Gavin was genuinely afraid. He couldn't bear the thought of being the subject of gossip and pointed fingers again. If this turned into another fiasco, he'd never be able to show his face in their social circle again.

Hearing his hesitation, Ann frowned and glanced back at him. "What's that supposed to mean? You don't trust me? Are you that desperate to see your own daughter fail? No wonder Mom always said you were a useless man. You really are useless!"

Her voice dripped with disdain. Ann often cursed her fate. Why did Caitlin get to have it all? Not only was she the famous chess player N, but she was also the majority shareholder of Apex Game Studios. Ann was convinced it had nothing to do with Caitlin's actual talent. It was all because Caitlin had the right parents. Stuart Gonzales and Carey Richards had handed her everything she possessed.

Without Stuart, would Caitlin be the heir to the Gonzales family? Without Carey, would she be the prized daughter of the Richards family? Strip away her family connections, and Caitlin was nothing compared to her!

So, it was all Gavin's fault. It was his fault for lacking Stuart's ambition and ability. If Gavin had built the Templeton Group into a powerhouse like Stuart had, she wouldn't be constantly overshadowed by Caitlin.

Fortunately, she was a hundred times more brilliant than Caitlin. She was Miss Palmer's savior now. Let's see how Caitlin could possibly compete with that.

Gavin, clearly accustomed to his daughter's tirades, sighed and tried to explain. "Ann, you've misunderstood. That's not what I meant. I'm just worried that if this blows up, it will reflect badly on you. If you're not completely sure about this, we can still salvage the situation."

Even though the tea party was halfway through, cutting it short was better than being publicly humiliated. Gavin's concern was genuine, but it was obvious Ann wasn't listening.

She turned to face him squarely. "Don't worry. Caitlin can't take what's mine. This time, she's the one who's going to be embarrassed."

Seeing her unwavering confidence, Gavin dropped the subject. Whatever he said, she wouldn't listen anyway.

"Alright, Ann," he said, his eyes filled with resignation. "Just as long as you know what you're doing."

With that, he turned and walked away. He had barely taken a step when Keira called out to him. "Gavin, Amanda, come with me for a moment."

"Of course, Mom."

Gavin and Amanda followed Keira to a private lounge behind the ballroom.

"Close the door," Keira instructed as her daughter and son-in-law entered. Gavin, being the last one in, quickly shut it.

The moment

It the

door clicked shut,

Keira's expression darkened. "Gavin, Amanda! Look what you've turned Ann into A liar a braggart, completely vain! After the utter embarrassment she just caused in the ballroom, don't you, as her parents, feel any shame at all?"

Even she, her grandmother, had nearly fainted from the humiliation. It was disgraceful. Absolutely disgraceful!

Amanda stared at the floor, her

heart simmering with resentment. It was pure favoritism. Keira was being completely unfair. Shouldn't

she be scolding Caitlin right now? If Caitlin hadn't deliberately

Daniel

video called humiliated Ann, none of this would have

happened. It was Caitlin who had no sense of sisterly loyalty!

And yet, Keira hadn't said a single word against Caitlin. Instead, she was lecturing them behind closed doors. It was laughable. Utterly ridiculous.

Forcing herself to swallow her anger, Amanda said, "Mom, Ann was thoughtless, it's true. She knows she was wrong now. She's still young, please, just give her another chance."

Amanda's words only fueled Keira's anger. "Young? If I recall correctly, Caitlin is only three years older than her, and she would never do something so foolish."

Keira used to think Ann was just

immature. But now, her actions were becoming more and more

outrageous. She was deeply.

disappointed. "Youth is no excuse

for living in a fantasy world!" she snapped. "She's just setting herself up to be laughed at!"

Gavin kept his head down. "You're right, Mom. We'll be stricter with Ann from now

on and make sure she thinks before she acts."

Keira's gaze softened slightly as she looked at her son-in-law. She knew he had little say in the matter. "Gavin, why don't you go out and mingle with the guests. I need to have a private word with Amanda."

"Of course, Mom." Gavin nodded and left the room.

Once he was gone, Keira turned to her daughter. "Amanda, I know your personality. Ann turned out this way mostly because of you, not Gavin. It's because you're too competitive and always have to win!"