She Turned Her Grief Into Wings novel Chapter 18

"Dad."

A voice cut through the laughter in the pavilion.

Dewitt turned around and immediately spotted the couple standing at the bottom of the steps.

Pausing for a second, he waved them up.

"Dad," Shera greeted respectfully.

Holding Shera's hand, Caden introduced her to the guest beside them. "This is my wife, Shera Jewell."

Shera offered a poised, elegant nod to the guests before handing the gift box she was holding to Dewitt. "Happy birthday, Dad."

Upon opening it, he revealed a tailored black heritage jacket embroidered with spring motifs of deer and cranes. The gold-threaded frog fasteners were meticulously aligned, and the gilded cloud patterns at the cuffs added an undeniable touch of luxury. It was both solemn and undeniably majestic.

Dewitt pulled it out, inspecting it thoroughly, absolute satisfaction written across his face. "Excellent. Did you make this?"

Shera bowed her head slightly. "I hope it's to your liking."

Dewitt nodded, a smile gracing his lips. "You put a lot of thought into this."

Standing nearby, Caden shot Shera a glance.

In the past, he would have believed she stitched every single thread by hand. But given how hostile they were toward each other now, he highly doubted it. She probably just grabbed an unsold piece from inventory to pass off as a gift.

Marcus Hayes, who had been completely silent until now, finally spoke up, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "My nephew's wife is truly impressive. If someone didn't know better, they'd think she was the heiress of some prestigious, old-money family."

Just as she had anticipated, Marcus was publicly taking shots at her. He wanted to use her background to humiliate Dewitt in front of everyone, making them feel like the Hayes family had married a low-class, unpresentable woman.

His bitterness stemmed entirely from the fact that her marriage to Caden had helped Caden secure his shares and ultimately kick Marcus out of the company.

In the past, Shera would never have dared speak to an elder like this, terrified of offending someone who might complain to Caden. Now, she was practically begging them to line up and advise him to divorce her.

Marcus's face turned completely black. He distinctly remembered this girl being a total pushover. How had she transformed into this after just a few years?

He snapped angrily, "Caden, a junior openly disrespecting an elder—is this how you manage your household?"

His underlying message was clear: Your wife has no manners.

But from the moment Shera opened her mouth, Caden's eyes had been glued to her. The sheer admiration in his gaze was entirely undisguised, and he hadn't absorbed a single word of his uncle's complaints.

Besides, he and Marcus had never gotten along. Even if Caden had despised his wife, he wouldn't have sided with his uncle.

Instead, he let out a soft chuckle. "I actually think Shera makes a very valid point. You're being a bit too sensitive."

"You—" Marcus choked on his words, his face turning an ugly shade of purple.