Darcy deliberately restricted the range of his vision, keeping his gaze fixed within a narrow and controlled space rather than allowing it to wander freely across the banquet hall. It was not due to a lack of curiosity, nor because there was nothing worthy of observation, but rather because he was consciously avoiding the risk of seeing someone he had no desire to encounter at that moment. The mere possibility of accidentally locking eyes with Ilyas was enough to make his shoulders tense slightly, and so he chose caution over curiosity, focusing instead on the glass of juice in his hand.

He lifted it slowly, taking a measured sip as though the simple act could ground him amidst the noise and movement surrounding them.

Elina, sitting beside him, leaned in with a subtle shift of her posture, her voice lowered but filled with unmistakable concern. "So, how did it go?" she asked, her eyes searching his face. "Was he ready?"

Darcy swallowed before responding, his tone calm but not entirely relaxed. "Yeah, he’s fine," he replied. "Clyde’s there, so nothing should go wrong."

Elina let out a breath that sounded more like a sigh than relief. She lifted her fan and began waving it steadily, the motion a clear sign that her nerves had not settled in the slightest.

"I’m still worried sick," she admitted, shaking her head faintly. "That child is just... impossible to read. One moment he is calm, and the next he is doing something completely unexpected. And his moods? Do not even get me started on that. Honestly, I can’t believe Clyde puts up with him all the time. Like, how does he deal with every single whim without snapping even once? I would have lost my temper within a day."

Jacob, who had been lingering nearby and clearly listening in, immediately joined the conversation, displeased with how his wife was singing praise of Clyde.

"Honey, come on now, it isn’t just Clyde," he said, glancing at Darcy with a knowing look. "Have you forgotten about our own son? Darcy has always been able to keep Micah in check. It is actually pretty impressive."

Elina paused mid-fan, then slowly nodded as if the thought had just properly settled in her mind. "You’re right," she said, turning toward Darcy with a softened expression. "Ever since you showed up, Micah has changed a lot. It is like he’s turned over a new leaf... at least a little."

Darcy raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Really?" he said flatly. "Because I honestly can’t picture what he was like before. The past year alone has been enough to give me a lifetime of headaches. I lost count of how many times I had to deal with his mess. And I was constantly worried about what he might do next."

A deep chuckle sounded from nearby, rich and unmistakably amused. Albert Ramsy leaned back slightly, clearly entertained by Darcy’s complaint. "Welcome to the club," he said in a relaxed tone. "Now you finally understand what the rest of us have been dealing with for years."

Elina nodded immediately, her expression turning emotional in an exaggerated way. "Exactly!" she said. "Honestly, I’m just relieved that someone out there finds him charming enough to take responsibility for him, even better for the rest of his life. Maybe now my grey hair will finally stop multiplying."

"Honey, don’t be heartless!" Jacob suddenly cut in, aggrieved by the reminder of losing his son. He grabbed a tissue and dabbed at his eyes, hiding his tears. "Our son is about to leave us and walk straight into what could very well be a wolf’s den. He is way too naive for that kind of environment. I swear, he might get tricked, sold off, and still happily help count the money afterwards."

Elina rolled her eyes so discreetly that only those closest to her could notice, lifting her fan slightly to hide the expression. "You are the only one who thinks like that," she muttered. "Have you actually looked at the Du Pont family properly? In what universe do they look like wolves? If anything, it is the complete opposite. Honestly, I would be more worried about them being bullied by Micah. He would probably prank them nonstop."

Aria, who had been listening with clear amusement, let out a soft giggle. "Mum is right," she said, nodding enthusiastically. "If anything, Micah would end up taming all of them. I mean, Dean already looks like he is starting to get a little scared of him."

Elina immediately turned toward her, eyes narrowing. "Look who’s talking!" she snapped. "Your brother wasn’t already enough, and now you are thinking about running off to join him, ganging up on those poor Du Ponts."

Jacob’s reaction was instant. His sniffing grew louder, as though Elina’s words had struck him like another emotional blow.

Aria simply shrugged, completely unfazed. "They’re nice," she said casually. "Like, really gentle. Maybe that is why."

Darcy muttered under his breath, just loud enough to be heard."Or maybe it’s because they are wusses." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Aria turned sharply toward him and jabbed his arm with her finger. "Who are you calling wuss?" she shot back. "They’re called gentlemen, thank you very much."

Before the argument could escalate, Willow calmly took a sip of her champagne, her expression composed yet faintly amused."Aria, just ignore him," she said lightly. "He is obviously jealous."

Darcy raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "Jealous?" he repeated. "Of what exactly? I’m not desperate enough to sign myself up for dealing with someone who acts like an unreasonable child."

Willow tilted her head slightly, a knowing smile forming.

"You say that now," she replied. "But who knows? Maybe when you fall in love one day, you will end up being even worse than the Du Pont men."

Aria burst into laughter again, clearly enjoying the situation. "She is right," she added. "You have Ramsy blood, after all. Just look at Dad and Grandpa."

Darcy did not react much. He simply picked up a canapé from a tray and placed it into his mouth, chewing slowly with a blank expression. "Let me just remind you of something," he said after swallowing. "I am the only one, aside from Mum, who can actually handle Micah without giving in to him."

Willow shook her head immediately. "That’s pretty naive," she said.

"Extremely naive," Aria agreed, nodding. "Micah only listens to you because he likes you. He has always wanted a younger brother. Mum, do you remember how he used to keep touching your stomach and asking when his little brother was coming?"

Elina froze for a second before snapping her fan shut with a sharp sound. "Oh, God! Don’t remind me," she said, visibly shuddering. "After Cora was born, he kept staring at my stomach like he was checking if it was growing or not. It was honestly terrifying."

She shook her head, clearly still haunted by the memory. "I could barely survive dealing with him when he was three years old. Who in their right mind would go through that again? One little monkey was already more than enough."

Darcy exhaled softly, shaking his head. "Seriously, where did he even get that personality from?" he said. "My parents were both really gentle when I was growing up. I was more worried about them getting bullied than anything else."

Albert spoke up again, his tone calm but firm. "That would be your father’s doing," he said. "He spoiled Micah far too much."

Jacob immediately turned toward him, looking both shocked and offended. "Father! When did I ever do that?" he protested. "It was you and Mother who kept saying boys should be lively and carefree, so you let him get away with everything. That is such a double standard. You were never that lenient with me. And you definitely did not spoil Arlo like that."

Albert coughed awkwardly, clearly caught off guard. "Well... that may be true," he admitted. "But Micah had a way with words. It was hard not to give in when he spoke so sweetly."

Before the conversation could continue, Aria suddenly straightened, her attention snapping toward something across the room. "Wait, who is that?" she said, narrowing her eyes. "Why is that woman standing so close to Dean?"

Without waiting for an answer, she marched straight toward the Du Pont table.

The rest of them followed her with their gaze and quickly spotted the situation. A stunning woman was leaning toward Dean, offering him a drink with a smile that seemed a little too familiar.

Moments later, Aria reached them and said something firmly. Whatever it was, it worked instantly. The woman’s face changed, turning stiff and slightly pale before she quickly excused herself and left.

Aria then sat down beside Dean as if guarding her prize.

Elina watched the entire scene unfold, fanning herself again."Seriously, what is with the Du Pont family?" she muttered. "What kind of charm do they have that keeps attracting bees and butterflies? They have already snatched two out of my four children. At this rate, I am going to lose all of them."

Jacob gasped, immediately resuming his sniffing.

"My dear, keep your voice down," Elina whispered sharply. "Do you want everyone to hear you?"

However, instead of calming down, Jacob suddenly grabbed Darcy’s hand, his grip tight and trembling. "Son, you have to promise me something," he said urgently. "Don’t fall for them as well. I can’t handle losing another child to that family. Please, just stay away from Jacklin and Emile, alright?"

Darcy stared at him, his lips twitching slightly as he tried to hold back his reaction.

If anyone from outside were to witness this moment, they would never believe that this chaotic, overly dramatic group was the prestigious and respected Ramsy family.

From the inside, however, it felt less like a dignified gathering and more like an ongoing disaster filled with absolute lunatics.