As Wendell hurriedly made his exit, Harold was just entering the hall alongside his sister Wendy and her fiancé, Gerald. Accompanying Gerald was a well-dressed young man who bore a slight resemblance to him. Upon encountering Wendell, Harold rushed over and asked, “Hey, Wendell! I just heard something troubling about your family. Is it true?”

Wendell quickly pushed him away, muttering, “I’m done, it’s over, I’m done…”

Concerned, Harold pressed, “Mr. Jones, what’s wrong?”

Wendell shook his head in a panic, too afraid to speak. He feared that if he revealed too much, he might not make it through the night. With that thought in mind, he shoved Harold’s hands aside and bolted from the hall as if his life depended on it.

Harold watched him flee and sighed, “It really seems like it’s the end for the Jones family. Isn’t it all happening a bit too quickly? Just yesterday they were fine, and now they’re bankrupt!”

Just then, an idea struck Harold when he spotted Charlie and Claire. He approached Claire and said, “Claire, let me introduce you to our esteemed guests tonight. This gentleman here is Gerald’s cousin, Kevin, the eldest son of the White family.”

“Kevin, this is my cousin, Claire,” Harold continued with a sly smile.

Kevin had been fixated on Claire since he arrived. At Harold’s introduction, he quickly extended his hand and said, “Claire, hello! I’ve heard so much about the stunning beauty of the Wilson family; your reputation certainly precedes you.”

Charlie, standing nearby, felt a flicker of annoyance. This was the downside of having a beautiful wife—suitors swarmed like flies, and he could hardly keep them at bay.

Stepping forward, he shook Kevin’s hand and said coldly, “Hello, I’m Claire’s husband.”

Kevin scrutinized Charlie from head to toe, his disdain evident. He retracted his hand and replied flatly, “I didn’t realize Claire was married. It’s quite a waste for a beauty like her to be with someone like you…”

Wendy quickly jumped in, “Kevin, the loser is our family’s live-in son-in-law; he has no job or skills!”

She then winked at Kevin and added, “Once Gerald and I are married, we’ll all be one big family. Let’s make sure to spend more time together…”

Kevin understood her implication and smiled, “Miss Claire is truly beautiful and graceful; I’d love to get together more often.”

At that moment, Charlie spotted his in-laws, Elaine and Jacob, approaching them.

Elaine hurried over and exclaimed, “Claire, have you heard? The Jones family has gone bankrupt!”

Claire stared in shock, “What? When did that happen?”

“Just now!” Elaine sighed. “I thought that after your divorce from Charlie, you might end up with Wendell. But it seems that plan has gone out the window…”

Charlie felt a surge of frustration. Did his mother-in-law really not see that her current son-in-law was the better catch?

Kevin stepped forward to introduce himself to Elaine, saying, “Hi, you must be Claire’s mother? I’m Gerald’s cousin, Kevin. You’re stunning; it’s no wonder your daughter is just as beautiful and captivating.”

Upon learning that Kevin was Gerald’s cousin, Elaine’s mind raced—eldest son of the White family, a wealthy prince charming! Her excitement was palpable as she replied, “Yes, I’m Claire’s mother! Are you friends with Claire?”

Kevin smiled and said, “Yes, we are, but we just met today!”

Joy radiated from Elaine as she nodded enthusiastically, “Come, let’s sit together. Mr. White, my Claire is beautiful, and she’s as pure and honest as an angel. You youngsters should stay in touch more often…”

“Mom!” Claire protested, irritation creeping into her voice as she interrupted her mother.

Elaine was about to argue when Claire gently pulled her attention to the stage, where Lady Wilson was now standing in the spotlight!

Lady Wilson surveyed the room before addressing the crowd, saying with a smile, “On behalf of the Wilson family, I’d like to welcome all our friends, partners, and esteemed guests to our banquet tonight. Now, let’s give a warm welcome to Doris Young, the vice-chairman of Emgrand Group, with a big round of applause!”

The spotlight shifted to focus on Doris, who dazzled in a black evening gown that accentuated her figure. A captivating presence, she drew the attention of every man in the room. Doris stood up, nodding graciously to the crowd, her gaze briefly landing on Charlie before moving on.

Lady Wilson continued, “First, I’d like to thank Emgrand Group for trusting us with such an important project. We will do our utmost to meet their expectations.”

“Next, we’d like to introduce an outstanding junior of our Wilson family…”

Elaine shouted excitedly, “Hey, Claire! It’s your time to shine!”

Although Claire had mentally prepared for this moment, nerves overtook her. Charlie offered her an encouraging glance, while Harold shot a sneering look at the thrilled Claire. Lady Wilson smiled at their table before speaking again.

“Without him, we wouldn’t have been able to collaborate with Emgrand Group. After careful consideration, our board has decided to appoint him as the director of Wilson Group, responsible for the project with Emgrand Group!”

“Let’s welcome the new director of Wilson Group, Harold Wilson!”

Claire stood frozen in disbelief, her eyes wide as she watched Harold strut onto the stage, a smug smile plastered on his face. Charlie felt a surge of anger. How could they betray Claire like this? After benefiting from her, the Wilson family seemed to have cast her aside without a second thought!

Claire’s eyes welled with tears as she swiftly got to her feet and fled the hall, leaving everything behind. The fall from happiness to despair was crushing for her. Meanwhile, Charlie seethed inwardly, thinking, ‘How dare you hurt my wife? I swear, I’ll make you pay!’

On stage, Harold declared proudly, “Thank you for this honor. I will give my all as the new director and ensure the project with Emgrand Group is a success!”

Lady Wilson nodded approvingly, taking back the microphone to announce, “There’s one more significant matter for tonight’s banquet. We are honored to welcome the new chairman of Emgrand Group, Mr. Wade! Please give him a warm round of applause!”

Thunderous applause erupted in the hall! Everyone was eager to see the new chairman of Emgrand Group, their anticipation palpable as they scanned the crowd for his appearance.

Someone speculated, “I suspect the mysterious chairman is the same wealthy figure from Emerald Court!”

“I think you’re right! He doesn’t seem to belong to Aurous Hill’s upper-class social circle!”

“Wow! Does that mean the chairman of Emgrand Group is the most powerful billionaire in Aurous Hill?”

“I can’t wait to see what he looks like!”

Amidst the enthusiastic applause and eager anticipation, Charlie, with a steely expression, slowly rose to his feet…