Chapter 159: Derek's Mind Kept Replaying Vanessa's Venomous Glare Long After

Derek’s mind kept replaying Vanessa’s venomous glare long after he stepped out of the prayer room. Sienna was ruthless, but she never pretended otherwise. She made no effort to conceal her nature from him. Vanessa, however, had perfected the art of playing the innocent victim. Her true self was hidden behind a mask of fragility. She was pure evil. He couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that she had tried to kill Sienna in a staged accident. She had even harmed other models in the process.

She let her most loyal agent, Bianca, take the full blame. The thought made his skin crawl. His image of the sweet, gentle Vanessa was shattered forever. The Bennett family butler approached him. “Mr. Prescott,” he said politely. “Would you care to stay for lunch?” Derek glanced toward the dining hall. His eyes immediately found Sienna seated beside Walter. Her outfit wasn’t particularly flashy today. Yet her powerful, striking presence was impossible to ignore. For the first time, he looked at her without disgust. He almost found her… compelling.

He adjusted his suit jacket and walked over. A maid promptly set a place for him. Helena noticed him and spoke in a concerned tone. “You’re here, Derek? I assume you’ve heard what happened?” Derek nodded as he took his seat. The family members exchanged uneasy glances. Derek was known as the ‘National Husband’ throughout Kingsport. He was the most sought-after bachelor in the city… after the Harrington men, of course. The Harringtons were in a league of their own. Their family’s wealth spanned over a century.

Even if they retired from all business ventures, their assets would still dwarf every other wealthy family in Kingsport. While others scrambled for resources, the Harringtons never broke a sweat. Everyone wanted to partner with them. They were the elite among elites. Far beyond the reach of a family like the Bennetts. That made Derek the ideal son-in-law for the Bennett family. A marriage between them would bring significant benefits to both sides.

Helena sighed and tried to smooth things over. “Derek, please don’t take this to heart. I know Vanessa made a mistake, but hasn’t everyone? This is her first serious error since she was a child. I’m sure she’ll learn from it.”

“Yes,” Penelope agreed quickly. “Vanessa is a good girl. She’s always been kind and virtuous. Maybe she just had a momentary lapse… I hope you can overlook it.”

Penelope had to side with Helena. Her daughter, Sophia, was confined to the estate. Her husband was useless. If Vanessa’s engagement to Derek fell through, their situation would become even more difficult. Derek wanted to forget the whole thing. But once the topic was raised, he couldn’t help recalling Vanessa’s sinister expression. It was nothing like the Vanessa he thought he knew. He took a sip of soup. “Don’t worry. I grew up with Vanessa. I’ve always seen her as a younger sister. Why would I look down on her?”

The atmosphere at the table shifted immediately. Even Walter frowned. “A sister? Derek, are you joking?” After what happened to Sienna, Derek had spent most of his time with Vanessa. He had proposed to her multiple times. And now he called her a ‘little sister’? Sienna leaned back in her chair, looking thoroughly amused. ‘This idiot is about to stir the pot again. Where’s my popcorn?’