Chapter 567: Chapter 567: Mr. Crawford Is Not a Name You Can Use
Serena stood with her graceful and delicate back straight, her clear and bright eyes calmly falling on Melody’s pretty little face, watching her walk over with her arm linked through Hayden Crawford’s.
"Sister Serena," Melody called out affectionately to Serena as if Serena were her actual sister, "Sister Serena, Brother Axel, let me introduce someone to you, this is the head of the first financial conglomerate, Hayden Crawford."
Hayden Crawford stopped in front of Axel Ashworth and Serena, his deep and narrow eyes glanced casually at Serena before settling on Axel’s handsome face. He extended his hand, "The King of Nine Peaks, pleased to meet you."
"Mr. Crawford, hello." Axel also reached out his big hand.
The two men shook hands, a gesture meant to be brief, but Axel soon noticed something was off. Hayden’s distinctive fingers slowly tightened, gripping him, as if challenging him discreetly.
Axel paused momentarily; he had never interacted with Hayden before, so Hayden’s sudden jealousy and hostility bewildered him.
However, Axel quickly narrowed his dark eyes; he had already keenly detected the subtle aura between Hayden and Serena. It seemed... these two had a history.
Axel returned the grip, sparking a quiet duel between the two men.
"Mr. Crawford~" At this moment, Melody called out to Hayden sweetly.
Hayden released his grip, ending the silent contest with Axel.
"Mr. Crawford, my brother Axel and sister Serena are really a perfect match, aren’t they? I even heard that sister Serena wants to move the wedding date forward, so she can marry my brother Axel soon." Melody said with a smile.
Hearing this, Hayden’s handsome brows furrowed deeply, his eyes, as cold as a frigid abyss, fixed directly onto Serena’s exquisite little face. Was she really that eager to marry Axel?
Hayden had always believed that in the past three years, Serena had been with Seth Sullivan since they even had a child, yet now she was to become the Princess of Nine Peaks.
Hayden’s thin lips curled into a faint and mocking smile as he looked at Serena, "The Princess of Alani looks very familiar to me, she reminds me of someone I knew."
Serena didn’t speak, waiting for Hayden’s follow-up; she intuitively knew he wouldn’t say anything pleasant.
Mr. Crawford~
Melody’s constant calling of Hayden as "Mr. Crawford" caused Serena to feel a little dazed because that title contained so much of their past affection.
But now, it wasn’t Serena addressing him as "Mr. Crawford"; it had become Melody.
"Oh, I wonder who Mr. Crawford is referring to?" Axel asked with interest.
Hayden shook his head, "I must have mistaken someone. How could the Princess of Alani possibly be someone I used to know? That woman used her beauty to charm many men, and the key point is that woman even had a child. I think the Princess of Alani is definitely not that person."
Speaking of which, Hayden glanced at Axel, saying with half a smile, "I think the King of Nine Peaks must have thoroughly investigated the background of his bride before marrying her. How could the King marry a woman who had been with another man and had a child with him? That would be picking up someone else’s leftovers."
As these words landed, Axel’s brows twitched slightly, but he said nothing. Serena’s slender, pale fingers hanging at her side curled up, stung by Hayden’s words.
Serena didn’t expect Hayden to speak so sharply now; after the two had separated, shouldn’t a man of his high education and etiquette refrain from mentioning a former lover? Yet here he was complaining in front of Axel, making remarks tinged with jealousy.
Serena and Axel remained silent, while Melody exclaimed, quickly covering her mouth and widening her eyes, "Oh my, how can there be such shameless women in this world?"
With that, Melody looked innocently and playfully at Serena, "Sister Serena, you surely aren’t the woman Mr. Crawford is talking about, right?"
Serena slowly curled her red lips as she looked directly at Melody, "Just now, Mr. Crawford’s words also made me think of a person. I suddenly feel that Princess Melody is quite like that person."
Melody stiffened.
"Every expression and move of Princess Melody seem to be carved out from that person’s mold, even this ’Mr. Crawford’ is mimicking that person. I hope this is all my misunderstanding; how could Princess Melody live as someone else’s shadow? Keeping a mask on for too long, one might end up forgetting who they really are."
As Serena finished these words, Melody’s pretty little face turned pale; it was the first time she truly witnessed Serena’s sharp tongue.
Indeed, for the past three years to win Hayden’s favor, to make him glance her way more often, Melody had always been imitating Serena.
Now Melody was like Serena used to be in Bayside, the appearance Hayden loved most.
The atmosphere among the four was extremely tense, carrying the oppressive scent of gunpowder.
At this moment, melodious piano music began in the party hall, marking the time for dancing.
Axel quickly glanced at Serena, bowing gentlemanly, "Princess Serena, may I have the honor of a dance?"
"Of course you may." Serena placed her small hand into Axel’s palm.
The two of them glided into the dance floor.
Today’s palace party was prepared for Serena and Axel. Now they danced the first dance on the dance floor. Under sparkling lights, Serena spun gracefully with Axel, the hem of her white gauze skirt swirling in waves, creating stunning arcs with each step.
Watching Axel and Serena dance, Hayden pressed his thin lips into a chilling line.
If looks could kill, Axel and Serena would have died hundreds of times already.
"Mr. Crawford, does sister Serena not like me? I’m so saddened because sister Serena is older than me, and I genuinely think of her as a sister." Melody said with a face full of grievance.
She stepped hard on Serena in front of Hayden, after all, Serena was a few years older than her, and men often preferred younger women.
Hayden didn’t look at Melody, he said blandly, "No worries, she’s more beautiful than you."
"..." Melody stiffened, staring at Hayden in shock.
At this moment, Hayden turned to leave, but before he did, he glanced at Melody, "Use a different title in the future, a shadow always remains a shadow. Now that the true one has returned, compared to her, you’re nothing but a counterfeit, and ’Mr. Crawford’ isn’t something you can call."