage relationships. Isabella, if you're short on funds, I'd be happy to cover the compensation for you."
Laura emerged from the sidelines, having thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle. She gracefully approached in her flowing gown, positioning herself beside Isabella with apparent magnanimity.