---- Chapter 602 Raymond's face hardened. "Diana's methods are still too gentle." No matter how he looked at Julian, Raymond felt the man was. slightly unworthy of his sister. If Sydney wanted to walk away, that would be her decision alone. No one else had the right to claim her. James shook his head. He did not fully agree. "This time, it's hard to say." Something about Diana felt wrong today. She was calm, but not casually so. It was the kind of composure that came from long preparation and absolute confidence in the result.
Diana noticed the brothers watching her, yet she did not spare them a glance. Many of the guests had traveled all the way from Brimcrest tonight. Several were old friends of the Huttons. Albus disliked such occasions and chose not to attend. Diana took charge instead. For her, it posed no difficulty. She handled everything with effortless grace. Before entering the private room, Megan instinctively glanced toward Diana. When she saw that Diana showed no interest at all, she finally relaxed.
---- As long as Theodore secured a marriage with Eloise tonight, Megan would never need to read Florence's expression again, nor endure the Hutton siblings. As for Sydney, she was an unwanted wife who had been passed from hand to hand. Even if the Huttons acknowledged her, how could she ever compare to Megan's brilliance? A server pushed the door open. "Ms. Hutton, please." "Mhm." Megan lifted her chin, stepped forward on slender heels, and saw Eloise and Theodore inside. A sweet smile appeared at once. "Madam Sterling," she greeted her, then moved to Theodore's side.
"Dad." What happened at Seraph Villa that morning still weighed on Theodore, but this concerned Megan's future. He nodded and turned to Eloise "I'll be honest, even if it makes me look bad. My daughter has admired Ray for many years." 1 He stated it directly. Megan did not pretend to be shy. She accepted it without hesitation. "Julian is outstanding. Many people admire him." Eloise studied her in silence, then smiled. ---- "Jules truly is excellent, but..." She glanced at Victor beside her. * My younger grandson is not bad either." Victor had not expected to be pulled into the discussion.
Disgust flickered across his face. At first glance, this woman seemed harmless. Her eyes told a different story. They were full of calculation. She could not even compare to Sydney. Before Victor could refuse, Megan spoke with practiced ease. " I'm close with many young ladies from respectable families. Once | become his cousin-in-law, | can introduce them to him." She played innocent without a single misstep. Victor stayed silent. That was the simplest choice. As long as she did not marry him, anything else was acceptable. Megan was still a daughter of the Hutton family.
To advance her match with Julian, Theodore had already visited the Sterling family in private. By current standards, it was almost the Sterlings who were marrying up. The Huttons held influence across military, political, and business spheres. ---- Eloise could not apply the same pressure she once used on Sydney. She let the matter pass and offered a warm smile." Then I'll thank you in advance on Victor's behalf, future grandaughter-in-law?" Megan's eyes brightened. "You mean...
you agree to the marriage?" "With your background, appearance, and character, | would be delighted." Eloise took her hand. Her expression was softer than anything Sydney had ever received while growing up. " Tomorrow, I'll come in person to propose." Theodore had not expected such a swift response. He hesitated. "lheard Jules and Dr. Wilson-" A sharp glint crossed Eloise's eyes. She dismissed it with a wave. "Just fooling around before marriage. It does not matter." In any case, Julian's consent was unnecessary. Once the engagement was announced, any refusal would publicly insult the Huttons.
When both sides clashed, she would finally have her chance to seize control of the Sterling family again