Chapter 88

As Ivy walked arm in arm with Carlisle onto the stage, the room grew quiet, and all eyes turned toward them. The poised pair commanded attention, their entrance perfectly timed to redirect the murmurs and speculation in the hall. From a distance, Katrina and Shirley descended the staircase one after the other, catching sight of the scene. Katrina stopped in her tracks, choosing to stay on the sidelines. Shirley, however, glanced toward the stage and then made her way over to Katrina. She stood unnervingly close and leaned in, her voice deliberately low but dripping with venom. "See that? No matter how much you try to interfere, it's pointless. You don't want my daughter to marry into the Zachman family? Too bad. As long as Carlisle supports her, neither you nor Wren can stop it." Shirley straightened, her tone smug as she added, "If you don't want to be humiliated, maybe take a lesson from your niece. She knew she couldn't win and decided to leave gracefully. "Why don't y