Chapter 99

The hospital room finally returned to peace. William held Ophelia's hand, gently rubbing the red marks where she'd been pinched, his voice full of concern: "Does it still hurt? It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left you here alone and let you suffer like this."

"It doesn't hurt anymore. With you here, nothing hurts." Ophelia leaned against him, smiling, feeling warm inside. No matter what happened, he would always be on her side first, protecting her.

William lowered his head and kissed her forehead. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "In three days, the Brown family is having a family gathering. Grandfather asked me to bring you along to meet the family elders and let everyone officially meet you."

Ophelia paused. She knew about the Brown family gatherings—they were attended by Brown family relatives and some well-known figures. Although she'd met some Brown family members before, those were all private meetings. This kind of formal occasion would be her first time.

"Okay," Ophelia agreed.

Over the next three days, William cleared almost all his work commitments to stay with Ophelia at the hospital. He bought her favorite foods, chatted with her, and kept her spirits up. Ophelia's body recovered quickly. After three days, she was completely well and could leave the hospital to attend the gathering.

On the day of the gathering, William had someone specially send Ophelia a champagne-colored evening gown. The style was elegant and graceful, perfectly matching her temperament, along with a set of exquisite jewelry—simple yet luxurious.

Ophelia changed into the dress and put on light makeup. When William saw her, his eyes lit up instantly. He walked up to her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and whispered in her ear: "My wife is so beautiful."

Ophelia's cheeks flushed slightly as she smiled and pushed him playfully: "Stop sweet-talking. Let's go, we don't want to be late."

William smiled, took her hand, and led her out of the hospital room, then drove her to the Brown Mansion.

The Brown Mansion was brightly lit, with luxury cars filling the entrance. Many guests had arrived—Brown family relatives and business tycoons—making for a lively scene.

William walked in holding Ophelia's hand, instantly drawing everyone's attention. All eyes fell on them—some curious, some scrutinizing, and some envious.

Xavier sat in the main seat. Seeing them enter, his face broke into a smile as he waved them over: "William, Ophelia, come sit here."

"Grandfather," William and Ophelia said in unison, walking forward hand in hand to greet Xavier.

Marcella saw Ophelia, and a flash of disdain crossed her eyes, but she still put on an enthusiastic act, walking over to take Ophelia's hand and leading her to a group of elders. With a fake smile on her face but a deliberately challenging tone, she said:

"Ophelia, now that you're William's legitimate wife, according to our Brown family customs, this being your first family gathering, you need to pay respects to all the elders and let them get to know you properly."

She paused, then added pointedly: "But you only recently returned to the Smith family, and you've never attended this kind of high society gathering before, so you probably don't understand these customs. That's understandable—after all, you didn't grow up in a wealthy family. Some things can't be learned overnight."

Her voice wasn't loud, but just loud enough for the surrounding elders to hear. Every word implied that Ophelia's background wasn't good enough, that she wasn't worthy of William, trying to make Ophelia embarrass herself in front of everyone.

The surrounding elders all looked over, their eyes filled with curiosity and scrutiny, wanting to see how Ophelia would handle this. William stood beside her without speaking, just holding Ophelia's hand to encourage her, his eyes full of trust.

Ophelia understood clearly that Marcella was deliberately making things difficult for her, trying to put her in an awkward position. But she didn't panic. Instead, she smiled calmly and said to Marcella, "Marcella is right. As William's wife, it's proper for me to pay respects to the elders. Although I haven't attended this kind of gathering before, I do understand basic etiquette. Thank you for your concern, Marcella."

Her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, her face wearing an appropriate smile, showing no sign of nervousness. This made the surrounding elders nod involuntarily, their impression of her improving.

Ophelia turned to smile at William, then began paying respects to each elder. William had told her in advance about each elder's preferences, and she remembered them clearly.

She first walked up to Xavier respectfully, then handed over an exquisite gift box. "I heard Grandfather likes collecting watches. This is a Rolex I specially asked someone to find. I hope you like it."

Xavier accepted the Rolex, his face breaking into a smile. He could tell it was carefully selected, and his impression of Ophelia improved even more: "I love it. Thank you."

Ophelia then walked up to Gwyneth, and after paying her respects, presented a silk scarf embroidered with orchids: "Grandmother, I heard you like elegant things. I especially had this scarf embroidered for you. It will look beautiful with your outfits when you go out."

Gwyneth accepted the gift, beaming with joy, praising Ophelia repeatedly for being thoughtful, considerate, and caring.

Next, Ophelia paid respects to each elder in turn. At each one's side, she could accurately mention their preferences and present a carefully prepared gift that suited their tastes—all things William had told her about, items the elders liked but hadn't been able to find.

Each gift touched the elders' hearts. They were all moved by Ophelia's thoughtfulness and attention to detail, praising her endlessly. Even the elders who had some doubts about her now completely accepted her.

While paying respects, Ophelia also chatted briefly with each elder. She spoke appropriately and clearly, and when discussing business matters, she even offered her own insightful perspectives. She showed no sign of nervousness, completely unlike what Marcella had suggested—that she hadn't seen the world.

Marcella stood to the side, watching this scene unfold, her face dark, filled with anger and jealousy. She had intended to embarrass Ophelia, but instead, Ophelia had won over all the elders. Their attitude toward Ophelia was even better than their attitude toward her.

She stood there like an invisible person, with no one paying attention to her. The jealousy in her heart toward Ophelia was almost overflowing, yet she was completely helpless.