Chapter 360: Chapter 360

“What’s going on?”

“Yeah, seriously. How can she behave so rudely? Doesn’t she have any manners?”

Zoe Hoffman was indeed arrogant, unruly, and spoiled. The more she thought about Justin’s words, the

more furious she became. She did not care about the occasion and just wanted to throw a tantrum.

However, she was surrounded by Savrow’s upper society at the moment. Being a Hoffman, Zoe should

not disregard her image.

Thus, she gritted her teeth, feigned composure, and coughed lightly. Then, she skillfully began to play

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor to ease the awkwardness.

Zoe was a top student at the Royal Academy of Music in Inalia. With her agile fingers, the piano piece

flowed with delight, and accompanying it was the release of her fluctuating emotions. The audience

was immersed in the music, forgetting her earlier gaffe. Bethany, holding her long gown, stormed back

into the banquet hall. She returned to Shannon’s side. “Mom! Carrie is here!”

Shannon was surprised. “What? Where?”

“I just saw her with Mr. Hoffman. He even patted her head and gave her his own jacket!”

Bethany’s eyes were bloodshot and were about to shed tears. “Mom, do you really think Carrie is a

fool? She’s sharp, but she pretends to be innocent to deceive us. She’s set her sights on Mr. Hoffman

from the start! Why is she so despicable?!”

“You’re a fool. Did you throw away all the etiquette and ladylike qualities you learned in elementary

school?” Shannon frowned, discreetly pinching her. “Carrie is your sister! You’re both my daughters, so

don’t speak ill of her in the future!”

Bethany was infuriated. Trembling with anger, she bit her lip and remained silent.

She felt that Shannon’s words were not necessarily in defense of Carrie but rather a refusal to admit

she had given birth to an autistic daughter.

“Mom, what should I do?” Bethany anxiously asked, clutching Shannon’s arm. “I finally got Bella to

break up with Ryan, and now my sister is coming to undermine me! He doesn’t like me much to begin

with, and now there’s even less hope for me to marry into the Hoffman family!”

“Don’t worry, Carrie won’t get in your way. I think you’ve misunderstood her. She wouldn’t have such

intentions. Later, go call Ian and ask him to quickly send someone to find Carrie and bring her back.”

Shannon did not really see this as a serious matter. After all, she had tight control over her daughters

for so many years.

Carrie’s mental state made it challenging for her to marry well. However, Shannon was determined to

present her in the best light and find her a match from a higher social class. Ideally, this would also

benefit Shannon, ensuring her efforts in raising her seemingly foolish daughter were not in vain.

“Ms. Hoffman doesn’t seem to have a good temper,” Shannon remarked casually as she

watched Zoe passionately play the piano on stage.

“Mom, honestly, her temper stinks like a pile of crap!” Bethany, no longer pretending in front of her

mother, whispered, “Compared to Rosalind, she’s far worse. She’s like a powder keg, ready to explode

at any moment!”

“Good,” Shannon said, as she gazed at Zoe on the stage with cold eyes.

“Good?” Bethany questioned. “What’s ‘good’ about this?”

“People with a strong temper and outward emotions tend to be less cunning. They’re easier to

manipulate. Plus, Zoe only wants to be Justin’s wife. She’s been pampered since she was young and

lacks nothing. She has a simple mindset and is just a bit possessive,” Shannon explained, coldly

snorting. “On the other hand, someone like Rosalind, who sweet-talks you while harboring deceit, is

much harder to deal with.”

As Shannon spoke, the heavy doors of the banquet hall were pushed open.

Zoe was immersed in her own piano performance, completely unaware that the guests’ attention had

shifted away from her toward the entrance. Carrie, under the protection of Ryan’s bodyguards, walked

in hesitantly with her head lowered.

“Oh, my! Who’s the petite lady beside Mr. Hoffman? Why have I never seen her before?” Some gossip-

loving elite women observed Carrie and murmured to each other.

“Probably a new love interest. After all, Mr. Hoffman changes women like he changes his clothes. I

heard the longest a woman stayed by his side was a month, and nobody has broken that record yet.’

“She’s quite pretty, but I remember Mr. Hoffman always prefers the sexy and glamorous type. She

seems different from his usual taste…”

“Personally, I think this girl is more beautiful than Zoe Hoffman on the stage and definitely better-

looking than Bethany Salvador. You men not only lack Mr. Hoffman’s wealth, but you also lack his taste.

The lady by Mr. Hoffman’s side is a top-quality gem, not some fake!”

“Now that I think about it, Mr. Hoffman’s taste in women is definitely much better than Mr. Salvador’s.

This young lady looks quite honest. She definitely won’t be cheating on Mr. Hoffman…”

Bethany, hearing the discussions about Ryan and Carrie, turned red in anger. Her gums even hurt from

clenching her teeth too hard. Meanwhile, Shannon’s expression had turned to disdain.