Chapter 44 Ugly Photo!

Jamie paused, and the crowd fell silent, eagerly awaiting his next words.

His expression turned grave as he spoke, "I believe that everyone here is aware of the recent turmoil surrounding the Matton Corp. It has been a trying time for our family. However, in order to ensure the continued prosperity of the company, I have made a decision. Tonight, in front of all of you, I am proud to announce the new heir to the Matton Corp, Charlotte Matthews."

With those words, he turned his head and gestured for the crowd to look upstairs.

Charlotte had changed into a beautiful light yellow gown, her curls cascading over her right shoulder. Her makeup had been flawlessly fixed, returning her to the radiant Miss Matthews everyone knew.

Wearing a gentle and elegant smile, she appeared to have completely forgotten the events of just over an hour ago.

The guests responded with applause upon seeing her transformation.

Having learned her lesson, Charlotte composed herself and descended the stairs gracefully, making her way towards Jamie for a heartfelt father-daughter hug.

Jamie then stepped off the stage, leaving the spotlight to Charlotte.

Holding the microphone, Charlotte stood under the glare, her eyes slightly red from excitement.

"I want to express my gratitude to my parents for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Matton Corp. I will do everything in my power to learn about the company's operations and help propel it to new heights in the future. I also want to thank each and every one of you for joining me tonight, and I hope you have a wonderful time."

The audience believed her speech had ended and burst into applause once again.

But Charlotte paused, wearing a slightly sheepish expression on her face.

"Perhaps many of you are already aware, but I still want to extend a public invitation. In just one month, I will be hosting a formal engagement party with Mr. Melvin Freeman, the president of the Freeman Group, at the Grand Esther Hotel. I would be honored if you could join us to witness our love."

She spoke with joy evident on her face, casting a sweet glance toward Melvin, while also stealing a glance in Lyra's direction from the corner of her eye.

Cody listened attentively and instinctively turned his head to look at Lyra beside him.

Her expression remained impassive as she leisurely savored a glass of red wine.

Cody couldn't help but express his concern, "Lyra, this scumbag only recently got divorced, and now he's already engaged. What a jerk. You're lucky to be rid of him. And that girl deliberately made such a high-profile announcement in front of everyone. She's clearly provoking you. What a bitch."

Lyra found his remarks amusing and let out a giggle. "You've said it all. I couldn't agree more."

The two of them laughed and chatted, clearly within Charlotte's line of sight on the stage.

That spiteful woman was pretending not to care. Did she not take Lyra seriously?

Malice flickered in Charlotte's eyes.

After taking a bow, Charlotte stepped down and began to personally toast each guest.

Katelyn led the way, gracefully greeting everyone, followed by the silent waiter holding the wine.

Charlotte toasted the guests in groups, as they naturally formed small clusters based on their topics of interest.

Soon, she reached Lyra.

After toasting the others, she held up her glass of wine and smiled genuinely at Lyra.

"Lyra, we've had our disagreements in the past. But I believe you're a forgiving person who can let bygones be bygones."

Lyra also picked up her glass, meeting Charlotte's gaze with a raised eyebrow and a slight curl of her red lips. "Miss Matthews, you might not know me well. I happen to be quite vengeful and believe in tit-for-tat."

Charlotte's smile momentarily faltered before widening even further. She leaned in towards Lyra's ear.

An outsider observing would think the two were getting along famously.

"I can imagine it must have been difficult for you to hear me share my love story with Melvin earlier, right? After three years of enduring suffering in the Freeman family for his sake, you were only able to leave in disgrace. Such a pity."

Charlotte's smile took on a sarcastic edge.

Lyra sneered, "Oops, my apologies. I didn't realize how deeply in love Miss Matthews and Mr. Freeman were. I simply assumed that Miss Matthews might have poor judgment, considering she can't even distinguish between a knock-off dress and the real thing. So, I suppose her taste in men must be equally poor."

Charlotte's smile froze, and the memory of her public embarrassment resurfaced in her mind.

Enraged, she tightened her grip on the wine glass and lowered her voice.

"Don't get too smug. It's not yet determined who will win or lose. I won't let you off the hook!"

She maintained an innocent facade while issuing her threat in the gentlest tone.

Lyra raised a languid eyebrow.

"I'll be waiting. But before that, I have something to share with you."

Charlotte took a couple of steps back, maintaining a suitable distance, and looked suspicious. "What is it?"

To an onlooker, it appeared as if they had just finished a private conversation.

Lyra unlocked her phone and playfully displayed it in front of Charlotte. "Isn't this amusing?"

"You!"

Charlotte glanced at the photo and instantly, her anger surged uncontrollably.

That despicable woman!

How dare she provoke her with that picture of her, disheveled and looking absolutely embarrassing!

Charlotte was seething with fury, reaching out to snatch the phone.

But Lyra was one step ahead, swiftly pulling the phone back.

"You've crossed the line!"

Charlotte couldn't bear this humiliation and almost instinctively, she wanted to splash the red wine at Lyra.

Cody, seated beside them, witnessed it all. His expression changed, and he moved to intervene.

Splash—

The red wine splashed directly onto Charlotte's face, ruining her delicate makeup and staining her light yellow dress.

In disbelief, Charlotte wiped the wine from her face.

In that moment, when she had intended to splash the wine on Lyra, her raised hand had been swiftly restrained. Instead, Lyra managed to retaliate and drench her mercilessly.

Charlotte hadn't anticipated being outdone by Lyra even in this matter!

It was driving her mad!

Their actions caught the attention of nearby guests, and the anger in Charlotte's eyes quickly transformed into a sense of victimhood.

"Lyra... I just want you to let go of Melvin. Why are you doing this?" she sobbed sorrowfully.

The surrounding guests turned their heads to witness the commotion.

Seeing the scene, they all assumed Lyra was bullying Charlotte.

After all, Cody had always been known as the "young devil," and it wasn't surprising if his partner took advantage of his reputation to mistreat others.

The crowd began to criticize Lyra.

Lyra didn't bother responding, simply staring coldly at Charlotte. "How many times have you used this trick? Don't you ever get tired of it?"

A guest handed Charlotte a handkerchief, and she used it to wipe the wine stains from her face, whimpering, "What do you mean, Lyra? I just want you to leave Melvin alone. I truly love him, and as our engagement party is approaching, can't you just bless us?"

Those nearby detected the underlying gossip in her words, further fueling their interest in the unfolding drama.

Katelyn arrived, drawn by the commotion, and was taken aback by Charlotte's appearance. "What's happening here?"

Before Charlotte could explain, Cody interjected, his eyes ablaze with anger and his tone icy.

"The Matthews family is utterly unbelievable. First, you defamed my date, accusing her of wearing a knock-off dress. And now, when it's clear that you're at fault, you dare to play the victim. Do you really think the Carver family will tolerate this? I'll settle the score with you later!"

He snorted with contempt and pulled Lyra away, not looking back.

The other guests dared not cross paths with this little devil and made way for him.

Katelyn had just arrived and was dumbfounded by what she had witnessed.

What on earth was going on? Wasn't Charlotte the one who had been wronged?