Chapter 965

Every prominent figure in Eclara City would be visiting the elders to pay their

respects today. Hannah wanted the entire city to see exactly who the future lady of the Schwartz family was.

"Happy New Year, Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz."

A steady stream of guests poured into the manor, all eager to curry favor and strengthen their ties with the powerful family. Some even brought their daughters along.

Rumors had circulated that Shanley's girlfriend came from a broken, ordinary family. No one knew what kind of spell she had cast on him to make him so obsessed. These elites brought their daughters in hopes that Shanley might suddenly realize what he was missing. If not him, there was always Kurt Schwartz.

Kurt was still unattached. It was an open secret that he would soon be stepping into the Schwartz Group, and his future was just as limitless as Shanley's. Catching his eye would be a massive victory.

More importantly, word on the street was that Kurt's parents were using today's gathering to subtly scout for a suitable daughter-in-law.

And so, the heiresses took the stage, utilizing every trick in the book to charm the two elders while putting their best foot forward.

Once the lesser contenders had made their superficial attempts, a daughter of the Yardley family stepped forward with practiced elegance.

"Sheryl Yardley?" someone whispered in the crowd, drawing a collective gasp.

The Yardley family was one of the few elite households that maintained incredibly close ties with the Schwartz family. Growing up, Sheryl had practically lived at the manor. She was essentially childhood sweethearts with the Schwartz brothers.

Years ago, there had even been rumors that Sheryl and Shanley were destined for an arranged marriage. For reasons unknown, the talk had abruptly died down.

"Happy New Year, Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz," Sheryl greeted them gracefully, tilting her elegant swan-like neck. Dressed impeccably in haute couture, she radiated the aura of a flawless high-society heiress. Among the sea of debutantes, she easily stood out.

"Happy New Year to you too," Hannah replied with a polite but distant smile.

She remembered the girl well. As a child, she was always running around the estate, ignoring everyone else just to blindly shadow, Shanley Back then Hannah had thought that if Shanley liked her, their

backgrounds matched well enough to make it work.

Except, Shanley never gave her the time of day.

Later, Hannah had accidentally witnessed something disturbing. The sweet little girl had bumped into a maid. Instead of apologizing, she had stopped the servant hard across the face when a drop of the maid's nosebleed got on her hand, she had wiped it off on the maid's uniform in utter disgust.

Hannah had thanked her lucky stars that Shanley wasn't interested. If someone with that kind of character married into the family, their bloodline would be doomed.

"This is my New Year's gift to you. I hope you like it." Sheryl opened a velvet box, revealing a masterfully carved antique jade statue.

Hannah was an antique enthusiast, and this specific piece was a rarity she had been hunting for. Sheryl had definitely done her homework.

"You shouldn't have," Hannah said after a brief pause. Her expression remained neutral, her tone perfectly composed. "Please, take a seat."

"Hayden, Miranda..." Having paid her respects to the grandparents, Sheryl seamlessly turned her attention to Shanley's parents, who were eagerly looking toward the door for their daughter-in-law.

Sheryl had heard that Miranda absolutely adored Juniper.

*Probably because she hasn't seen anyone better,* Sheryl thought smugly. Contrast

is everything. She came from a prestigious lineage, had a top-tier education, and

her beauty and grace were unmatched.

She had seen pictures of Juniper.

Sure, the girl was pretty, but in every

other aspect, Sheryl was vastly superior. More importantly, her family's wealth could actively help expand Shanley's corporate empire. Didn't he want to break into the Australis, market? Her family had massive holdings there. A

partnership would make them unstoppable.

Did Juniper bring anything to the table?