Chapter 178 It's Beyond Foolish.

Chapter 178 It's Beyond Foolish.

Nora took a deep breath, deliberately raising her voice a few notches, injecting a forced warmth into her tone. "Ms. Ross, congratulations on your new home! I came specially to celebrate with you. This is a gift I picked out with great care. I hope you like it."

She extended the gift box forward.

Jocelyn glanced down but didn't reach for it. She didn't even move.

Nora's arm hung awkwardly in midair, her smile freezing for a split second.

With a light laugh, she set the box on a nearby coffee table. When she looked back at Jocelyn, a hint of mockery flickered in her eyes.

"Speaking of which, Ms. Ross, you must have put quite a bit of effort into this estate, haven't you? I heard you renovated the entire place, inside and out. That must have taken so much energy."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the guests in the living room. Her smile took on a deliberately surprised edge. "Oh my, I don't see any of your family here. Didn't your uncle and the others come?"

She covered her mouth in exaggerated shock, then her tone stretched out as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh... right, I forgot. Ms. Ross cut ties with all those relatives to get these things back. On such a big day, not a single family member here to celebrate. That's... a bit lonely, isn't it?"

Her voice wasn't quiet. Several nearby guests heard every word clearly, their eyes darting between Nora and Jocelyn as hushed whispers began to spread.

Jocelyn stood still, her expression unchanged, a faint smile still playing at her lips.

She didn't even look at Nora. Instead, she calmly shifted her gaze to Raymond, her tone laced with subtle mockery. "Mr. Murphy, I've certainly witnessed your household's etiquette today. Mrs. Murphy's manner of paying a visit is truly... one of a kind."

Nora's smile stiffened. She was about to retort when Raymond turned his head first, his gaze landing heavily on her.

The coldness in that single look was so intense that Nora's words stuck in her throat, unable to escape.

His expression suggested he'd gladly devour her whole just to defend Jocelyn.

Jocelyn acted as if she hadn't noticed the undercurrent between them, continuing unhurriedly. "Mrs. Murphy, you're still dealing with your own mess of troubles. The tax evasion scandal is still trending online, isn't it? Yet here you are, rushing over to bring me gifts. I really can't accept such... thoughtfulness."

Nora's face completely fell.

The tax evasion issue was her sore spot. Having it casually exposed in front of everyone made her feel like all eyes were on her with strange judgment.

Her breathing quickened. She stepped forward, glaring furiously at Jocelyn. "Jocelyn, what are you saying?!"

"Shut up." Raymond's voice cut through from beside her, ice-cold.

Nora whipped around, staring at him in disbelief. "You're taking her side? I'm the one who's your—"

"I said shut up." Raymond glared at her, his eyes seething with barely contained rage.

He didn't know when it had started, but his patience with Nora had run completely dry. Whatever she did now only irritated him.

And now she had the audacity to humiliate Jocelyn publicly, in front of all these people.

Nora's eyes instantly reddened. She stared at her fiancé, her heart full of unwillingness.

She was supposed to be his fiancée. They were getting married soon. Yet his eyes only ever held Jocelyn.

She refused to accept it. Absolutely refused.

Clenching her fists, she suddenly turned and grabbed a glass of red wine from the side table, raising it to splash it toward Jocelyn.

Jocelyn's pupils contracted. Before she could sidestep, a figure had already moved in front of her.

Charles extended his arm, shielding Jocelyn completely behind him. The wine glass grazed his shoulder and shattered against the wall behind them, dark red liquid splattering across the floor.

The living room fell silent.

Jocelyn stood behind Charles's protective stance, stunned for a moment before her brows furrowed tightly.

Seeing Charles blocking Jocelyn, Raymond frowned. He stepped forward and grabbed Nora's wrist with such force that she cried out in pain.

"What the hell are you doing?" His voice was dangerously low, fury blazing. "Apologize to Jocelyn. Now."

Nora's wrist throbbed under his grip, tears welling in her eyes, but she stubbornly raised her chin. "Why should I apologize?! What is she to you?! She's just a—"

"Shut your mouth!"

Before she could finish, Raymond roared, flinging her hand away forcefully.

Nora stumbled backward, nearly falling.

Once she steadied herself, she stared at Raymond in utter disbelief. "You're treating me like this for that bitch?"

Raymond shot her a furious glare before coldly instructing Jake, "Get her out of here."

Jake reacted immediately, stepping forward to grab Nora's arm and half-drag, half-pull her toward the door.

"Let go! Who do you think you are, touching me?! Raymond, what is this supposed to mean? You're actually making me leave? You—"

Her protests continued until she was hauled out the door. The living room fell quiet once more.

Raymond stood in place, finally managing to calm his emotions before slowly turning around.

His gaze swept past Charles before settling on Jocelyn's face.

Jocelyn had already stepped out from behind Charles. Her expression was calm, though the coldness in her eyes had deepened.

Raymond's voice came out hoarse. "I'm sorry. Today's incident—I didn't handle it well."

Jocelyn didn't respond. She simply looked at him quietly.

Raymond waited a few seconds. When no response came, he lowered his eyes, his fingers clenching and unclenching.

"I'll contact you again."

With that, he turned and strode out of the villa.

His figure disappeared beyond the doorway. For a long while, no one in the living room spoke.

Simon hopped down from the sofa and ran to Jocelyn's side, tilting his small face up to look at her with concern. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Jocelyn glanced down at her son, gently pressing her hand on the top of his head. A slight curve returned to her lips, her voice soft. "I'm fine now. Go play."

Simon nodded and went back to playing games with Charles.

Jocelyn raised her eyes, scanning the guests whose expressions ranged from curious to uncomfortable. A smile returned to her face as if the storm moments ago had never happened. Her tone turned light and cheerful. "Sorry about that, everyone. Didn't mean for you to witness such a scene."

Fortunately, the guests at Ross Villa today were all her friends and business partners with whom she had good relationships. What just happened was merely an ill-timed interlude.

Ever since her miscarriage, Nora's luck had been abysmal. Many of her endorsements had been pulled, and rumor had it even Raymond's mother was growing increasingly impatient with her. Now there was the tax evasion scandal on top of everything.

And today she'd come here to cause this mess. It was beyond foolish.