Marshall kept a stern face and told the butler to take Lena upstairs.
“Thank you, Mr. Marshall,” Lena said calmly, neither humble nor arrogant, then led her team up the stairs without another word.
Marshall stared blankly at their retreating figures, lost in thought.
“Dad…” Adrian started to speak, but Marshall raised his hand to stop him. “Don’t say anything. I’ve thought it through.”
Samantha stood frozen, her face flushing white and red. Her once-smiling lips pressed into a hard line, and her clenched fists dug her nails deep into her palms. Bitterness and frustration surged in her chest.
“Sammy, don’t be upset. We don’t need Velora Atelier anyway. I’ll buy you even more expensive clothes,” Adrian said gently, trying to comfort her.
“Okay.” Samantha forced a smile, but her eyes still burned with resentment. Velora Atelier wasn’t just expensive—it was a symbol of status.
The butler led Lena to the second floor and stopped in front of Sloane’s door. He reached out to push it open, but Lena quickly stepped forward and stopped him.
Standing respectfully at the door, Lena raised her hand and knocked three times. “Ms. Rivers, I’m Lena Gray from Velora Atelier. May I come in?”
The butler scoffed at her polite tone. She is just a useless girl brought back from the countryside, does she really deserve that much respect?
“Come in,” came Sloane’s cold voice from inside.
“Yes.” As Lena opened the door, she glanced at one of her assistants.
After Lena stepped inside with the clothes, a soft noise came from behind, just enough to distract the butler. By the time he realized what happened, the door had already closed, locking him out.
Without looking around, Lena walked straight in and stopped three steps from Sloane. She lowered her head slightly and held the clothes out with both hands. “Ms. Rivers, here are your clothes, prepared according to your latest measurements.”
Sloane glanced at them and pointed casually to the side. “Just leave them there.”
Clothes the elite of Stonebridge could only dream of were treated like nothing here.
“I called you here because I have a question,” Sloane said as she looked back at Lena. “I heard the Rivers family found me a good match. Do you know anything about that?”
Lena hesitated for a second. “Ms. Rivers, the Rivers family wants you to marry the son of the Hawthorne family—Lucas Hawthorne.”
“Lucas Hawthorne?” Sloane’s brows immediately furrowed. If it was the Lucas she’d heard about, then…
Lucas Hawthorne, 25 years old, one of the most outstanding young men in Stonebridge, a dream for countless women. Even when Sloane had just arrived in town, she had already heard his name.
He graduated from a top business school overseas and took over the Hawthorne Group right after returning. At the time, the previous head had just passed away, and the company was on the brink of collapse, struggling with both internal chaos and external threats.
Lucas, with his sharp mind and decisive leadership, quickly stabilized the situation. He then launched a bold and sweeping reform, single-handedly saving the dying company. In just two years, he brought the Hawthorne Group back to the top of Stonebridge’s business world.
Every powerful family in Stonebridge was fighting to marry their daughter to someone like Lucas. The Rivers family, a second-tier family, was hardly in the running. As for Sloane, they wouldn’t have even dared to consider her.
“So, what happened to him?” Sloane thought. Otherwise, they would’ve let Samantha marry him long ago.
“Three years ago, Lucas fell seriously ill with a strange condition and hasn’t appeared in public since. There are rumors he’s been in a vegetative state,” Lena said, glancing up at her. “Lately, there’s been talk that the great Mr. Hawthorne doesn’t have much time left. His grandmother went to Silverveil Abbey for a fortune reading from Master Lucian. The seer said that if Mr. Hawthorne marries soon, there might be a chance he wakes up.”
“So it’s just a wedding to ward off bad luck?” Sloane sneered, her eyes filled with contempt.