CHAPTER 771: GUGFWEFGYUAE

Eric watched the scene unfold with a sarcastic glint in his eyes. These people had clearly anticipated Ella’s arrival and put on a show of sincerity in their apology, believing that Ella, under the pressure of the media and upper-class scrutiny, would have no choice but to accept. After all, refusing would be seen as lacking the grace expected of a high-society wife.

Their assumptions weren’t entirely wrong—Ella rejecting the apology in such a public setting would make her seem ungracious and unreasonable. But Ella never played by the rules.

As soon as Ella finished speaking, the room erupted in murmurs of shock. Her firm stance and refusal to show even a hint of leniency left the crowd astonished.

Sean’s face darkened, his eyes growing colder with each passing second. Meanwhile, Leah secretly rejoiced, satisfied no matter what the outcome. If Ella forgave Sean, she would have to swallow her pride and all the grievances that came with it. If she didn’t, the public would label her as cruel and heartless.

Sure enough, the murmurs from the high-society ladies around them began to turn into a wave of disdainful remarks directed at Ella. In their eyes, Sean, being an old man in his eighties, should be forgiven. After all, despite his faults, he didn’t have much time left, and Ella had only suffered damage to her reputation, not any physical harm.

"She really doesn’t know how to act properly—after all, Old Mr. Carter is her grandfather."

"You can’t blame her, though. She’s just a freshman, using her looks and body to climb her way into the Nelson family. Let’s see how far that gets her."

"She’s only behaving like this because of Mr. Nelson’s favor. So heartless, so cold-blooded."

"How shameless! An old man apologizing to her, and she still won’t back down. Even if she doesn’t accept it, she could at least be more gracious. Kids these days, so arrogant!"

The crowd’s whispers leaned heavily in favor of Sean, and overhearing this seemed to bring him some satisfaction. This was exactly what he had aimed for: no matter whether Ella accepted the apology or not, she would come out looking bad.

Sean’s internal smugness grew, especially knowing that Ella had foolishly come tonight, thinking she could disrupt his partnership with Mason. But in truth, he stood to lose nothing.

Journalists began pressing forward, flooding the scene with questions.

Julia’s eyes filled with disappointment. "Miss Davis, if you’re going to be this persistent, then there’s nothing more we can say."

Sean, suppressing his glee, added in a remorseful tone, "I only wanted Miss Davis’s forgiveness. I never meant to upset her so deeply..."

Ella let out a small, icy laugh and slowly turned her gaze to Sean. "Old Mr. Carter, you don’t need to try so hard with this act. I have every right not to forgive you. Have people forgotten that I’m the victim here? After your slander, I spent days under extreme mental pressure! Wherever I went, people insulted me, and some crazed individuals even threw things at me!"

Eric’s voice cut in, just as cold. "Indeed. My wife nearly broke down during those days. If her mental health had been permanently damaged, could you compensate her, Old Mr. Carter?"

He then swept his gaze over the gossiping ladies, his voice growing sharper. "And you—calling my wife heartless, ruthless, and arrogant? You all come from high society, yet you didn’t bring your brains with you tonight? Just because someone’s old doesn’t make them automatically deserving of sympathy. If I’m not mistaken, Old Mr. Carter threw a lavish birthday party during my mother-in-law’s memorial service. Is that the behavior of a man who was unwilling to sever ties with her?"

Eric’s pointed words left Sean speechless, unable to offer a rebuttal. His manipulative narrative had been turned upside down.

Julia’s expression shifted, her face paling as she realized how swiftly Eric had flipped the entire situation. His quick wit and sharp words had not only defended Ella but also exposed Sean’s hypocrisy to everyone present.

Ella’s gaze was icy as she spoke. "I think everyone here should be aware that the events of that night took place at the Imperial Crown Club—territory owned by the Carter Group. I was there because a friend was in trouble. She had called the club’s emergency line, but no one came to help her! She was nearly raped in that very club. When I arrived, the security staff had mysteriously disappeared."

"The situation escalated quickly, and the assailant had a gun. Miss Chloe and I almost died that night. And as far as I know, it was all a plot orchestrated by Old Mr. Carter and Mr. Mason. Sean Carter didn’t just want to damage my reputation—he wanted me dead. If that gunman had fired, Chloe and I wouldn’t be standing here today. Now, do you still think Old Mr. Carter deserves your sympathy after plotting such a crime?"

Ella’s voice echoed through the hall, which had fallen completely silent.

The crowd’s expressions grew more complicated. The incident had been reported at the time, but many key details had been glossed over.

"You’re lying! I never conspired with Mr. Scott. Ella, stop making baseless accusations!" Sean roared, not expecting to be bitten back after trying to humiliate her.

"How can you slander my grandfather like this, Ella? I was with him the entire night!" Leah spoke up, mustering the courage to defend Sean, though she had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. Still, she became Sean’s witness.

But just then, a cold voice cut through the tension from the entrance. "Miss Davis is right. My sister was nearly raped that night because of the conspiracy orchestrated by Mason, Miss Leah, and Mr. Sean Carter."

All eyes turned to see Charles entering, holding a pale and shaken Chloe by the hand.

The moment Mason saw Chloe, his face darkened.

The crowd parted to let Charles and Chloe walk to the center of the room. Chloe’s icy stare was fixed on Mason, who, in just a matter of days, had moved on with another woman. He truly was a liar, a heartless playboy, and a shameless scoundrel. The memory of that night—when he and the Carter Group conspired to destroy her—flooded her mind. If Ella hadn’t arrived in time, Chloe would have lost everything.