Chapter 15 Is a Xander That Impressive?
The commotion didn’t go unnoticed. A crowd gathered, eager to watch the spectacle.
“Oh no, Rence, your dress is ruined,” a sharp voice chimed in.
The speaker held a folding fan, completely ignoring Eleanor as she focused on the woman in the purple dress.
Renee Xander, noticing the red wine stain on Eleanor’s gown as well, curled her lips into a slow smirk and set her glass aside. “She can’t afford to compensate me, so I had no choice but to return the favor.”
Only then did the woman with the fan spare Eleanor a glance. Her sharp eyes swept over Eleanor’s dress, narrowing slightly. “Her dress…”
“What about her dress? Don’t tell me it’s worth more than mine?” Renee scoffed. As a distant relative of the Xander family, people usually showed her respect. When she named a price, others would simply pay up, unwilling to offend her. Never had she encountered someone who dared push back.
She was convinced Eleanor was just a minor internet celebrity, someone she could step on without
consequence.
The woman beside fell silent. In truth, Eleanor’s dress was indeed more expensive than Renee’s outdated piece.
Renee idly traced a manicured nail as she watched Eleanor turn away. She assumed Eleanor was fleeing in embarrassment and was about to sneer, until Eleanor returned, this time holding a glass of red wine.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Eleanor unceremoniously splashed the wine onto Renee’s dress.
The small stain turned into a full–blown disaster.
Eleanor’s sharp gaze swept over Renee as she spoke, her voice crisp and indifferent. “Ms. Renee, you’re right. If you can’t afford to compensate, then an eye for an eye seems fair. And my dress happens to be far more expensive than yours.”
Renee stood frozen, drenched in red wine.
The entire crowd fell into stunned silence.
“Do you even know who she is?” the woman beside them gasped. “She’s a Xander!”
That name carried weight in this city. Anyone with the Xander surname was related to Hudson in some way. Just that connection alone was enough to make people tread carefully.
Yet Eleanor had the audacity to pour
wine on a Xander.
And at the Xander family’s party, no less!
“Oh? Is being a Xander supposed to be impressive?” Eleanor remained unfazed. “There are plenty of people with that surname. Or does being a Xander mean you’re entitled to throw wine on people and scam them out of money?”
Renee reacted as if her tail had been set on fire. “When did I ever scam you?”
Eleanor’s striking lips curved into a mocking smile. “You claimed your dress was haute couture and worth three hundred thousand.”
She swept her gaze around the crowd, noting how their attention shifted to Renee. With a casual flick of her fingers, she brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead, exuding effortless charm.
‘Three hundred thousand?” The woman beside let out a sudden laugh.
Renee’s face turned an ugly shade of green.
The people here weren’t ordinary, and they had sharp eyes. Many could instantly recognize the real value of her outfit.
Her dress wasn’t haute couture, and three hundred thousand was a blatant exaggeration. She never expected Eleanor to expose her on the spot.
“I’d say this lady’s dress looks like a designer haute couture piece. Must be quite expensive,” the woman beside remarked, herg
eyes glinting as she studied Eleanor.
Renee’s gaze followed, finally taking a good look at Eleanor’s dress.
She had thought it looked familiar but had instinctively dismissed Eleanor as someone unworthy of wearing the real thing. She had assumed it was a knockoff.
Now, as the truth dawned on her, her expression soured.
Eleanor, however, remained silent. She had no interest in making a name for herself right now.
But in a crowd this size, there were always sharp–eyed individuals.
“I remember now! She’s Gabriel’s ex–wife.”
The words spread like wildfire, igniting curiosity throughout the crowd.
Gabriel!
There wasn’t a single woman in this city who wouldn’t want to marry him.
Rich, brilliant, and effortlessly charismatic, not just because of who he was now, but because of who he used to be.
Years ago, Gabriel was a young heir, arrogant yet dazzling, the kind of man who effortlessly became a schoolgirl’s dream. After his older brother passed away, he changed overnight, taking over the family business and securing the McKenzie family’s place among the city’s elite. His charm never faded.
Even the rumors about his unusual relationship with Ethan hadn’t stopped some women from fantasizing about him.
If such a man had a woman in his life, it was bound to spark intrigue.
Eleanor immediately felt the weight of countless scrutinizing gazes.
Everyone knew Gabriel didn’t like her, and that had become her biggest stain.
Eleanor’s rosy lips curled into a mocking smile..
“What’s everyone doing here?” Ethan strode over, his mood visibly sour.
With his mom missing and both his dad and brother too distracted to meet Eleanor, he had to find another opportunity.
His restless gaze swept over Eleanor, quickly catching sight of the large red wine stain on her dress. His expression darkened instantly. “Who did this?”
The crowd fell silent.
“Ethan…” Renee’s arrogance faded as she called his name softly.
Ethan glanced at her, his gaze indifferent. “Who are you?”
Renee’s face turned pale, then flushed red.
Though she bore the Xander name, she was only a distant relative. Ethan had always been arrogant, never bothering to remember people he deemed unimportant. Still, openly questioning her in front of everyone was humiliating.
His eyes returned to the stain, which clung to Eleanor’s waist. The damp fabric outlined her curves, and the lingering gazes from nearby men only fueled his irritation.
He knew exactly what they were thinking.
Striding over, he shrugged off his suit jacket and handed it to Eleanor. “Put this on.”
When she didn’t move, Ethan didn’t give her a choice, draping it over her shoulders himself.
The onlookers nearly gasped.
2/3
Isn’t Ethan supposed to have a special relationship with Gabriel? So why is he taking care of Gabriel’s ex–wife?
Renee was just as stunned, but before she could process it, Ethan turned to her with a cold glare. “Was it you?”
His eyes flicked to the wine stains on Renee’s own dress.
Rence hesitated. “She spilled hers on me first.”
Ethan didn’t even acknowledge her excuse. Instead, he looked at Eleanor. “How do you want to handle this?”
Renee’s eyes filled with tears. “Ethan, she bullied me first…”
“Don’t call my name like we’re close.” His voice was filled with menace.
His guest had been humiliated right in front of him. That alone was enough to stoke his temper. “Apologize.”
Renee’s face burned with shame.
“If you can’t say it, then get on your knees and bow.”
Rence trembled in fear.
The spectators instinctively took a few steps back, wary of provoking this notorious troublemaker.
Just as the tension reached its peak, a calm, gentle voice interrupted. “Ethan, she’s one of our cousins from Uncle Richard’s.”
His tone was like a cool spring, easing the tension in the air.
The speaker wore gold–rimmed glasses, his features refined, his smile warm.
Most striking of all was his hair, soft, slightly wavy, tied casually at the back of his head, exuding effortless elegance.
It was the eldest son of the Xander family, Oscar Xander.
