Chapter 249

Chapter 249

Orion's displeasure with Christopher's attitude was obvious, but the ambulance was about to leave.

He withdrew his gaze coldly. "If you let her go without permission, don't blame me for bullying the younger generation later."

That counted as retracting his earlier order.

The ambulance slowly pulled away from Hughes Estate.

The guests still crowded around Christopher and Edith.

"Isn't Mr. Hale supposed to be marrying Ms. Hughes? What's going on now?"

"That's Emily, right? I feel like he and Emily are actually the couple."

Someone quickly filled in the blanks about what must have happened on the terrace.

"So, did Emily and Ms. Hughes fight over Mr. Hale, and Ms. Hughes accidentally fell from upstairs, and then Mr. Hale chose to stand by Emily?"

"Mr. Hale even went to try on wedding dresses with Ms. Hughes before. How could he suddenly be with Emily?"

"..."

Anna heard their gossip and glared back.

"Edith didn't push her. She fell on her own! Let me see who's spreading lies."

She swept the crowd with a fierce look.

Knowing her status, no one dared offend the Collins family. The courtyard quieted down considerably.

But some still whispered slander about Edith.

"Are you kidding? Mr. Hughes dotes on Ms. Hughes so much—didn't let her touch a drop of alcohol all night. A perfectly sober adult just jumped off a building by herself?"

"I think they're lying. Anyone bold enough to push someone off a building wouldn't hesitate to lie about it now."

"Exactly. I've said it before—the design industry is shady. Someone who makes a name for herself so young can't be that innocent."

"Who knows, maybe even that recording was fake. The real murderer is probably her."

"Even if it's real, who knows what her mother did? The Langley family was probably forced into it."

"..."

Their voices drifted to Edith's ears in fragments.

She couldn't help clenching her fingers, looking up toward where the voices came from.

Before she could make out their faces, Christopher's voice cut through.

"Leo, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Hughes invited only Starlight City's elite tonight. Where did these people come from?"

The butler Leo glanced in that direction and replied respectfully, "They're guests invited by the younger Ms. Hughes. She said they were her friends."

Leo's words reached everyone's ears clearly.

Learning that those badmouthing Edith were actually Abigail's friends left the crowd with complicated feelings.

They'd almost been swayed...

"You're students at Central University."

Christopher's gaze landed on several faces, recognizing a few who'd been brought by Abigail to the vacation resort and met him before.

They hadn't expected Christopher to remember them and lowered their heads guiltily.

Christopher's voice turned cold.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting connections, but if you enable wrongdoing for power, you're digging your own grave."

"Starting tomorrow, don't bother reporting to Central University anymore."

"Also, tell your families that if they don't want to be targeted by Hale Group, they'd better leave Starlight City soon. Otherwise, I don't mind personally seeing you off."

Only then did they realize how serious this was. They wanted to apologize, but neither Christopher nor the Hughes family gave them the chance.

"Leo, aren't you going to show them out?" Christopher said to Leo.

With Orion taking Abigail away, the banquet really should end. Leo arranged for the guests to leave and personally saw Christopher's group off.

Outside Hughes Estate, Anna immediately complained.

"This is all your fault. If you'd arrived earlier, Edith wouldn't have been set up."

She'd contacted Christopher before coming, telling him Abigail had invited Edith to the banquet and asking him to look after her.

Christopher's brow furrowed slightly. "Something came up at the last minute. Where's Ethan?"

Anna replied, "He's on a business trip abroad."

Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered Christopher.

Christopher's gaze fell on Edith.

"Anna was worried something would happen to you, so she contacted me ahead of time. I thought Ethan would come. I'm sorry—I should have realized."

If Ethan had been free to accompany them, how would it have fallen to him?

A flash of darkness crossed his eyes, quickly suppressed.

"Did Abigail do anything to you?"

Edith shook her head. "Thank you for helping me out earlier, Mr. Hale."

Christopher heard the distance in her tone, his eyes dimming. "It's what I should have done."

"It's getting late. Let me take you home," he said.

"That's not necessary..." Edith started to say they'd come in the Collins family's car and the driver was waiting for them.

Anna's embarrassed voice came from beside her.

"Edith, let's just take his car. I thought the banquet would end much later and told the driver to go home."

Christopher added, "I'll take you both to Silvercrest Heights. I'm staying there tonight anyway. And about Abigail's fall—I'd like to know what really happened."

Edith agreed.

The three got in the car.

On the way back, Christopher asked about what happened on the terrace.

"Would Mr. Hale believe me if I told you?" Edith asked.

Christopher thought of the time Abigail had staged that scene before, guilt flickering in his eyes.

"Whatever you say, I'll believe you."

Actually, he'd believed Edith that time too. It's just that he'd thought Abigail was the one who'd always been by his side, and out of a sense of responsibility to her, he'd chosen to favor Abigail.

Edith thought of that as well.

What Christopher had said to her then echoed in her mind again.

[I know she fell on her own, but I can't let her fall again.]

Remembering his certainty then, Edith suddenly felt a perverse impulse and spoke without thinking.

"What if I really did push her?"

"Edith, it really was you?" Anna's shocked voice rang out.

Edith snapped back to herself, realizing what she'd just said. Annoyance flashed in her eyes.

"I..." She wanted to explain.

Christopher's low voice came from the passenger seat.

"I don't believe you would do that. But if it really was you, you should move to the estate soon and stay with Grandfather."

His calm tone stirred ripples in Edith's heart.

Christopher's gaze found her face through the rearview mirror, carrying a convincing strength.

"With Grandfather there, the Hughes family won't come after you, if only out of respect for him."

"I promise I'll handle everything quickly so you won't have to stay at the estate too long."

Edith had only posed a hypothetical, but in just a few seconds, he'd already planned everything that would follow.

Anna chimed in, "And the Collins family too. Grandmother would never let anything happen to you! Edith, I believe you too. Even if you really did push her, Abigail must have started it."

Edith closed her eyes, suppressing the emotions surging within.

"It wasn't me. She fell over on her own."

Christopher answered quickly.

"I understand what happened now."

"Ethan's not around, so if anything comes up, just come to me."