Alaric returned moments later to relay Caspian's orders.
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Bianca practically came back to life, throwing her arms around Vivienne and jumping up and down.
"Yes! Grandpa is the best!"
Vivienne couldn't hide the relief in her eyes. Even Alaric had prioritized the family's reputation over resolving the fight. Logically, Caspian shouldn't have intervened either, yet he had specifically chosen to step in.
Lara, on the other hand, looked utterly devastated. She thought she had bought herself a reprieve, but now she was trapped again.
"What do we do, Lara? What do we do?"
The two girls beside her hadn't expected the situation to blow up like this. The patriarch of the Ravenshire family was not someone to cross. If they got on his bad side, their lives in high society were effectively over.
Lara was panicking internally. Her grandfather wasn't easily fooled; she needed a bulletproof story, and fast.
"Alaric, could I get a blanket?" Going back to change clothes now would ruin her chance to play the victim. To salvage the situation, Lara decided to present herself to Caspian exactly as she was. The scratch on her waist would serve as undeniable proof of Vivienne's viciousness.
Alaric had anticipated this. He grabbed two throw blankets, tossing one to Lara and the other to Bianca.
"Let's go."
*
Back at the banquet, Evelyn Ravenshire had her arm linked with Mrs. Everhart, whispering conspiratorially. Evelyn was determined to forge an alliance between the Arlingtons and the Everharts, spending the entire evening shamelessly buttering the woman up.
Talia Ravenshire watched Evelyn's desperate social climbing with thinly veiled disgust. She was just about to step outside for some fresh air when she saw Tessa rushing frantically through the crowd.
"Ms. Talia..."
Tessa looked panicked as she pulled Talia aside and whispered fiercely in her ear. Talia's expression shifted drastically. She threw a sharp glare at Evelyn before striding swiftly out of the main hall.
Across the room, Evelyn was still deep in conversation when the Arlington estate manager suddenly interrupted. Murmuring an apology, Evelyn rose and followed the manager out of the ballroom.
With both Alaric and Cyril absent, Preston Everhart found himself surrounded by the younger elite, effortlessly becoming the undisputed star of the party.
He glanced through the bustling crowd, a smirk tugging at his lips. The Ravenshire family was truly fascinating. On such an important night, all the most important people had mysteriously vanished.
*
Everyone involved in the Lotus Pond incident was escorted into the tea parlor.
An ornate folding screen divided the room. Alaric, Cyril, and Julian sat behind it, while Vivienne, Bianca, Aurelia, and Lara occupied the plush sofas in the main lounge, clutching mugs of hot tea. The other two girls were too terrified to even accept a drink, huddling nervously close to Lara.
Caspian sat at the head of the room, his eyes closed as if resting. He hadn't spoken a single word since they arrived.
Clutching the blanket around her shoulders, Lara looked at him tentatively. "Grandpa..."
"There is no rush," Caspian replied smoothly. "We will wait until your parents get here."
Lara pursed her lips, a massive wave of relief crashing over her. Perfect! Her mother would definitely back her up.
Bianca couldn't believe Lara had the audacity to play the victim. Pointing an accusing finger, she fired back, "Mom, it was Lara! She was jealous of Vivi. She literally tried to strip her dress off and throw her into the pond!"
At those words, Julian lifted his eyes. His gaze pierced through the frosted screen, locking onto Vivienne.
She kept her head bowed, showing no reaction. Swallowed up by the oversized black suit jacket, her profile radiated a quiet, devastating vulnerability.
Talia narrowed her eyes, glaring dangerously at Lara. "I didn't realize you were capable of such filth."
Lara shrank back, unable to meet Talia's fierce gaze. Evelyn pulled her daughter closer, squaring up defensively against Talia. "Everyone knows those two are joined at the hip. Nothing Bianca says can be trusted."
"If you don't believe me, ask Aurelia!" Bianca snapped. "Her word has to count for something, right?"
The room fell into a tense silence as all eyes turned to Aurelia.
Aurelia looked up at Caspian, but seeing that his eyes were still closed, she quickly lowered her head and spoke in a soft, timid voice. "I only saw Cousin Lara taking Vivi toward the courtyard. Later, Bianca and I heard screaming. When we ran over, Vivi was grabbing Cousin Lara, tearing at her clothes. Then Lara's friends stepped in to stop Vivi, and they tried to take her dress off. Bianca got into a fight with one of them to protect Vivi, and they both fell into the water. I tried to step in and stop it, but I got hit. And then... Alaric arrived."
Vivienne froze, her head snapping up to stare at Aurelia.
Bianca was seething. After what they had just been through together, she thought Aurelia had finally proven herself as a real friend. But hearing her spin the story like that completely shattered Bianca's newfound respect for her.
Aurelia ducked her head even lower, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Grandpa, I think everyone made mistakes tonight. Maybe we should just let it go."
The glowing tags hovering above the girl's head flickered, reverting back to: [Hopeless Romantic, Bleeding Heart, Clever, Bold, Dutiful.]
...

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Chaos Girl Rewrites the Script