Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 466: Chapter 466

At the Parks family banquet, the grand hall glittered with brilliant lights, casting a golden glow over the lavish decor. Social elites dressed in elegant attire mingled, toasting and laughing in an atmosphere of sophistication and joy.
Yet, amidst the lively crowd, I felt as if I were trapped in an icy abyss. Every gaze directed at me carried indifference and disdain.
Kailyn strode toward me, her high heels clicking against the polished floor. She wore a seemingly harmless smile, but her eyes betrayed her ill intentions.
"Laurel, that bracelet on your wrist looks lovely. Why don't you lend it to me for a couple of days?" she said, reaching out to grab my wrist with an air of entitlement, as if refusal was not an option.
I instinctively pulled my hand back, my voice cold. "It's nothing special. I don't lend it out."
Kailyn's smile stiffened instantly, irritation flashing across her eyes. She raised her voice. "Laurel, are you looking down on me? It's just a bracelet. Why be so stingy?"
Before I could react, she lunged forward again. She was faster this time.
Annoyance surged within me, and I stepped back, raising my hand to push her away. But her sudden movement caught me off guard. My push sent her staggering backward.
With a sharp "thud," she crashed onto the floor, her palm landing squarely on a shattered piece of glass. Blood gushed from the wound.
Kailyn let out a piercing scream that echoed through the hall, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Guests gathered around, their eyes shifting between Kailyn, who was groaning in pain on the floor. Then, they looked at me with expressions filled with judgment and blame.
"Laurel, I only wanted to be close to you. Even if you don't like me, you didn't have to be so rough..." Kailyn whimpered, tears glistening in her eyes. Her delicate, beautiful face bore a look of sorrow.
"Is this the daughter the Parks family reclaimed? How spoiled and unruly."
"Exactly. Doesn't she know what kind of occasion this is? Completely lacking manners."
"Unbelievable. Throwing a tantrum at an event like this?"
Criticism flooded in from all directions like a rising tide. I stood frozen, my face pale, my lips trembling as I tried to explain, only to realize no one was willing to listen.
Just then, Melody approached with measured steps. She glanced at Kailyn on the floor before turning to me. Gently, she helped Kailyn up, her eyes filled with feigned guilt as she addressed me.
She said, "Laurel, don't be upset. It's our fault for spoiling Kailyn too much. She was in the wrong. Please don't take it to heart."
Though her words seemed to defend me, her timid, apologetic demeanor in front of the crowd only reinforced the narrative that I was arrogant and unreasonable.
I bit my lip hard, taking a deep breath to suppress my anger. But before I could refute her, Isaac arrived with a face full of fury.
"Laurel!" he bellowed, pointing a finger at me. "How could you be so reckless as to lay hands on Kailyn in front of everyone? No matter what, she's your sibling!"
I let out a cold laugh, swallowing the words I had been about to say.
To them, Kailyn would always be the innocent one. Even with the truth right in front of them, they would only take her side. A privileged heiress could do no wrong.
At that moment, a small figure darted out from the crowd and stood protectively in front of me.
I blinked in surprise. It was Zachary. His little face was flushed red with anger, his eyes burning with defiance as he glared at Kailyn. "I saw everything!"
He declared, "Kailyn was the one bullying Laurel! She tried to take her bracelet first. Laurel only pushed her away! Stop blaming her!"
Zachary's words made the crowd pause for a moment. But soon, Isaac frowned impatiently and said, "It's just an ordinary bracelet. What's the harm in taking it? You! Stop talking nonsense!"
"This is no ordinary bracelet!" Suddenly, someone in the crowd shouted. All eyes turned toward the speaker.
It was a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, his expression filled with astonishment. "This is an emerald worth more than 40 million dollars!"
As soon as he spoke, the entire hall erupted in shock. Those who had been criticizing me moments ago now looked at me with a mix of disbelief and doubt.
Kailyn also stopped crying, a flash of greed flickering in her eyes.
However, Samantha stepped forward from the crowd. She smiled smugly, her eyes full of provocation as she said confidently, "That bracelet isn't real. It's just a replica.
"Laurel, did you sell the real one and replace it with a fake to fool everyone, then use this as an excuse to frame someone else?"
Once again, Samantha shifted the blame onto me, and the crowd's gaze turned hostile again.
"Samantha, stop slandering me!" My eyes burned with anger, my voice ice-cold. "If you doubt the authenticity of this bracelet, a professional appraisal can settle it. What gives you the right to make baseless claims here?"
Samantha showed no sign of backing down. She crossed her arms, tilting her chin slightly as she sneered. "I am a daughter of the Harvey family. Do you think I can be wrong about this?
"Getting an appraisal doesn't prove your innocence. Who's to say you haven't already bribed the experts? Don't let her fool you, everyone!"
The surrounding guests started murmuring among themselves, and those who had wavered before now became certain of their accusations against me.
Just as despair began to creep into my heart, a calm yet powerful voice rang out. "Enough! Everyone, be quiet!"
The crowd turned to look. Sitting in a wheelchair, Alex approached slowly, his icy, imposing gaze forcing everyone to step aside in fear.
Alex stopped beside me, looking up at me with eyes filled with warmth and unwavering trust. "I gave this bracelet to Laurel. Samantha, are you saying it's fake?"
Seeing Alex appear, Samantha's face turned pale in an instant. She bit her lip, unwilling to concede. "Alex, don't let her fool you. Who knows if she switched the real one out long ago?"
Alex shot her a cold glance, his tone indifferent but laced with undeniable authority. "Samantha, I remember what I gave her."
Under his icy stare, Samantha took an involuntary step back, too afraid to say another word.
At that moment, Maddox arrived, drawn by the commotion. Seeing the crowd gathered, he cast a questioning look at Melody.
Melody smiled gently and said, "It was just a misunderstanding. Everyone, let's not make a big deal out of it. Let's move on."
"A misunderstanding?" Alex slowly lifted his gaze to Melody, his sharp eyes then landing on Kailyn.
His gaze was cold, but his voice remained gentle as he said, "Kailyn, don't forget. Laurel is your sibling. And more importantly, she is my wife. Only I am allowed to bully her. Do you understand?"