Chapter 434

Patriarch Valdemar's decision sent shockwaves through the banquet hall.

Matriarch Valdemar turned deathly pale, stumbling back two steps.

"Alexander Valdemar, have you lost your mind?"

Her shrill voice shattered the silence of the grand ballroom.

Vincent Valdemar rushed forward to steady her. "Mother, please calm down."

He turned to the patriarch with pleading eyes. "Father, Mother spent three months preparing your birthday gift by hand."

Guests exchanged uneasy glances, whispers rippling through the crowd.

The patriarch frowned at his wife's unsteady stance.

Vincent's gaze shifted to Alexander, accusation heavy in his tone. "Would you really discard family ties for an outsider?"

All eyes snapped to Sophia Laurent.

Sebastian Valdemar lingered at the back of the crowd, his expression torn between admiration and resentment.

This woman had single-handedly dismantled his carefully laid plans.

Sophia's lips curved into a faint smile as she prepared to speak.

Alexander stepped protectively in front of her, his voice icy. "What family ties? I've never met this grandmother you speak of."

The revelation made guests turn questioning looks toward Vincent.

Vincent's face darkened.

For years, the matriarch had schemed to match Alexander with Natalie Lockwood, only to be repeatedly rejected.

Yet now he readily accepted an arranged marriage proposed by the patriarch.

How could the proud matriarch swallow such humiliation?

"Marriage should be decided by elders," Vincent declared righteously. "How could you exclude your own grandmother?"

Murmurs of agreement spread through the room.

Alexander's eyes turned glacial. "So you're suggesting I abandon my pregnant wife?"

The statement landed like a boulder in still waters.

The guests finally understood.

Sophia wasn't just accomplished—she carried the Valdemar heir.

Even the patriarch had approved this union.

What exactly was the matriarch objecting to?