Chapter 135: Where is Caleb Lowell? Tell him to come back with us for a meeting
Watching Beverly Lynch cheerfully share her collector-grade, top-shelf champagne with the crowd, Alvin Lancaster felt a strange mix of emotions.
If he hadn’t heard his sister’s inner thoughts, he might have thought she was going too far.
But his sister wasn’t sad at all, so it seemed like this was actually okay.
Besides, Alvin also wanted to distract everyone and prevent any baseless speculation from starting.
He was the first to raise his glass. "Jay was accepted into the university and will soon be studying under Professor Quentin Woods. This is cause for celebration."
Everyone: "..."
They didn’t quite get it, but they went along with their host’s wishes and livened up the party.
Lana Sterling was especially thrilled. Jane Lancaster had caused her a lot of trouble, making her offend her crush, so she should have been the one feeling sad and dejected today.
But now, the person who should be most miserable was Jane Lancaster, not her. It was just too perfect!
A fiancé running off to save another woman on the eve of their engagement ceremony—it was so melodramatic and juicy! She had to follow the story to the end!
Lana loved the drama and even snuck away to share the shocking gossip with her nephew.
Worried that a text wouldn’t get an immediate response, she took her wine glass, hid in a quiet corner, and secretly made a video call.
"Jasper, guess what happened today?"
Jasper Sterling’s voice was nonchalant. "What happened?"
Lana tried to put on a sympathetic face. "Listen, uh, it’s some very sad news... Caleb Lowell ran out on his fiancée!"
By the end, she could barely contain the glee in her voice.
On the other end of the call, Uncle Lynn, who was holding the phone, froze.
Hearing this, Jasper Sterling took the phone. "Auntie, don’t talk nonsense."
"I’m not talking nonsense! Caleb Lowell abandoned his fiancée to save another woman. Tomorrow’s engagement party is probably off." The corners of Lana’s mouth curled up into a smile she couldn’t suppress.
"Oh, what is Jane Lancaster going to do? It’s so humiliating. She’ll probably never be able to show her face in our social circles again."
Uncle Lynn: "..."
’What could he say? The lady was just so clueless.’
"Auntie, I think you’re missing the point," Jasper Sterling said, his face devoid of expression. "The one who will become a laughingstock is Caleb Lowell."
Lana didn’t understand. "Why?"
When something like this happens, isn’t it usually the woman who faces more criticism?
Even if Jane Lancaster calls off the engagement in a fit of rage, seemingly taking control, it doesn’t change the fact that she was abandoned.
A woman being abandoned at her own engagement looks pitiful no matter how you slice it.
"Do you think The Lowell Family has such admirable values, Auntie?" Jasper Sterling scoffed. "With Caleb Lowell setting a precedent, everyone in The Lowell Family might as well start running out on their weddings. It’s not like they’ll be condemned for it. I don’t know about the others, but Clayton Lowell would certainly be happy to follow suit and would even consider it a romantic escapade."
The smile on Lana’s face vanished.
Uncle Lynn sighed. ’See? Now that the fire is scorching her, she feels the burn.’
"Ahem. We must condemn this! Strictly condemn the man for such irresponsible and unreliable behavior!" Lana felt a lingering fear just thinking about it.
What if, in the future, when she was marrying her crush, he suddenly ran out on her for another woman? Who could she even complain to?
"Then go ahead and condemn him." Jasper Sterling hung up the video call.
’His aunt was really getting ahead of herself. Did she actually fantasize about marrying that loser Clayton Lowell?’
「 」
Jane Lancaster watched the scene before her, a little dumbfounded.
’This is my party, right? So why are Willow Summers and Beverly Lynch competing to see who can get people to drink more?’
The party had certainly livened up, but everyone was drinking a little too hard.
Several young women were already drunk, sitting on the sofa and furiously cursing scumbags together.
"Young Miss..." Mama Knight began, her expression hesitant.
Jane Lancaster said, "Mama Knight, just say what’s on your mind."
Mama Knight clenched her teeth. "Young Miss, if worse comes to worst, let’s just call off the engagement!"
She had thought about it from every angle and felt that Caleb Lowell’s act of abandoning Jane Lancaster to save Luna Morgan was suspicious. Combined with some previous clues, it was hard not to suspect something was going on between those two.
Jane Lancaster replied, "Don’t worry, Mama Knight. I have a handle on it."
She had a feeling this whole affair would take an unexpected turn.
「 」
When the group of people burst in, many at the party hadn’t even reacted yet.
"Who are you?" someone asked, their breath heavy with alcohol.
When Lana Sterling saw Clayton Lowell, she happily walked over. "Shane, what are you doing back?"
Her face was flushed, she reeked of alcohol, and she was still holding a wine glass.
The old man at the front couldn’t stand it any longer. He snatched the glass from her hand and smashed it on the ground.
"You brat! What is the meaning of this?!"
The elderly man next to him, his face grim, lifted his cane and smashed the champagne tower in the middle of the hall.
With a tremendous CRASH, champagne and glass flew everywhere, startling everyone.
Lana Sterling was the closest and couldn’t dodge in time. A flying shard of glass grazed her arm, leaving a long, bloody scratch.
She looked at her bleeding arm and flared up. "What do you think you’re doing?"
"Where’s Jane Lancaster? Tell her to get her ass out here!"
The group didn’t even spare her a glance. Someone, apparently annoyed she was in the way, simply pushed her aside.
Lana had never been so wronged in her life. Forgetting all about the gossip, she immediately called her nephew to complain.
’This was too much! She’d remember these people. How dare they offend her? She’d make them regret it!’
「 」
"You were looking for me?" Jane Lancaster asked as she walked out.
The old man across from her suddenly swung his cane at her, but Jane raised her hand and caught it mid-swing.
"Let go!" the old man barked, trying and failing to wrench the cane free.
Jane, ever so obliging, immediately let go.
The old man had been pulling on the cane, and now inertia sent him stumbling backward and falling to the floor.
"How dare you push me? You wretched girl! Do you have any idea who I am?"
Jane was speechless. This was a textbook setup. "And who might you be?"
’Go on, name yourself so I can hold you accountable. That champagne tower was worth a lot of money.’
Alvin Lancaster had just walked out when he heard that thought. His scalp tingled with dread as he rushed over.
"Professor Woods, what are you doing here?" He turned to the people with Clayton Lowell, and his dread intensified. "Uncle Shane, why are all these senior members of The Lowell Group here?"
"Professor Woods... Quentin Woods?" Jane Lancaster was a bit surprised.
Alvin Lancaster helped Quentin Woods to his feet. The professor glared at Jane coldly. "What did you do to Luna Morgan?"
One of the senior members of The Lowell Group also spoke up. "Where is Caleb Lowell? Tell him to come back with us for a meeting!"
"You... came here looking for Luna Morgan from me?" Jane then turned to the senior members. "And you came here looking for Caleb Lowell?"
She paused, then looked at Clayton Lowell and smiled. "Fourth Uncle, you really have been thinking about coming back all this time."
Clayton Lowell was instantly provoked, but he quickly calmed himself and forced a smile in return.
"Jane, my dear, Fourth Uncle had no choice. It’s because you were fooling around, insisting that Caleb stay with you, that you’ve delayed important business!"
Alvin Lancaster interjected, "No, there’s a misunderstanding here..."
Jane Lancaster cut him off. "Shouldn’t Caleb be with me? He promised he’d stay with me after he finished his work."
Clayton Lowell thought he’d found his opening. "So you’re the one clinging to him and not letting him leave? You women are all the same, always letting your emotions get in the way!"
"Where is Caleb Lowell? Don’t tell me you got him drunk?"