Chapter 399: The Heartless Merchant
Chloe Alden’s sharp voice instantly pierced the chilly night air.
"The Love God Crown absolutely cannot be awarded to this venomous bitch who’s pretty on the outside but rotten on the inside! Mr. Law, do you know that this woman didn’t give a single cent at the charity gala?"
"Tell me, how can a woman who has killed before, served a prison sentence, and now only knows how to mooch off red carpets, deserve to be called a Charity Cupid?"
Adrian Law’s hand paused slightly as he was about to place the Love God Crown on Cecilia’s head. His long, narrow eyes narrowed dangerously as he swept a cold look toward Chloe Alden.
But Chloe, seeing his face growing darker, thought he was angry at how shameful Cecilia’s true nature was!
Chloe was already smitten with Adrian, and now being stared at by him like that only made her heart pound faster, like a wild rabbit. She even couldn’t help but spill all of Cecilia’s "dirty secrets" as if presenting a treasure.
"Mr. Law, you must not know! This woman didn’t even qualify to attend the Light of Love gala—her invitation was fake! And then she was all over Sean Grant, obviously a shameless flirt!"
As Chloe spoke, jealousy burned in her gaze towards Cecilia. Just thinking about how Adrian earlier bid a hundred million US Dollars for Cecilia’s charity lot made Chloe’s heart boil with fury, swallowing her remaining sanity.
...
A woman like that has no right to stand by Adrian Law’s side!
Only she herself was truly worthy of Adrian Law.
Since she’d said all this, Mr. Law would definitely come to his senses and see her good intentions, right?
Watching Adrian take a step, then another, toward her, Chloe’s heart thumped wildly. Her cheeks flushed, she shyly took a half-step back.
"M-Mr. Law... you don’t need to praise me, exposing a woman like that is just what I should do..."
Chloe’s long lashes trembled as she stared at Adrian’s approaching, elegant figure, her mouth going dry.
But then, Adrian suddenly stopped—three steps away from her.
Chloe was stunned.
"M-Mr. Law, what are you...?"
Adrian didn’t even look at her.
"Wyatt, throw this woman who’s slandering my wife out!"
Chloe felt a lump in her throat, her eyes wide with disbelief as she stared blankly at Adrian, wondering if she’d misheard!
Wyatt Law strode up. With just a look from Adrian, he swiftly grabbed Chloe’s arm and restrained her.
"Ouch... my arm! What right do you have to tie me up?!"
...
"Mr. Law, you’ll regret this! That woman is clearly sleeping with Sean Grant! They even conspired to sell a painting for ten million dollars to Mr. Dodge!"
"If there was nothing between them, why would Sean share such a massive profit with her?!"
Chloe’s expression turned almost maniacal, blue veins bulging on her forehead.
"Mr. Law, if you don’t believe me, just you wait! One day you’ll catch that woman in bed with another man, see if I’m wrong!"
Adrian thought her voice was nothing but grating noise in his ears.
He shot Chloe a cold, piercing glance.
"So, you’re telling me I shouldn’t trust the wife I personally chose, but should believe an outsider like you instead?"
Chloe’s face went pale as a sheet.
"N-no way, Mr. Law, are you saying you’re not bothered at all that she sold that painting with Sean Grant for such a high price? If there was nothing between them, how could two people with totally different styles paint together so well!"
Cecilia almost coughed up blood hearing Chloe’s words.
She stepped forward, her face indifferent, those almond eyes cold and brimming with sarcasm and detachment.
"Chloe Alden, by your logic, every man and woman who work together on anything—a painting, an essay, a proposal—are all having secret affairs, right?"
At the sight of Cecilia, Chloe’s jealousy and rage roiled inside her like storm clouds.
"Other people maybe not! But you absolutely are!"
What kind of insane logic is that!
Chloe was about to be dragged out in front of everyone, and the humiliation surged within her.
For all her shrewishness, she was still quite beautiful—two lines of tears rolled down her cheeks, making her resemble a weeping flower in the rain.
"Mr. Law, are you really going to treat that heartless woman as some kind of treasure?"
Adrian’s gaze locked onto Chloe’s tear-stained face, his tone icy as death.
"So what if I dote on her? Do you have a problem with that?"
Before the last word faded, Adrian suddenly turned around. While everyone else gaped in shock, he lowered his head slowly, reverently placing the Love God Crown atop Cecilia’s beautiful hair.
His movements were gentle. As he looked at Cecilia, all the previous frost in his eyes melted, replaced with infinite tenderness.
"Cecilia, I know that among everyone here, no one is more deserving of the Love God title than you."
...
Hearing his words, some people in the crowd couldn’t help their lips twitching.
Is this what they call love making someone see Lady Serenya in everyone?
This Eldest Miss Vaughn was certainly beautiful, but it’s not as if everything Chloe exposed was a lie.
For example, throughout the entire gala, Cecilia really didn’t donate a cent—how’s that any different from just showing up for the photo op?
Soon, a buzz of discontent stirred the crowd.
"Mr. Law, you can’t just say your wife deserves the Love God Crown over all the other women here just because you favor her!"
"Exactly! Miss Fiona even bought a ton of children’s paintings and charity goods, adding up to over nine million! Isn’t a kind girl like her way better than Cecilia Vaughn, who didn’t give a dime?"
Fiona Vaughn saw so many people siding with her and couldn’t hide the pride shining in her eyes.
—So what if Adrian Law threw a hundred million at Cecilia and made her the Love God? In everyone’s hearts, she was the real gentle, kind girl! Once the story hit the press, who would care for a stingy "Cupid" who didn’t donate a cent? Wouldn’t that be a joke?
But in the next second, Fiona lowered her head with feigned embarrassment, perfectly hiding the ambition in her eyes.
"Please don’t speak like that about my sister... Maybe she had her reasons for not donating, okay?"
"Pffft! No money? Tell that to the ghosts! The painting Mr. Dodge bought alone was worth ten million US Dollars!"
"Exactly! What a stingy, heartless miser! I can’t stand women like her!"
Just as the crowd was gearing up to denounce Cecilia as an unworthy "Love God," the corners of Adrian Law’s lips curled in sarcasm. He raised the touchscreen tablet in Cecilia’s hand high for all to see.
"So according to you, Fiona Vaughn deserves praise for openly donating nine million, but when my wife anonymously donates ten million, she doesn’t even count as a decent human being?"