Chapter 81: The Crown
In Ruby Hall The guests stood stunned when Damien entered with Aveline beside him. His business suit made him look authoritative, but Aveline carried herself with grace like she owned the show.
It wasn’t the first event Damien had hosted, but it was Aveline’s first, with all the attention on her. Yet she walked elegantly as the trail of her dress swept the floor behind her, making her look all the more regal.
Even without looking sultry, the way she carried herself still made Cassandra’s chest burn with irritation. Though she wanted someone wealthy to marry Damien, she wanted her daughter-in-law to be subservient to her.
Definitely not someone who could get more attention than herself or her son.
Selene Ashford tasted nothing but bitterness from the sip of her drink when Aveline entered. She wanted that admiration from the crowd; she wanted that dress, she wanted that body. She chugged her drink and tried to look away, but eventually her entire attention returned to Aveline.
"I never get enough money to afford such good clothes," she bleated to her mother. She blamed Aveline’s evening gown instead of accepting Aveline’s charm.
The appearance of Damien with a woman indeed sparked everyone’s curiosity to learn who she was. A few of them who knew her began telling each other. By the time Damien and Aveline reached the dais, most of them knew she was a Laurent and exclaimed in admiration, calling Damien a lucky man.
Damien’s jaw clenched. What if the Laurents were loaded, and she was pampered like no other? Laurent Industries wasn’t even half the size of Ashford Holdings. He scoffed in his mind.
However, he didn’t realize that Laurent Industries wasn’t sprawling, but their reach, their power, and their impeccable taste were what made them the epitome of wealth and sophistication.
Though the numbing cream and pain relief medicine were working, Aveline still found it difficult to put weight on her injured foot, especially because of her high heels.