Chapter 124: Chapter 124

Anna Thornton’s dress was loaned to her by Ethan after much effort, with the promise to return it post-party.

Now that the dress had champagne spilled on it by Jean Zane, staining it, Anna Thornton indeed planned to hold her accountable for compensation.

Isn’t it rightful to hold the debtors accountable?

These people, with their sarcastic remarks, were clearly blocking her escape route, as if, in their eyes, poverty was the original sin.

Now, it was up to Anna Thornton to choose between money or pride.

If she wanted to prove herself, she’d grit her teeth and take on the compensation herself, attempting to salvage some dignity.

Otherwise, there was no choice but to meekly endure ridicule; that was the oppressive rule of money supremacy in high society.

Unwilling to see the woman he admired being bullied, Finn Grant was about to offer to cover the cost himself when Anna Thornton discreetly stopped him under the table.

"Miss Zane!" she looked toward the main culprit who had bumped into her and spilled champagne on her dress. "If I remember correctly, you said you would compensate me for the economic loss if what I was wearing was genuine."

It seemed Anna Thornton chose money, completely disregarding her pride by asking so straightforwardly.

With the event being live-streamed, Anna Thornton’s fans, holding phones, tablets, or huddled in front of computers, wished they could cover their faces in embarrassment for their idol.

The trend of comparison among fan circles, where fans battle over the prestige of brand endorsements, seemed to have unknowingly arisen.

Anna Thornton’s words might be cropped out for multiple rounds of ridicule, mocking her for being petty.

Yet she appeared utterly shameless, and after speaking, she turned to Hathaway and said, "I heard that a dress designed by Nick Walters cannot be washed; it’s considered ruined with even a drop of water, right?"

"Yes, my mentor is an extreme perfectionist. He believes that any clothing that isn’t perfect to the extreme should be discarded."

"Then I’ll have to trouble Miss Hathaway with one more thing, to help appraise a value so Miss Zane who promised compensation can have an idea."

Anna Thornton had been dubbed the new-generation queen of hype by some media with ill intentions; losing face was something she managed without any psychological burden.

No matter how others viewed her, whether claiming she couldn’t afford such an expensive dress or laughing at her failed pretense today, she continued eating and drinking without a care.

As for Jean Zane, having achieved her purpose of provoking, she proudly lifted her chin, feeling as if she had won a great battle. She didn’t mind paying compensation; her family didn’t lack money anyway.

Jean Zane had already ostentatiously asked someone to fetch a check from her purse, ready to write the amount and dramatically toss it at Anna Thornton as a complete insult.

However, when Hathaway appraised the value and saw the number passed to her, she was momentarily stunned.

Jean Zane double-checked the zeros on the number and uncertainly said, "Could this be wrong? Ten... Ten million? How is that possible? Even Marilyn’s dress wasn’t that expensive!"

Upon hearing this, Hathaway smiled, "This dress was my mentor’s most satisfied work in the Spring River Flower Moon series and his final piece. Its price is even higher than the one Miss Ford is wearing. If you don’t trust my judgment, you can ask someone else to appraise it. Indeed, this dress is priceless; borrowing it was already incredible."

Clearly, Hathaway didn’t want to mingle with scheming people and, realizing her previous offhand comment was used to mock Anna Thornton, she apologized by standing up for her.

A ten-million-dollar dress was a price even these wealthy heiresses present would likely find hard to justify. If they had the opportunity to borrow such a high-value dress for a party, would they refuse it?

Jean Zane was so shocked by the number that her face turned pale, and her hand, holding the pen, hesitated to fill in the check.

Ten million might be a fortune for the poor; for the wealthy, it was only a drop in the bucket, but it wasn’t just loose change they could casually throw around.

For charity events that gathered wealthy celebrities to demonstrate concern for the poor, donations typically amounted to twenty or thirty thousand, usually not exceeding a million, which was the limit for maintaining an image.

Jean Zane, for a moment of pleasure, might painfully bear tens of thousands, but now it was ten million!

If she gave it, her parents might break her legs when she returned home.

Yet, having spoken, what should be done now?

"Miss Zane, I see your hand holding the pen and check is shaking. Is it because you don’t know how to write ten million? Do you need my help?"

Anna Thornton, after taking another bite of her waffle, graciously offered her assistance to Jean Zane.

Finn Grant now understood why Anna Thornton had stopped him earlier. Despite his wealth, he appreciated clever women who didn’t need their men to act foolishly, proving she was more than just a pretty face. Bringing her home to manage the Grant Family could prove competent.

"If such simple words can’t be written, her Yale degree was money wasted. I think she’s trying to renege. No problem, if she can’t pay, I can ask her father since I have some business connections with the Zane Family."

Once Finn Grant offered to back Anna Thornton, even suggesting he’d approach her parents, Jean Zane’s legs turned to jelly.

"Young Master Grant, I truly didn’t mean it, please give me a chance."

"Was it my dress you ruined? Should you be addressing me?" Finn Grant retorted.

At this, Jean Zane bit her lip and turned to Anna Thornton, "Miss Thornton, I truly apologize!" Get full chapters from Nov3lFɪre.ɴet

"It’s too late for apologies now, isn’t it? Didn’t Miss Hathaway say it already? This dress is not for sale, and compensation should be double the amount due to damage!"

Their synchronized performance, acting like a pair of roadblock crooks, caused President Sterling, who was walking over, to furrow his brow into a ’川’ character.

"Marilyn, come and judge for me," Jean Zane said, spotting Marilyn Ford approaching and instantly reached out to her like grabbing a lifeline, "Anna Thornton’s dress is priced at ten million, isn’t that too much?"

At this, Anna Thornton and Finn Grant shook their heads and chuckled coldly.

It seemed reasonable that this heiress from the Zane Family, close to tears from their bullying, was justified in her plight due to her stupidity and lack of emotional intelligence.

Being a close friend to Marilyn Ford, how could she not realize the latter valued her reputation the most? Mentioning once before that Anna Thornton’s dress was more expensive than Marilyn Ford’s was already offense enough, and now, she was stressing it again in front of her, wasn’t this embarrassing for Marilyn?

Even the usually composed Eldest Miss Ford’s expression slightly darkened at that moment.