Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 877: A Gof Wits River Swanson's eyes burned with rage, her knuckles pale white as her chest heaved with indignation. Natalie was truly shameless! How dare she speak such audacious words? Ruud could only belong to her-no one else had the right to even think of him! Her expression turned icy, her face dark with anger. "Since you're so eager to compete with me, I won't refuse. Let's settle this in the banquet hall, in front of all the guests. Do you dare?" Without putting Natalie in her place, River knew she wouldn't be able to swallow her fury. Embarrassing her in front of the crowd would be the perfect revenge. Let's see if the Pace family would still want her after this! No one could stop River from marrying Ruud. Natalie, you're just the perfect stepping stone for me! Natalie lifted her gaze lazily, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "Miss Swanson, if you don't want to seein Boris's arms, just say so. No need for all these theatrics." River's face darkened. How could Natalie have guessed her thoughts so easily? Ever since she'd walked in and seen Natalie and Boris with their arms around each other, her jealousy had been like a wildfire. She wanted to slap that wretched woman, but there was nothing she could do.

Natalie stood and rose gracefully. Ruud's arms suddenly felt empty, the warmth of her presence dissipating, and his frustration grew. Neither of these women would ever set foot into the Pace family's doors again! "Let's go to the hall," Natalie said casually, her tone calm yet commanding as she took the lead.

Ruud placed a protective hand on her waist as they passed by River Swanson and Luna Black, leaving behind an invisible storm in their wake.

River's face was ashen, her expression cold and stormy, far removed from her usual delicate demeanor.

As they reached the entrance to the hall, Natalie suddenly stopped and turned, her face adorned with a faint smile. "Miss Swanson, stop sulking. When you ctoearlier, you carried yourself like a proper lady. What happened? We're about to go in, and your beloved is watching. Shouldn't you fix your expression?" "That's one thing you lack compared to Miss Black here. She's managed to maintain her poise all along. I can't help but admire that." River forced an awkward smile, one that looked even worse than crying. "I got startled by a grasshopper on the way here," she muttered.

Luna Black, her face dark with irritation, snapped, "Stop trying to stir up trouble!" Natalie ignored them, walking into the hall with a serene and composed air.

Ruud followed closely, fussing over her gown like an attentive attendant. She moved like a queen, exuding grace and authority.

The moment Natalie and Ruud entered the banquet hall, the crowd erupted into a frenzy. Guests jostled to raise their glasses to Ruud, eager for his attention. But Ruud rejected them all, staying by Natalie's side protectively.

Far away, Boris stood frozen in place, trembling with anger. He bit down so hard on his glass that it nearly shattered in his teeth. Meanwhile, River and Luna were caught in the chaos, struggling to maintain their composure as the crowd pushed them around.

River's eyes scanned the room, searching for Natalie with a desperation that surpassed even her attention to Ruud.

She couldn't let Natalie escape. She had to ensure Natalie was utterly humiliated in front of everyone! Natalie strode toward the main stage, her sharp eyes catching River's. River, unwilling to back down, followed her up.

The chatter in the banquet hall slowly died down as the guests instinctively quieted, sensing the tension. River grabbed the microphone from the stand, her voice soft and refined as she addressed the crowd. "Good evening, everyone. I'm River Swanson. Tonight, at this welcbanquet, I thought we could add sexcitement by hosting a little competition with Miss Reed." Her gaze fell on Natalie. "She's here with her mother, and I'd like to challenge her in the arts-music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Let's see who comes out on top." As she finished her announcement, Luna Black, dressed in a striking purple gown, interjected with a sparkle of excitement in her eyes. "Since it's a competition, there should be a clear winner and loser. Why not livestream the event? Let the online audience vote in real-tto decide who wins!" River's lips curved into a subtle smile. She understood Luna's intentions perfectly. If the audience in the hall were to judge, they might show Natalie sleniency out of respect for the Pace family. That wouldn't do.

No, Natalie had to lose face in front of the entire country. Let her disgrace be broadcast to everyone watching online! Let's see if she'd have the nerve to marry Ruud after this! Feigning concern, River looked at Natalie and said, "Miss Whittaker, what do you think? If this feels inconvenient, we can drop it. After all, it's just a welcbanquet. The guests are here to enjoy themselves." Natalie remained calm, her expression as serene as still water. She glanced at River indifferently. "You talk too much." The sharpness of her words was cutting.

River clenched her teeth in frustration, but she nodded toward Luna.

Luna quickly pulled out her phone, opened her account, and typed up a quick title for the livestream. Within moments, the stream went live.

In less than a minute, over a million viewers flooded in.

The buzz of the Ashbury elite was enough to draw a massive audience-especially when it involved a showdown between two wealthy women. Comments flooded the livestream: - "Wow, I just woke up to this! How exciting!" - "Is this the River Swanson from the famous Swanson real estate family?" - "Yes! I'm here to see what a true socialite looks like!" - "A competition in the arts? This should be interesting. I thought only old men knew these skills these days." - "Who's Natalie? Never heard of her. Anyone know?" - "Yeah, who is she? Doesn't ring any bells in Ashbury society." - "The voting aspect makes this so thrilling!" The first round was a music competition.

Ruud had a servant bring out a piano, the most expensive in the world-worth five five million dollars. Made entirely of crystal, it sparkled under the lights, radiating brilliance that captivated everyone in the hall, including River and Luna. Even Tina, seated in the audience eating a strawberry cake, glanced at it with mild interest.

Jared took her hand, his eyes brimming with affection. "Do you like it? If you want, I'll have someone find you an even better one." He still remembered how dazzling Tina looked when she played the piano-more radiant than this crystal piano could ever be.

Tina swallowed a bite of cake and replied indifferently, "I don't like it. It's pretty, but my mom wouldn't use it." At that moment, Jared noticed Natalie whispering something to Ruud.

Ruud seemed momentarily stunned but quickly gestured for the piano to be taken away.

Jared chuckled, his lips curling into a smile. "Like mother, like daughter."

River, however, panicked when she saw the piano being removed. "Ruud, isn't the first round about music? Why are they taking the piano away? I want to play it!" Ruud's expression darkened. "I don't care what you want. That piano was brought here for my wife. If you want to play, I'll have another one brought in for you." Tears welled up in River's eyes. "You can't even spare one piano for me?" Natalie arched a brow, her smile faint. "It's just a piano, Ruud. Let her have it." Ruud pressed his lips together. "Whatever my wife says goes." Natalie added, "I want to play the harp. Prepare one for me."

Leo, standing nearby, offered with a soft smile, "I have a har e a harp, Natalie. It's not as extravagant as that piano, but En.

I hope you won't mind."