Chapter 231
The next morning, at the Blackwood family estate.
“What is William playing at?” Eleanor seethed, her voice razor-sharp as she slammed the guest list onto the polished mahogany table. “Is he deliberately trying to humiliate me? His 80th birthday, and I—his rightful daughter-in-law—am not even on the list? Meanwhile, he’s letting your father parade that homewrecker and his bastard son around like they belong!”
Even Isabella was invited! Rage coiled in her chest like a venomous serpent. Her fingers tightened around the crystal wine glass until it shattered in her grip, shards scattering across the marble floor.
She barely registered the sting in her palm, too consumed by the throbbing in her temples. The fury was blinding.
“Ethan, your grandfather is deliberately snubbing us. This is a blatant insult!” Eleanor’s fiery gaze snapped to Sophia, eyes brimming with venom.
William’s disdain for Ethan had been painfully obvious since the divorce from Isabella. He’d severed all ties, retreated overseas, and hadn’t even bothered to return for Ethan and Sophia’s wedding.
He was spitting on their dignity.
Eleanor knew the truth—Ethan might be her only son, but William had other grandsons. And Ethan’s stubborn insistence on marrying Sophia had only deepened the old man’s disapproval.
The thought of the financial backing Sophia’s parents still hadn’t delivered made Eleanor’s blood boil.
“At the end of the day, Sophia, this is because William despises you!” she spat. “This is all your fault!”
Sophia lowered her lashes, feigning helplessness under Eleanor’s venomous glare. “Eleanor, I’ve tried everything to win him over, but… he’s always favored Isabella. Of course, he’d never accept me.”
Inside, she smirked.
Eleanor had welcomed her with open arms when she first returned—all sweet words and false smiles. But they both knew the truth: Eleanor had only wanted the assets Sophia brought into the marriage.
Now that things weren’t going her way, she was quick to shift blame.
Sophia bit back a scoff and instead leaned into Ethan’s protective embrace. “Ethan, I never meant to cause trouble… I didn’t think William would be so cruel. I’m sorry, Eleanor… I’ve upset you.”
Eleanor’s face twisted. “Stop with the pathetic act!” She loathed how Sophia played the victim—just like that wretched secretary who had slithered into her husband’s bed all those years ago.
And seeing Ethan shield her? It made her stomach churn.
With a sudden jerk, Eleanor snatched a porcelain teacup and hurled it at Sophia. “Enough of your lies!”
The cup exploded against the wall. Ethan instinctively pulled Sophia closer, his expression darkening as he turned to his mother. “Mother, have your migraines robbed you of all sense? Sophia is your daughter-in-law. Is this how you treat family?”
Eleanor’s hands trembled with barely contained rage. “Oh, now you dare lecture me? Fine. Tell me, what should we do?”
She had planned to use William’s birthday banquet to secure their standing among the elite. Instead, they’d been publicly slighted—no invitation, no acknowledgment.
It was a slap in the face.
Sophia’s voice cut through the tension, smooth as silk. “Eleanor, don’t despair. I might have a solution.” She paused, letting the words linger. “No one will know we weren’t invited. If we don’t show, they’ll assume we’re the disrespectful ones. But if we arrive with gifts in hand… do you really think William would dare turn us away in front of everyone?”
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. “And then what?”
A slow, knowing smile curled Sophia’s lips. “Then we expose Isabella for who she really is. Once William sees the truth, he’ll finally understand Ethan’s choices.”
“Expose her?” Eleanor’s voice sharpened. “What do you mean?”
Sophia’s gaze flickered with triumph. “Ethan and I uncovered something… interesting about Isabella. You’ll see soon enough.”
The night before, she’d had someone dig through the subsidiary’s financial records. Not only was Isabella implicated in the losses, but Eleanor’s own name was tangled in the mess.
No matter how this played out, Sophia held all the cards.
