Chapter 43 The war between mother and son

At the banquet, numerous noble gentry attended, and the organizers usually invited prestigious individuals. The Collins family's status in Ingford was particularly impressive, especially since the news about Joslan Hughes competing in Oklens had just been released. As the public outcry surrounding Emma subsided, Mrs. Collins arrived at the charity party with Alina, once again sparking public interest. Emma's attempts to improve her image had failed, and public opinion grew even more critical. However, Caleb, who was accompanying Emma to the party, remained unaware of the situation.

Mrs. Collins was displeased upon learning that Caleb had brought Emma along. No one could have predicted that Vanessa and Caleb would have an argument. It all started when Emma spotted a set of jewels, and Caleb intended to buy them for her. After Caleb raised his bid, no one would have dared to counter under normal circumstances. However, Vanessa raised her hand.

"Madam," Alina said, feeling a headache coming on as she looked at Vanessa with a puzzled expression. The room was filled with tension as everyone observed Vanessa and Caleb bidding against each other.

All Alina wanted was to leave. The atmosphere was becoming too intense for her to bear. Caleb's expression was inscrutable.

"Caleb, forget it. I don't need it," Emma generously suggested at that moment. Since Vanessa had joined the bidding, Caleb, as her son, naturally couldn't continue.

There were no surprises as Vanessa secured the jewels. She graciously remarked, "Just take the items directly to Mulherd Manor for Alina." It was evident to everyone present that Caleb had originally intended to give such an expensive piece of jewelry to Emma, but now Vanessa was giving it to her former daughter-in-law. The scene resembled a dramatic TV show.

"Ma'am, that's not necessary," Alina protested.

"What's wrong with it? Since I've given it to you, you should take it," Vanessa insisted firmly, clearly annoyed. Alina didn't argue further.

Having lost the jewels, Caleb decided to bid on a less impressive painting and give it to Emma as a consolation prize. However, as he called for a bid, Alina intervened once again. Even from a distance, Alina could sense a dangerous, murderous intent in the man's eyes. She averted her gaze as if she hadn't noticed it.

Emma was already infuriated by her failure to obtain the jewels, and now Alina seemed to be attempting to steal the spotlight from her.

"Caleb, she..." Emma began, unable to bid against Mrs. Collins earlier due to her anger towards Caleb. And now, she found herself competing against Alina for the painting, which started at a mere 10,000 but quickly escalated to 500,000 due to their bidding war.

And the two found themselves engaged in a continued bidding war. The spectators were enthralled by the intense battle unfolding before them. Ultimately, it was Mrs. Collins who intervened and purchased the painting for Alina. To onlookers, it seemed as though Alina and Mrs. Collins had conspired together to cause trouble for Caleb. Mrs. Collins appeared to be taking everything that Caleb or Emma desired and giving it to Alina.

Alina, however, only wanted the painting, so she felt somewhat embarrassed by the situation. It was difficult to explain her true intentions. As they made their way out, Alina gracefully exited with Mrs. Collins on her arm. Caleb, who had been with Emma, nervously stood in front of them.

After seeing Caleb, Mrs. Collins, who had been so assertive earlier, patted the back of Alina's hand and remarked, "I'll have the item sent to Mulherd Manor." With that, she walked away, leaving Alina alone.

Alina didn't want to confront Caleb, so she pretended to leave. However, to her surprise, he grabbed her wrist forcefully. "Let go of me," she demanded.

"Are you happy?" Caleb understood that everything that happened today was a calculated move by Alina. She pretended as if divorcing him didn't matter, but in reality, she was seeking revenge.

Alina turned to face him, her eyes filled with danger. "Yes, I'm happy."

"You admit it?" Caleb questioned.

"I was happy to see her getting what she deserved from your mother." Although the recent scene had been embarrassing, looking back on it, Alina found a sense of satisfaction. If it had been anyone else, Caleb would have resorted to trickery and coercion, just as he had done with her and Andre.

"You must be very annoyed, right?" Alina laughed softly, observing that Caleb was too angry to speak.

Caleb remained silent.

"Tonight was a special night for her, wasn't it? And now, the beauty is even more aggravated," Alina taunted. Caleb tightened his grip on her wrist.

"You're hurting me," she remarked.

He released his hold on her.

Alina chuckled softly and as she turned around, she heard Caleb say, "If you don't want to divorce me, just say it. There's no need for all of this."

Not wanting a divorce, that's what Caleb suspected about Alina. Otherwise, why would she have come to this event tonight? Moreover, she had brought Mrs. Collins along. This woman's intentions ran deep. Mrs. Collins disliked her the most, yet she had managed to convince her to come together. Caleb couldn't fathom the means she had employed.

Alina glanced back at him. "You think you're God. I'm begging you to spare some time tomorrow to finalize the divorce, okay?"

Originally, she had planned to wait until after the Oklens competition to address the divorce, but watching Caleb's arrogance creeped her out.

"Alina," Caleb called out.

"I'll be waiting for you in the morning. What time do you finish and what time will you come? I'll be there, waiting for you." Alina's words held a sincerity that caught Caleb off guard.

She didn't understand why Caleb had the misconception that she didn't want a divorce.

As Alina confidently walked away, Caleb remained rooted to the spot, his expression unreadable.

Just as Alina reached her car, Emma emerged from the shadows, raising her hand to slap Alina. However, Alina swiftly evaded the attack and retaliated by kicking Emma's leg. Emma winced in pain.