"No matter what, Selina deserves an apology." Hudson insisted, ignoring Leah.
The guests and girls frowned at Hudson's stubbornness and protectiveness toward Selina, as they believed he was unrelated to her. They wondered what kind of connection he had with her.
"Why are you so furious about something that shouldn't be your concern, mister?"
"Who is she to you?"
"He has no relationship with them," Leah answered quickly before Clarissa or Hudson could speak.
Selina was lost in the overwhelming air, unable to act recklessly, which would cause more problems for her reputation and that of Everett. She had been living her life carefully, steering away from troubles, since there was a little part of her to preserve and thrive.
Just as Selina looked at Leah with her stepmother's words replying in her head, which was bitterly true, Leah approached closer to her with a handkerchief in her hand.
Brushing off the trace of wine stain on her white dress with feigned concern, Leah leaned her head over her shoulder and then whispered.
"Sometimes you're so dreamy and forget your true place in the world. You're an illegitimate child—nothing more. Don't think an invitation changes that. Always remember, you can never have a place." Leah whispered in a voice only Selina could hear. "Right now, things are still fine. Leave quickly before your identity gets exposed."
Selina's heart twinged as her fist tightened more on the side.
Leah reached for Selina's hand and shoved the handkerchief into it, unwilling to hold onto anything that carried Selina's trace.
Leah turned to the girls. "You girls should leave,"
Just as the girls turned to leave with a satisfying smile lingering on their lips, a familiar, calm yet chilly voice with an air of authority cut across the room.
"Stop there."
The girls instantly froze in their tracks.
Everyone turned to see Zane approaching the scene purposefully, two men trailing behind him.
Zane drew closer, meeting Selina's indignant eyes. He could see her gray eyes filled with unspoken, buried emotions. Something, she had likely endured in silence. He looked away, letting his icy gaze settle on the girls.
"Do what you were supposed to say," he said in his usual icy, deep voice.
"Mr. Zane, we can only apologize if we were the ones who pushed her," the middle girl answered.
Zane lifted the CCTV footage before the girl's eyes, which left them shocked.
"Were you girls just having casual fun? Perhaps you did intentionally push her?" he asked coldly.
"Why would they push her?"
"They look so innocent. But that look is only masking their mischievous hearts!" murmured some guests.
The crowd's tone quickly shifted as they hurled condescending remarks at the girls.
A wave of embarrassment cut through their pride, and the girls scrambled to save face in the sudden turn of events.
"We didn't mean to push her. We thought she stole someone's card and got in to steal something else."
"We don't want things to go missing, and we thought sending her away would be the best option."
"But she was being stubborn, and we got into an argument."
"That's the whole incident."
Selina rolled her eyes at their twisted lies, imagining what could have become of her if she didn't have her father by her side and everyone had believed their story. She could have gone viral online, humiliated just as the girls had portrayed her.
Zane had not the slightest interest in their vague story because his eyes had never left Selina the entire time, even when he had been with his business partners. He had seen what happened and requested CCTV footage sent to him. With his icy eyes fixed on the girls as they now shivered beneath his gaze and nearly regretted being caught, Zane commanded,
"You have no audacity to humiliate my guests, regardless of their socioeconomic status. I don't want this to be repeated in the future. Do you understand?"
"Yes," the girls murmured, their voices quivering.
They turned to leave with fury burning inside them, but Zane's commanding voice halted them once more.
"Apologize."
The girls wanted to retaliate, but none of them dared defy him. He was a man cloaked in mystery and known for ruthless business dealings. They couldn't afford to provoke him.
The girls turned to face Selina. "I… I'm sorry," they apologized together, their voices betraying the insincerity of their words.
"Are you content with that?" Zane asked, fixing his gaze on Selina.
"Yes," Selina muttered. She didn't care about their apology, but society's views still hurt her.
Deep down, she knew incidents like this would continue to happen as long as she lacked a prestigious identity. Well, she didn't want to press the matter and distract the evening with it.
"Send them out," Zane commanded the two security men behind him as he glanced at the shattered glasses on the floor. "They can only leave after paying for the damages."
"Yes, sir," one of the security guards replied with a slight bow and approached the girls.
The guards grabbed the girls by their arms and dragged them out of the room.
"Don't drag me away like I'm some sort of beggar." the middle girl barked at the security man, who continued to pull her along.
"Don't push me. I can walk myself out."
Zane's intervention had left everyone speechless about how he had handled the situation. They wondered how lucky this seemingly lowly girl was to be connected with him.
The guests resumed their conversations as the air slowly returned to its previous exciting atmosphere.
Selina stared at Zane, unable to hide her surprise that he had to send the girls away, whereas he could easily let the situation pass with their apology. She wondered what kind of person he was.
She returned her attention to the white fabric of her dress, only to notice the stain from the spilled wine. She couldn't stand staying any longer, not while looking like a fool. First, she needed to get cleaned up, and after that, she'd quietly leave for home.
Maybe on some other day, they'd get the chance to meet again and finally learn his true intentions. It embarrassed her that everything had turned out this awful tonight.
While Zane took a slow sip of his wine, his steely gaze remained fixed on Hudson, whose anxious eyes lingered on Selina's retreating figure. Just as Zane had suspected, the connection between them simmered beneath the surface, even if circumstances kept it hidden. Now, his disbelief was cleared and settled.
He had never intended to intervene in matters related to her. it would have been quite pleasurable to watch her shrink in humiliation. However, letting such incidents pass without clearing the air could tarnish his public image and cost him something in front of the many eyes here, not all of whom had come to celebrate with him. Not even the slightest chance would he give them.
When he sensed Damien's presence behind him, he turned his gaze away from her and issued a low command. "Make sure she doesn't leave without seeing me. Bring her and Hudson to the location."
"Yes, sir," Damien replied, his tone steady as he acknowledged the order.
Hudson's anger began to fade, but that sad look on his daughter's face left him unsettled. He knew she'd be lingering on what happened. He hadn't expected to see Selina tonight and would have left without meeting her if not for the sudden commotion.
Hudson glanced at Leah. "What did you say to Selina? I hope it wasn't something cruel."
Leah looked away, shrugging. "Just some truths she needs to hold onto."
Hudson's brow tightened as he shot Leah a warning glance. "I've always told you not to be harsh with her. Face me, not her."
Without waiting for a reply, Hudson turned and walked off, determined to find Selina.
Clarissa watched quietly, a flicker of disappointment on her face. "You don't have to provoke him," she murmured.
Leah didn't respond, eyes fixed ahead. "If Selina hadn't come today, none of this would be happening. I don't get why Zane made those girls apologize. What's his deal with her, anyway?"
Clarissa ignored her mother and tried to follow her father, but Leah grabbed her arm, pulling her back.
"Don't even think about going after her," Leah scolded, frowning deeply at Clarissa. "She's an outcast. We're not supposed to associate with her. Not even in public."
"Selina might be hurting. I just want to know if she's okay," Clarissa uttered.
"If you're tired, we can go home," Leah said dismissively, releasing Clarissa's arm. "Let's find your father and return."