Chapter 409
Roxanne Porter stood frozen, the back of her exquisite gown drenched. She bit her lip, trembling as she desperately tried to maintain her poise through the agonizing pain. Tonight, she was supposed to be the flawless, enviable future daughter-in-law of the Bennett family. Instead, she had been humiliated by Mara’s sheer stupidity.
The skin on Roxanne’s neck was already an angry crimson, with translucent blisters beginning to form. Beneath the fabric of her dress, her back had to be covered in severe burns.
Mira silently applauded Silas and Jax. Flawless execution.
Right now, Roxanne looked like she wanted to murder Mara. She was practically vibrating with rage. She couldn’t fathom why her father had chosen such a colossally incompetent idiot as a pawn. Instead of ruining Mira, Mara had managed to dump boiling water all over Roxanne. It felt deliberately malicious.
But how could Mara have known that Roxanne was the mastermind behind the beverage tower trap? It had to be an accident. Had someone else manipulated the situation? But there was no one else around when Mara tripped.
“Was that boiling water?” Celine gasped. Severe burn scars were notoriously difficult to treat.
“What is wrong with you?! Can’t you watch where you’re going?!” Xavier barked, his heart shattering as he looked at Roxanne. He glared at Mara, who was standing with her head bowed.
“I’m so sorry! I wasn’t paying attention. I tripped, and the water just flew out of my hands,” Mara stammered.
“Not paying attention?! Earlier, you ‘accidentally’ pushed over a glass tower and nearly crushed someone! Now you ‘accidentally’ scald someone with boiling water?! Did you forget you were holding a lethal hazard?!” Mrs. Bennett, usually the picture of grace, finally lost her temper seeing her future daughter-in-law injured.
Grandma Evelyn turned her sharp gaze on Lacey. “Why would you bring such a catastrophic liability into my home p>
“I am so, so sorry. This is entirely my fault for failing to discipline her properly. We will cover all of Ms. Porter’s medical expenses, as well as the cost of the damages earlier,” Lacey pleaded, bowing frantically it was a desperate attempt to shield Mara, knowing that offering money was her only defense.
“Who cares about your money?! Raising a child to be this violently reckless is a menace to society! She should be locked up!” Liora shouted.
met
Mrs. Bennett pulled her daughter back. “Let it go, Liora. She didn’t mean to do it.” She was wary of Lacey turning defensive if they pushed too hard, Lacey could easily argue that the Bennett family’s display was faulty, or that the boiling water incident was just a clumsy accident. Overreacting would only make the Bennetts look vindictive.
Listening to the whispers around her, Mira quickly pieced together the sequence of events. Apparently, Lacey had eaten too many cold desserts and asked Marato fetch her a cup of hot water. Through a perfectly timed “accident,” the boiling water had landed squarely on Roxanne.
The guests already despised Mara, and this incident cemented their disgust. No one said a word out loud, but every socialite in the room silently agreed: Lacey Quinn Mercer was permanently blacklisted. Inviting Mara to an event was a guaranteed disaster.
A car was swiftly arranged, and Roxanne was rushed to the hospital. Though the mood in the room had soured, the Bennett family rallied to salvage the evening. Xavier, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Bennett, and even Liora worked overtime to keep Grandma Evelyn smiling.
What shocked Mira, however, was that Roxanne actually returned to the estate just
as the party was winding down. Despite her agonizing injuries, she stood by the
door with a radiant smile, personally thanking the guests for coming.
Her terrifying dedication paid off instantly; every single guest left singing her praises, awestruck by her resilience and devotion to the Bennett family.
Roxanne was relentlessly ambitious. Sustaining burns that severe and still prioritizing social optics was a level of psychotic endurance Mira herself couldn’t stomach. It was no wonder she had the Bennett family wrapped around her finger. She was going to be a formidable adversary.