Carl's hand paused mid-air as he held his teacup, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes before a smile appeared.

"Brought a date, did he? Now that's something you don't see every day."

Alexander had always been distant from women, like an iceberg. This time,

he broke his usual pattern and brought a date. Could it be that he's finally in love?

Curiosity piqued, Carl became increasingly interested in the identity of this woman. What kind of woman could make Alexander bring her along?

"Let's go down and take a look."

Reed quickly stepped forward to help Carl up, and they slowly made their way down from the second floor.

The grand staircase of thebanquet hall was luxurious and imposing.

As they neared the first floor, they could faintly hear a few women whispering with their backs to the stairs.

"Oh my gosh! She really got divorced?"

"Absolutely. Her ex-husband is Ethan. He's here at the party too."

"Does Alexander know about this? Or is he in the dark?"

"He must know. It's not a secret. She was married to Ethan for three years,

and their divorce was quite the scandal. How couId Alexander not know?"

Hearing this, the smile on Carl's face faded slightly.

He looked down the stairs, his gaze landing on Lydia, who was standing next to Sarah.

Lydia felt his gaze and couldn't help but break into a cold sweat, forcing a faint smile.

Carl withdrew his gaze and slowly walked downstairs.

Alexander approached with Wendy.

Carl looked directly at Wendy, his voice low but authoritative. "And who might this be?"

Wendy remained calm and composed, giving a slight nod. "Hello, Mr.Turner. I'm Wendy, a doctor at Blue Ridge Medical Center."

"So it's you. Harold's most prized student. Ms. Knight must be quite skilled in medicine." Carl's expression softened a bit as he looked Wendy over.

He had always' been concerned about Chris' eyes and knew that Wendy was the best hope for curing them.

"Please, have a seat." Carl gestured for Wendy to sit on the other side.

Wendy didn't hesitate and sat down gracefully.

Her poised and confident demeanor impressed Carl.

Wendy was not only beautiful but also carried herself with an air of elegance that Carl found appealing.

"Mr. Turner, you're too kind. I still have much to learn." Wendy's expression was sincere, without a trace of flattery, maintaining her composure and dignity.

Carl, who had seen much of the world, was used to being surrounded by sycophants. Wendy's straightforward response was a refreshing change.

Wendy was polite and respectful, yet she didn't grovel, displaying a calm and composed demeanor.

Carl couldn't help but feel a slight admiration: Wendy seemed to be far from the rumors that painted her in a negative light.

At that moment. Chris hurried over, guided by a caregiver, and said to Carl with youthful enthusiasm, "Grandpa, this is my favorite doctor. She's been so good to me!"

Wendy felt the intense, oppressive gaze on her ease up a bit and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Chris' arrival was timely.

Wendy knew that attending the banquet as Alexander's date would draw a lot of attention. The Turner family was watching her,and her past.especially her divorce, was no secret.

Carl's earlier look indicated he had heard some rumors.

"Alright, let's move on," Carl nodded, his expression softening slightly.

In a corner of the staircase, Lydia's face was full of resentment and frustration.

She had deliberately stired up the gossip, hoping Carl would get angry and kick Wendy out of the party. But Carl seemed unfazed.

She scanned the crowd for Ethan and found him staring at Wendy.looking somewhat dazed.

Lydia was furious, her teeth clenched in jealousy. This was the Turner family's party, and she couldn't let Wendy steal'the spotlight!

As one of the hosts of the party, Alexander couldn't stay with Wendy the whole time.

After settling her in, he instructed Chris to take good care of her and was then called away by Carl.

Wendy wasn't used to such lively occasions and knew she would become a topic of conversation, possibly even a joke.

Chris sensed her discomfort and eagerly suggested they go to the dessert table. "Wendy, these are my favorite treats. You have to try them."

Wendy picked up a delicately shaped dessert, its fresharoma neither too sweet nor too fruity.

Just then, Sarah's sharp voice shattered the peace. "Wendy, how dare you come to this party?"

Wendy's expression changed slightly, thinking to herself, 'The Collins family just won't quit, always looking for trouble.'

"Sarah!" Chris' anger flared at her words.

Though young, Chris was quite assertive.

He put down his dessert andI called a servant to help him stand in front of Wendy,protecting her.

"Wendy was invited by Alexander, and I also want her here. This is the Turner family's party. You have no right to boss people around here."

"Chris, there's no need to argue with her." Wendy frowned slightly,giving

Sarah a cold look.

"Ms. Collins, watch your words. This is the Turner family's party. Whether I come or not is none of your business. Speaking like this only disgraces the Collins family, though it seems the Collins family doesn't have much reputation left to lose."

Sarah trembled with rage, wanting to tear Wendy apart.

But she retained some sense, knowing that causing a scene here would only embarrass herself further.

Her chest heaved with anger as she pointed at Wendy, shouting. "You wretch! Howv dare you say I'm a disgrace!"

"Sarah, if you speak to Wendy disrespectfully again.I'll have security throw you out!" Chris warned sternly.

He truly despised the Collins family.

If not for maintaining the Turner family's reputation, he would have kicked them out long ago!

Lydia,hidden in the crowd, watched the scene unfold, plotting. To deal with Wendy, she needed to get Chris out of the way first.

Just then, a waiter carrying a tray of champagne hurried by. The tray was filled with glasses.

As he passed behind Chris, he tripped on something,causing the tray to tilt sharply.

The waiter panicked, trying to steady the tray, but a few glasses of champagne spilled,splashing onto Chris' pristine white suit.

The waiter turned pale, fumbling for a handkerchief to wipe the stains.

But Chris' suit was white, and the pink champagne spread across the fabric.standing out starkly.

Such a high-end suit, once stained, would be nearly impossible to clean completely.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Turner!" The waiter's voice trembled, sweat dripping from his forehead in fear.