A Warm Marriage After Rebirth

The others immediately got the hint. "Come on, you all know what Fiona’s like. She wouldn’t care about the price tag. It’s a birthday gift, a token of our good wishes. What matters to Fiona is the thought behind it!" a wealthy socialite chimed in, presenting her own gift as well.

With that, everyone rushed to present their own gifts. In the vast living room, this little clique was having a blast, and the atmosphere was electric. Others glanced over from time to time, surprised by their boisterous energy.

To be fair, Fiona Chapman’s clique was quite large. The gifts were a varied assortment, but they all had one thing in common: they were expensive. Even though they were just birthday presents, she was The Little Princess of the Chapman family. They couldn’t possibly show up with something cheap.

"Seraphina Sterling, it’s your turn, isn’t it? The rest of us have all given our gifts. You’re the only one left."

"That’s right! Don’t be shy. Hurry up and show us what you’ve got. Let us see what kind of high-end gift you brought!"

"Yeah, yeah! You’re both young ladies of the Sterling family. Faye just gave a diamond bracelet worth over a hundred thousand! We’re sure the gift you prepared can’t be that much worse!"

...

The group’s heckling grew louder and louder, drawing more and more attention from the adults nearby.

Seeing the commotion, Mr. and Mrs. Chapman quickly walked over. "Fiona, what’s going on?"

"Dad, Mom, it’s nothing. We’re just fooling around. It’s my birthday, after all, so everyone’s making a big deal about giving me presents. Now it’s Seraphina Sterling’s turn!" Fiona Chapman deliberately raised her voice, drawing even more attention to them.

"Seraphina Sterling?" Mr. Chapman frowned slightly. The name sounded unfamiliar; he had never heard his daughter mention it before. ’But her surname is Sterling... could she be from the Sterling family?’

Faye Sterling noticed Mr. Chapman’s confused expression and approached with a perfectly composed smile. "Mr. Chapman, Seraphina Sterling is my eldest uncle’s only daughter. She just recently returned from the countryside, and Grandfather asked me to bring my cousin here to get to know everyone in our circle."

The moment he heard Faye Sterling mention her "eldest uncle," Mr. Chapman understood.

Seeing the growing crowd, Faye Sterling decided the time was right and began to play the part of the good Samaritan. "My cousin just returned to the Sterling family from the countryside. She’s not exactly rolling in it, so how could she possibly afford an expensive birthday gift? You all should stop heckling. Didn’t I just say you can’t pick on my cousin just because she’s quiet and honest!"

"How could we do that? Faye, you’re being too protective of your cousin! We were just joking around. Fiona isn’t the type of person who only cares about money! As long as it’s a gift for her, even if it’s just a single flower, she wouldn’t turn her nose up at it! With birthday gifts, it’s the thought that counts, not the price tag!"

Kellan Sutton said with a grin, painting Faye Sterling as a kind, protective cousin with just a few words.

"Seraphina Sterling is my cousin; of course I have to protect her." This was exactly the effect Faye Sterling was going for. Maintaining the image of a perfect heiress was crucial.

"But you were right about one thing. Fiona isn’t materialistic. Any gift she receives, regardless of its value, represents a heartfelt sentiment. What Fiona truly cares about is everyone’s good wishes for her! So, cousin, don’t worry that your gift isn’t expensive enough and that Fiona will look down on it. I can guarantee you, Fiona absolutely won’t!"

Faye Sterling had dug a deep pit, just waiting for Seraphina Sterling to fall into it. She had just scanned the room; many of Aethelgard’s most important figures were in attendance today. If Seraphina Sterling couldn’t produce a gift, things were about to get very interesting.

All eyes were now on Seraphina Sterling, waiting for her to present her gift.

But Seraphina Sterling just stood there silently, not saying a word.

Faye Sterling was ecstatic. She had even sacrificed her own favorite diamond bracelet for this very moment! To make Seraphina Sterling lose all face among Aethelgard’s elite! To ensure she could never hold her head high in front of these people again!

"Don’t tell me you didn’t prepare anything at all. Didn’t I remind you before we left? Today is my good friend Fiona’s birthday. How could you just tag along without preparing a gift? People who don’t know any better will think our Sterling family has no class, that we don’t understand basic etiquette—showing up to a birthday party empty-handed!"

Faye Sterling put on an ugly expression. With those words, she had completely blocked off any escape for Seraphina Sterling.

Some people in the hall had initially assumed that Seraphina Sterling, having just returned to the Sterling family, might not have known it was Fiona Chapman’s birthday and thus hadn’t prepared a gift. But Faye Sterling had just made it clear that she had informed Seraphina before they even left. To knowingly attend a birthday party without a gift was simply inexcusable.

"Faye, don’t be like that. If she didn’t prepare a gift, she didn’t prepare a gift. I don’t mind! Don’t you be upset either. Maybe Seraphina Sterling just got back to the Sterling family and simply doesn’t have any money to buy me a present?"

Fiona Chapman played the part of the magnanimous friend, and her tolerant, generous act immediately won her points with the crowd.

"What do you mean, no money? Did you see that sports car parked outside? That car is worth millions! To celebrate her return, my dad insisted on giving her the sports car that was meant for me! If they gave her such an expensive car, do you really think she’s short on pocket money? I don’t think it’s that she has no money; she just couldn’t be bothered to get you a gift!"

In her fury, a vicious glint flashed in Faye Sterling’s eyes. ’The world of the rich is a place that eats people alive. You could have stayed in the countryside, but you just had to run back to the Sterling family! Since you’re back, don’t blame me for what happens next!’

Seraphina Sterling, who had been listening quietly to the discussion, felt a flash of understanding when she heard Faye Sterling mention the sports car. ’So, it looks like Faye plans to pin the blame for the incident with Martin Quinn on me. Truly worthy of the name Faye Sterling—a heart more venomous than any snake or scorpion.’

’She was the one who scratched Martin Quinn’s Maybach with her car. She was afraid he would retaliate, and afraid of being punished by Grandfather and Second Uncle, so she pushed the entire mess onto me! She wants me to take the fall for her!’

’What a lovely idea she has. She really ought to see what happened to Philip Hale and his family in Tollan Town after they provoked me.’

Seraphina Sterling smiled faintly. "Are you all finished? If you are, I believe it’s my turn to speak."