To be fair, it was a reasonably tasteful way to handle the situation.
After all, the York and Carrington families were still related by marriage. No matter how ugly the scene became, the Carrington Family had to be shown some degree of respect.
An attendant came forward to lead the way. Summer Thorne offered a compliant smile, her sharp stiletto heels crunching over the glass shards on the floor as she walked past Timothy York, not lingering for a moment.
Now that the hosts had intervened, the gawking crowd parted to let her through.
The scene had already become as ugly as she'd anticipated. Summer Thorne just wanted to leave in peace, but as she glanced down, she saw that someone up ahead had silently stuck out a foot, as if lying in wait for her.
Aside from throwing three glasses of wine at Wyatt Young, she hadn't offended anyone else today.
'If it isn't a new enemy, it must be an old one.'
'And when it came to old grudges, there was likely only one culprit—'
'Mason Crawford.'
As the one in charge of the younger generation of Marinus's prestigious Carrington Family, the thing that drew the most attention from high-society debutantes wasn't his power, but his face.
He was so handsome that even without the Carrington Family's power and status, countless women were still more than willing to throw themselves at him.
Thus, when Mason Crawford married her, hearts shattered all across the city.
'But now, with a much better prize right before their eyes, why was someone still trying to give her a hard time?'
Summer Thorne pretended she hadn't seen a thing. She walked straight forward and stomped her foot down.
The woman had braced herself to trip Summer, but she never expected Summer's stiletto heel to come down directly on her instep. She let out a piercing shriek and crumpled to the floor.
Summer Thorne, having been fully prepared, only swayed slightly. Still, she put on a show of teetering precariously, stumbling back several steps.
Just as she was debating whether to commit to the fall and thoroughly embarrass herself, a hand suddenly reached out from behind, steadying her with a firm but gentle grip on her waist.
Summer Thorne had no choice but to regain her balance. She then turned her head.
Timothy York stood behind her, his expression serene, his deep eyes betraying no emotion.
He was tall and long-legged, with an imposing presence. Even at five-foot-seven, plus three-inch heels, Summer Thorne was still a head shorter than him.
But the intimidating pressure she felt from him wasn't just due to his height.
'It was as if... something was hidden beneath his dignified and composed facade.'
She suppressed her runaway heartbeat and flashed a brilliant smile. "Thank you, Mr. York."
Timothy York impassively withdrew his hand.
He couldn't even be bothered to say a word.
Even so, Summer Thorne could feel several hostile glares directed at her.
'Of course. She was already Mrs. Crawford. How dare she try to get entangled with this newly-minted magnate?'
Summer Thorne looked down to straighten her skirt and was about to walk away when her path was blocked once again.
"Are you blind? You think you can just walk away after stepping on someone?" Rose Stone, the woman who had been stepped on, struggled to her feet with help from others and glared coldly at Summer Thorne.
Summer Thorne tilted her head, thinking the woman looked vaguely familiar, though she couldn't place her. She offered a faint smile. "Are you hurt? You should go to the hospital, then. Bring the bill to the Carrington Group afterward. Mason Crawford will reimburse you. He's always had a soft spot for pretty girls."
"Hah, you talk as if you can make decisions for him," Rose Stone sneered. "Then again, I suppose you have to take advantage of the position you schemed so hard to snatch. But does Mason even acknowledge you, *Mrs. Crawford*?"
The people nearby silently perked up their ears, eager for the drama.
Summer Thorne finally remembered who this woman was.
Rose Stone. She wasn't directly connected to Mason Crawford but was fighting an injustice on behalf of one of his female "confidantes."
Seeing she had an interested audience, Rose Stone seemed to gain a burst of energy. She sneered, "Do you really think no one remembers what you did to become Mrs. Crawford? The things you've done, the people you've hurt—don't you know? If I were you, I'd live out my days keeping my head down. But you still dare to parade yourself around in public? Summer Thorne, aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning?"
All eyes fell on Summer Thorne.
Summer Thorne listened quietly to the accusations, then simply touched her ear and smiled. "But it's winter. It doesn't thunder in winter."
"PFFT—" Someone burst out laughing at her response.
Rose Stone flushed with shame and fury. "That's right, it doesn't thunder in winter, but heaven is watching! Isn't the state your Sutton Family is in today your just desserts? Congratulations, Summer Thorne. All your sins will eventually be paid for, by you and your entire family!"
"Since you're on such good terms with heaven, do me a favor and pass on a message. My family and I aren't on the best of terms, so there's no point in them paying for my sins. Tell heaven to come for me directly."
Her expression unchanging, Summer Thorne walked past the woman and continued to follow the attendant out.
Behind her, a fresh wave of gossip erupted—
"What did she do?"
"Who on earth did she hurt?"
Seething with rage, Rose Stone stared at Summer Thorne's retreating back and shouted for all to hear, "To clear her path to marrying Mason Crawford, she made a deal with gangsters! She used the filthiest, most despicable means to attack an innocent girl, causing her to be assaulted and left with a permanent disability! To this day, that girl can only live out her life in a wheelchair—"
Her words were loud and clear, and nearly everyone present heard every single one.
Despite such a damning accusation being hurled at her in public, Summer Thorne's pace only faltered for a second before she continued on her way, never once looking back.
Her lack of any defense was a tacit admission of guilt in the eyes of the crowd, and a flurry of discussion erupted.
"Look how shallow and flippant she is. It's no surprise she'd do something like that!"
"She hasn't shown her face in two years. Her conscience must be eating at her."
"Only the Sutton Family could raise a daughter like that. No wonder Mason Crawford wouldn't lift a finger to help when they got into trouble..."
Amid the crowd, Timothy York stood apart, his gaze heavy as he silently watched Summer Thorne's figure disappear through the doorway.
Shane Walsh stood behind him. Worried that Timothy, having just returned to the country, wouldn't understand the context, he explained in a low voice, "That's Mrs. Crawford, from the Sutton Family. The Suttons have run into some trouble recently and are looking everywhere for help. But it's a matter the Carrington Family refuses to touch, so no one else in Valois will get involved."
The tall, handsome department manager behind them, David Duvall, sighed. "Such a shame about that face and figure. Imagine how wild she'd be in bed... Why'd she have to be connected to the Carrington Family?"
"The face of an angel, the heart of a snake. Aren't you afraid she's poisonous? You might just die on top of her..."
"To die at the hands of a beautiful woman... what a way to go."
A couple of the men nearby shared knowing smirks. Only Timothy York remained aloof, his expression cold. Without a word, he turned and walked away.
Shane Walsh shot David Duvall a glare. "You can't even hold your tongue in front of Mr. York. Is that really something you should be saying in front of the boss?"
David Duvall shrugged. "We're all young men. Who knew he was so stuffy and old-fashioned?"
"He may be young, but he was personally groomed by Old Mr. York. Every one of his habits and traits was polished to perfection under the old man's supervision. He's flawless. A man as pure as snow on a high mountain. You think he's anything like you?"
"For real? He's in his twenties. No matter how noble he is, he's got to have some desire for women, right?" David Duvall laughed. "Unless... unless he's just like the rumors say. A sickly weakling who, despite years of treatment, looks human but... you know... can't perform in *that* department..."
A few of the men nearby snickered, while others just frowned and shook their heads.
Shane Walsh said no more. He turned and hurried after Timothy York to continue making the rounds with him.