As she looked up, Jenifer stood there, clutching Aldrich's arm, her gazes dripping with derision.

Aldrich stood nearby, his expression unreadable.

“Miss Forbes, your legs seem so frail. Perhaps you've been too intimate with suitors?"

While Jenifer spoke, she casually lifted Selina's hair, unintentionally exposing the love bites on her neck.

A wave of scorn and mockery surged among the onlookers as Selina clenched her fists, her nails pressing into her palms.

She clenched her teeth, rose and strode away, her dignity teetering on the edge.

The mockery ceased.

In a mortified tone, Wilton offered his apologies to the Fernandez family, "Mr. and Mrs. Fernandez, I am deeply sorry. I've failed in guiding my daughter. She will be properly disciplined.”

"Yes, Ivy's naivety was exploited. Blinded by her affection for Lyndon and misled by Selina, she made a mistake." Renata cast a pleading look at Lyndon.

"For the sake of our families' bond, please forgive Ivy," she implored.

Lyndon's demeanor remained icy as he approached Tilda and said, "Tilda, thank you very much."

Tilda averted her gaze, adjusted her spectacles, and stepped back subtly.

"Your thanks are unnecessary. My actions weren't for you," she stated, then turned to Rosalynn.

"I shall head downstairs."

Rosalynn sensed a rigid tension in Tilda when Lyndon drew near, sparking confusion.

Could Tilda's aversion to men imply she preferred women?

Ivy watched Tilda's retreating figure, her gaze dark with animosity.

Abruptly, she shrugged off Renata's hand and bolted.

Renata wanted to say something, but with the presence of the crowd, she chose silence, her eyes casting a bitter look at Wilton.

Wilton perceived her glare as a silent indictment. His eldest daughter's meddling had brought shame upon Ivy.