Don't Mind Them

"Good," Margaret said, her smile instantly returning, graceful and poised. She gently pulled Harrison along. "Let's go greet your brother."

Harrison shot a skeptical glance at his mother. He recognized her act immediately, a performance for the watching crowd.

Despite this, irritation pricked at him. He often wondered why, after all these years, his mother remained so vigilant against Alexander.

He was just a man confined to a wheelchair, lacking their father's favor and any real power within the family. What possible threat could he pose?

Furthermore, as his parents' favored son, Harrison felt it was beneath him to go and greet Alexander. Alexander didn't deserve the acknowledgment.

Nevertheless, the prospect of finally meeting Alexander's wife piqued his interest. With a lazy stretch, he straightened up. Perhaps there was some amusement to be found in witnessing Alexander's misfortune firsthand.

Across the ballroom, Evelyn was carefully navigating Alexander's wheelchair through the gathering as they made their entrance.

"Is that Alexander Blackwood?"

"Who else is always in a wheelchair? It has to be him."

"What a tragedy. One accident cost him the use of his legs. Such a waste of potential."

"Regardless, he's clearly fallen out of favor with the Blackwoods. Not just with his father, but the entire family seems to disregard him. It's obvious Harrison will be the heir."

Hearing these scornful whispers, Evelyn felt a tight knot of anger form in her chest.

She glanced at Alexander. His face was a stoic mask, betraying no emotion. She didn't need to hear every word clearly; the gist of the conversation was unmistakable.

Before tonight, Evelyn had only known fragments of Alexander's story. Now, witnessing the open contempt he faced, her sympathy for him deepened.

Her teeth clenched in indignation, Evelyn was on the verge of turning to confront the rude spectators.

But at that moment, Alexander's hand found hers, gently guiding it back to the wheelchair's handles.

"Don't pay them any mind," he murmured quietly. "Remember your promise to stay by my side."

Before Evelyn could formulate a reply, a sneering voice cut through the air from ahead.

"Alexander, you're finally here! What took you so long?" Harrison strode confidently forward, fixing Alexander with a mocking stare. "Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. You can't get around easily. Of course you'd be late. My mistake for overthinking—I almost thought you were too embarrassed to show your face."

Alexander met Harrison's gaze with detached indifference. "What reason would I have to be afraid?"

Margaret, following gracefully behind, overheard her son's comments and couldn't hide a smug look.

She glanced at the wheelchair and put on a show of sympathy. "Harrison, that's enough. Alexander has enough to cope with. Don't make things more difficult for him."

Harrison gave a cold snort, then turned to address the nearby guests loudly. "Everyone knows that recently, Alexander's original fiancée ran away the moment she saw his wheelchair. Left with no choice, he had to hastily find another woman to marry."

Harrison laughed derisively before turning back to Alexander. "Look at you, brother. It's been days since your wedding, and you've been hiding your wife. Mother and I are so curious. We're dying to see what your new bride looks like. Even though your legs are useless, you're still a Blackwood. Surely you didn't just marry anyone off the street."

As he finished speaking, Harrison's eyes scanned the area around Alexander.

His gaze suddenly locked onto Evelyn, who stood quietly behind the wheelchair. A look of genuine surprise crossed his face.

Who was this woman?