Chapter 150: Chapter 150: The Crown Prince of the Kellers of Portshire

Finn Vance had no intention of reprimanding Jasmine Vance. Instead, his gaze swept dotingly over his younger sister before he looked up at Jade Golding and said,

"My apologies, Jade. My sister has always been blunt and a terrible liar since she was young. If she’s offended you in any way, I hope you can be understanding."

Finn Vance’s use of the word "child" left Jade Golding speechless.

’We’re all in our twenties. What does he mean, "child"?’

’And "a terrible liar"? Isn’t that just a roundabout way of saying everything she said was the truth?’

’Finn Vance is usually such a fair person, yet here he is, siding with his sister to this degree. What more could I possibly say?’

The corners of her lips twitched as she forced a faint smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"It’s nothing. I wouldn’t stoop to bickering with the younger girls."

"Jasmine is candid and adorable. If anything, I find it endearing."

Even Jade Golding could barely stomach the insincere words coming out of her own mouth.

Fortunately, a servant from the Quillan family came in just then to invite them downstairs for the meal.

The banquet had already been served; all that was missing were the guests.

Jade Golding immediately took the lead, using the moment to walk ahead and suppress her inner turmoil.

Jasmine Vance affectionately linked her arm with Cecilia Croft’s, a cheeky grin on her face.

Cecilia Croft took a deep breath, her voice tinged with resignation.

"Jasmine, you really don’t have to go this far for me."

Jade Golding’s taunts were like water off a duck’s back; they barely registered.

After all, Jasmine Vance had to build her career in Karthus, and the Golding and Vance families hadn’t reached the point of cutting all ties.

They were bound to cross paths constantly in the future, so there was no need to make an enemy of them for her sake.

Seeing the guilty look on Cecilia Croft’s face, Jasmine Vance lowered her voice.

"Honestly, I didn’t just offend her for your sake. Cecilia, you don’t need to feel guilty."

"The Vance and Golding families are competitors now, and the Goldings play dirty. It’s better to have an enemy out in the open than to have her scheming behind my back."

"If the relationship between the Goldings and the Vances was still as good as it used to be, my brother would have skinned me alive by now."

While the Vance family doted on their daughter, and Finn Vance certainly spoiled his sister, they didn’t do so without principles.

Otherwise, who knows how warped Jasmine Vance’s moral compass would be by now.

As the group descended the stairs, they saw that only Minnie Rhodes was in the banquet hall greeting guests.

Ash Quillan was sitting on a nearby sofa, his face livid, radiating a "do not approach" aura.

Mrs. Quillan was sitting beside him, speaking to him about something, when Ash suddenly flared up and slammed his water glass down.

The glass crashed against the marble tabletop, shattering into pieces.

The commotion was loud enough that all the guests coming down the stairs got a clear view of the scene.

Minnie Rhodes hurried over to block everyone’s line of sight.

"Mom, Ash, the guests are all coming downstairs."

Only then did Mrs. Quillan shoot Ash Quillan a glare. She rose from the sofa, straightened her cheongsam, and put on a dignified, matronly smile.

"This boy... he drank quite a bit at lunch and still hasn’t sobered up. He’s feeling ill and getting grumpy. I do apologize for the scene."

The guests, naturally not wanting Mrs. Quillan to lose face, chimed in with a few agreeable remarks.

And with that, the matter was smoothed over.

Ash Quillan, however, showed no sign of getting up to greet the guests, remaining on the sofa with a cold expression.

Minnie Rhodes stood beside him, a look of helplessness in her eyes.

"Ash, if you’re unhappy about something, you can discuss it with Grandpa in private. With so many guests watching, we can’t afford to lose face."

"Let me help you up, all right?"

As she spoke, Minnie Rhodes reached out to help Ash Quillan.

But Ash Quillan swatted her hand away and stood up on his own.

On the very first day of their engagement, Ash Quillan had publicly slighted her in front of so many guests. Her expression instantly turned mortified.

Soon, members of the Rhodes family came forward to console her.

The rims of Minnie Rhodes’s eyes were red, but she quickly composed herself and went back to greeting guests with ease, as if nothing had happened.

This prompted quiet murmurs from the surrounding guests.

"It looks like life won’t be easy for Minnie Rhodes in the Quillan family."

"The Rhodes family was already marrying up by aligning with the Quillans. If one of their own hadn’t successfully climbed the ladder and married into the Golding family, how could they have ever secured this match with the Quillans?"

"But I heard Young Master Quillan and Miss Rhodes fell in love on their own, didn’t they?"

"I doubt it. It’s more likely she’s using a baby to secure her position. I saw Minnie Rhodes at the OB-GYN for a prenatal checkup last month. She must be pregnant."

"I also heard the person Ash Quillan was originally supposed to marry wasn’t her..."

Listening to all the gossip, Jasmine Vance quietly tsked.

Cecilia Croft scanned the room, but she couldn’t find Ruby Croft anywhere.

A flicker of worry crossed her eyes. Just as she was about to take out her phone to call her sister, Jasmine Vance tugged on her arm. Cecilia looked up and saw Ruby Croft walking in from the direction of the backyard, accompanying Old Master Quillan.

With them was another strikingly handsome man.

The man wore a tailored black suit jacket over a maroon silk shirt. He was tall, around six-foot-three, with long, straight legs.

He exuded an air of roguish, unrestrained charm.

As he conversed with Old Master Quillan, his gaze repeatedly fell on Ruby Croft, his handsome, almond-shaped eyes looking particularly flirtatious.

Ruby Croft merely maintained a polite smile, her cool eyes betraying a faint sense of detachment.

Cecilia Croft found the man incredibly familiar, but for the life of her, she couldn’t recall where she had seen him before.

’Could he be a scion of one of the Great Families?’

She quickly leaned over and whispered to Jasmine Vance.

"Who is he?"

Jasmine Vance looked just as puzzled. "He looks familiar, but I can’t place him."

Cecilia Croft: "..."

Just then, the man who had entered the banquet hall with Old Master Quillan glanced in their direction.

Perhaps spotting an acquaintance, he gave a slight wave.

Cecilia Croft froze for a second, then noticed Sebastian Hawthorne, who was walking ahead of her, give a slight nod in return.

Clearly, the two of them knew each other.

Cecilia Croft hurried over to Sebastian Hawthorne’s side.

"You know him?"

Sebastian Hawthorne nodded.

Cecilia Croft: "Who is he?"

Sebastian Hawthorne shot her an indifferent glance and didn’t answer.

Cecilia Croft pressed her lips together and asked again in a low voice, "Sebastian, who is he? I’m worried the Quillan family is setting a trap for my sister."

When he didn’t answer, Cecilia Croft tugged on his sleeve.

Only then did his furrowed brow relax slightly as he replied in a deep voice.

"Do you think your sister is as stupid as you are?"

’Who ends up falling into the trap is still up in the air.’

’Looks like Ruby Croft is planning to shed the Croft Group’s original brick-and-mortar assets and move forward unburdened.’

Cecilia Croft watched as Old Master Quillan led them to their seats.

Combined with the way that man was looking at her sister—like a predator that had locked onto its prey—she grew anxious.

Sebastian Hawthorne glanced down, saw her desperation, and finally spoke in a low voice.

"The Crown Prince of the Kellers of Portshire, Caleb Keller."