Chapter 354: Provocation, Hostility
Claire Bennett squeezed her eyes shut and deliberately tilted her body toward Adrian Lancaster, her mind racing with a scheme.
’If Adrian would just reach out to steady her,’ she thought, ’even a momentary touch would be enough to make everyone suspicious and certainly enough to make Wren Sutton uncomfortable.’
Just as Claire Bennett was gloating inwardly, about to tumble into Adrian Lancaster, a quick-thinking female staff member stepped forward. She grabbed Claire’s arm, firmly bracing her as she fell.
"Miss Bennett, are you alright? Please watch your step."
"..." The unexpected intervention completely ruined Claire Bennett’s plan.
She froze, caught in an awkward limbo—unable to fall, yet not fully standing. An embarrassed blush flooded her face, and the carefully composed, elegant expression she wore nearly cracked.
’Claire Bennett could have killed that staff member for ruining her plan,’ she fumed, ’but she couldn’t afford to lose her temper.’
"I’m fine."
Unwilling to give up, Claire Bennett tried to use her momentum to lean against Adrian Lancaster anyway.
But the staff member’s grip was perfect—it steadied her while cleverly maintaining the distance between her and Adrian Lancaster, giving her no opportunity to get close to him at all.
’!!!’ Claire Bennett was filled with a silent rage, on the verge of losing her composure.
Through it all, Adrian Lancaster didn’t so much as lift an eyelid, acting as if he hadn’t seen or heard anything. His attention was fixed entirely on Wren Sutton.
"Don’t let irrelevant people ruin our mood."
"Mm."
In reality, Wren Sutton hadn’t been affected at all. Adrian Lancaster’s presence beside her had blocked her view, so she hadn’t even noticed Claire Bennett approaching.
If she hadn’t heard Claire Bennett’s gasp, she truly wouldn’t have known anything was going on.
Now that she understood what was happening and had witnessed the whole charade, Wren Sutton remained silent, averting her gaze. She saw right through the ploy but chose not to say a word.
As a woman herself, Wren Sutton could tell Claire Bennett had designs on Adrian Lancaster; her methods were just rather childish.
’Of all the times and places to fall, she just had to ’accidentally’ do it right next to Adrian Lancaster. It was almost as if she was afraid people *wouldn’t* see what she was up to.’
Heh.
Helped to her feet by the staff member, Claire Bennett felt a dull ache in her ankle. But that pain was nothing compared to the humiliation and resentment brewing in her heart.
Forcing a stiff smile, she muttered a "thank you" to the staff member and awkwardly returned to her seat.
Once seated, Claire Bennett risked a glance at Adrian Lancaster out of the corner of her eye. He was still completely unmoved, a cold bystander.
’A fall, so carefully planned to win his sympathy, to create an intimate accident...’
’And in the end, she hadn’t even managed to touch the hem of his sleeve.’
Claire Bennett was furious enough to scream.
Before long, the presentation of all donated items was complete.
The host walked back onto the stage.
"Thank you to all our kind-hearted donors for your generous contributions. We will now take a fifteen-minute break. After the break, the auction will officially begin. All lots will be auctioned in order, with the final piece being the ice-type jadeite set donated by Miss Bennett."
Hearing this, Claire Bennett slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were filled with an obsessive determination.
’It doesn’t matter. There’s still the final auction. She refused to believe that this exquisite jadeite set wouldn’t be enough to finally make Adrian Lancaster give her a proper look.’
...
「During the break.」
Wren Sutton left her seat and went to the restroom.
The restroom was tiled with gleaming marble, and a fresh, high-end fragrance filled the air.
Wren Sutton went to the sinks, turned on a faucet, and let the water run over her fingertips.
She squeezed some liquid soap into her palm, washed her hands thoroughly, and then took a paper towel from the dispenser to dry them.
Just then, the crisp sound of high heels echoed from behind her, each step striking the floor with deliberate force.
Wren Sutton saw Claire Bennett in the mirror. She wasn’t the least bit surprised.
Claire Bennett walked right up beside Wren Sutton and stopped, looking at her with a smirk.
"Miss Sutton, what a coincidence," Claire Bennett said, her voice laced with a provocation that failed to conceal her deep-seated animosity toward Wren.
Wren Sutton didn’t care what Claire called her. Her expression remained calm, betraying no hint of anger.
"It is quite a coincidence."
After saying this, her gaze drifted downward for a meaningful glance at Claire Bennett’s foot, a flicker of mockery in her eyes.
"Since you were able to walk to the restroom on your own, Miss Bennett, I see your foot isn’t badly injured. You have that kind staff member to thank for helping you. You should be more careful in the future. You can’t always count on a kind soul being there to help."
"..." Claire Bennett’s expression froze, her fingertips unconsciously clenching the fabric of her dress.
Wren Sutton hid the subtle, sharp glint in her eyes, tossed her paper towel in the bin, and turned to leave.
Not ready to give up, Claire Bennett hurried to block her path. "Miss Sutton, please wait."
Wren Sutton paused and looked at Claire Bennett impassively. "Yes?"
"There’s something I’m very curious about. I was hoping to ask for your opinion, Miss Sutton."
Wren Sutton uttered a single, indifferent word. "Speak."
Claire Bennett leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a volume only the two of them could hear as she tried to provoke Wren.
"Let’s say, hypothetically, that when I was going to my seat just now, I accidentally fell into Mr. Lancaster’s arms. Would you mind, Miss Sutton?"
Wren Sutton didn’t answer immediately.
She looked directly into Claire Bennett’s eyes, clearly seeing the resentment there—the pathetic sight of someone struggling to maintain a facade of dignity after being exposed.
Suddenly, Wren Sutton let out a soft laugh. It was a light sound, but like a fine needle, it punctured the tense atmosphere Claire Bennett had deliberately created.
"Mind? What would I have to mind? Heh. Did you really think you could have actually fallen into Adrian Lancaster’s arms?"
Wren Sutton saw right through Claire Bennett’s little trick and called her on it.
"Instead of wasting your energy on these little tricks, you should focus on something more productive. After all, deliberately causing a scene is both undignified and pointless."
Claire Bennett hadn’t expected Wren Sutton to be so direct and composed.
Her face went pale, and she said through gritted teeth, "I was only joking. There’s no need to take it so seriously, Miss Sutton."
Wren Sutton’s gaze instantly turned cold, her warning clear.
"That joke wasn’t funny at all, Miss Bennett. Have some self-respect. And another thing—address me as Mrs. Lancaster."
With that, she walked straight out of the restroom without giving Claire Bennett another glance.
"..." Defeated, Claire Bennett stood frozen in place, her nails digging deep into her palms.
’For a moment there, she had actually been intimidated by Wren Sutton’s aura.’
’Wren Sutton’s cold, dismissive attitude was more suffocating and frustrating than any sharp retort would have been.’
’It was as if all her provocations were just the one-woman show of a pathetic clown, completely unworthy of Wren Sutton’s attention.’
Unable to take it anymore, Claire Bennett let out a frenzied shriek, her perfectly applied makeup twisting into a distorted mask.
"Wren Sutton, just you wait! I will destroy you!"
...
Just as Wren Sutton stepped out of the restroom, Adrian Lancaster came walking toward her. He hurried forward and took her hand.
"You were in there for a while. Are you feeling alright?"
"No," Wren Sutton said, shaking her head as if nothing had happened.
Adrian Lancaster saw that her color was normal and she seemed fine, which put him at ease.
"Good."
Then, the two of them walked back toward the VIP seats.
Adrian Lancaster wrapped an arm around Wren’s waist and whispered intimately in her ear, "During the auction, if you see anything you like, just bid on it. Don’t worry about the cost."
Wren Sutton was actually feeling a bit tired and replied absently, "We’ll see when the time comes."
After they sat down.
Wren Sutton rested her hands lightly on her lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Claire Bennett’s seat was still empty.
’A strange, indefinable feeling crept into her heart. It wasn’t anger, and it wasn’t jealousy...’
"Adrian," Wren Sutton said softly, turning her head toward him.
Adrian responded at once, leaning closer. "Yes, I’m here."
The light caught his sharply defined profile, and Wren Sutton studied him seriously.
’His face was just too striking. It was no wonder women were always scheming for ways to get close to him.’
"What is it? Why aren’t you saying anything?" Adrian asked, his eyes doting and a smile playing on his lips.
Wren Sutton lowered her gaze, her fingers clenching unconsciously.
"If... if that kind staff member hadn’t been there, and Claire Bennett had fallen into your arms... would you have caught her?"