Her expression turned to one of disgust. "Cade really failed as a father," she muttered. "Raised two kids with no integrity."

It wasn't an exaggeration. A bad upbringing could destroy an entire generation.

Tilda stayed silent, but nodded in agreement.

Brea turned to look out the window, her mind racing. One thing was clear—this wasn't something she could let slide.

After a long pause, she picked up her phone and made another call.

"Mrs. Mason? I heard you recently matched Scarlet with your nephew. Is that true?"

Sylvie Mason was well-known for her matchmaking skills within Betton's high society.

Some time ago, Cade had turned to Sylvie, saying he needed her help to find a good match for Scarlet.

Sylvie had even called Brea to ask whether she should introduce someone to Scarlet.

Back then, Brea had assumed Scarlet's tarnished reputation would only attract suitors from average families—nothing too notable-so she hadn't objected.

What she didn't expect was for Sylvie to match Scarlet with her own nephew.

Sylvie answered with her usual cheery tone, "Oh yes! I was just about to tell you-my nephew is quite taken with Scarlet. He may not come from one of the top families, but he's doing very well. He's the assistant to the president at a major company—quite impressive for his age."

Brea gave a faint smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "He sounds like a capable young man," she said. "That's exactly why I don't think Scarlet is the right match for him. I suggest you end things before they go any further."

Sylvie paused, surprised by the sudden shift in tone. When she spoke again, her voice was more guarded. "But I checked with you before introducing him to Scarlet, and you didn't raise any objections. Now that they're seeing each other, calling it off would be..."

"Mrs. Mason, don't misunderstand-I'm not here to make trouble for you," Brea cut in calmly. "I'm just saying this for your nephew's sake. Scarlet is not a decent woman. If she marries into your family, it'll only bring him grief."

Sylvie hesitated, then asked, curiosity piqued, "Why do you see her that way?"

Brea slowly released her breath. "There's no point digging into the past, but consider this carefully. Scarlet bribed the doctor to fake Sheldon's paternity results. As such, my son was kept in the dark about the fact that Sheldon was his son. Isn't such behavior simply outrageous?"

Sylvie was surprised at the revelation. "You really went ahead with the DNA test?"

A faint smirk appeared on Brea's face. "Exactly. Gossip whispered endlessly that Sheldon wasn't Lyndon's child. What could be more effective to quiet gossipers down than scientific proof? But Scarlet sabotaged everything-bribery, deceit. She drove a wedge between Lyndon and his wife with forged documents. Wouldn't you call that thoroughly wicked?"

Upon the revelation, Sylvie finally understood why Brea labeled Scarlet as an indecent woman. "To disregard every standard of decency this way-Scarlet clearly doesn't belong among respectable circles. I'll inform my nephew promptly. We'll find him a partner more worthy of our name."

Brea was satisfied with Sylvie's decision. "Great. We'll go over the details over tea next time."

"Very well." As the call ended, a triumphant smile crept onto Brea's lips.

The reason for her call to Sylvie had two parts: first, to sabotage Scarlet's efforts to find a suitable partner; second, to spread the truth that Sheldon was a true Fernandez.

Sylvie, matchmaker of the privileged class and Betton's unrivaled spreader of news, could make even a seasoned gossip blush with envy.