Chapter 316: Evidence in Hand
Eric watched the scene unfold with a sarcastic glint in his eyes. These people had clearly anticipated Ella’s arrival and put on a show of sincerity in their apology, believing that Ella, under the pressure of the media and upper-class scrutiny, would have no choice but to accept. After all, refusing would be seen as lacking the grace expected of a high-society wife.
Their assumptions weren’t entirely wrong—Ella rejecting the apology in such a public setting would make her seem ungracious and unreasonable. But Ella never played by the rules.
As soon as Ella finished speaking, the room erupted in murmurs of shock. Her firm stance and refusal to show even a hint of leniency left the crowd astonished.
Sean’s face darkened, his eyes growing colder with each passing second. Meanwhile, Leah secretly rejoiced, satisfied no matter what the outcome. If Ella forgave Sean, she would have to swallow her pride and all the grievances that came with it. If she didn’t, the public would label her as cruel and heartless.
Sure enough, the murmurs from the high-society ladies around them began to turn into a wave of disdainful remarks directed at Ella. In their eyes, Sean, being an old man in his eighties, should be forgiven. After all, despite his faults, he didn’t have much time left, and Ella had only suffered damage to her reputation, not any physical harm.
"She really doesn’t know how to act properly—after all, Old Mr. Carter is her grandfather."
"You can’t blame her, though. She’s just a freshman, using her looks and body to climb her way into the Nelson family. Let’s see how far that gets her."
"She’s only behaving like this because of Mr. Nelson’s favor. So heartless, so cold-blooded."
"How shameless! An old man apologizing to her, and she still won’t back down. Even if she doesn’t accept it, she could at least be more gracious. Kids these days, so arrogant!"