The Perfect Wife's Perfect Revenge novel Chapter 581

Even Celia, who’d been unimpressed at first, couldn’t help but widen her eyes—the fabrics and dresses were just too exquisite. She found herself unable to look away.

“So shallow,” she muttered under her breath. “A few nice things, and everyone’s completely won over.”

Hawthorne gave a nod for the staff to open the remaining boxes, but Chris had already lost interest. He was worried that Hawthorne would pull out something even more dazzling to make the women—and his great-grandfather—lose their heads and start siding with him.

“These are my personal treasures, along with silks from the south—each with a heritage stretching back centuries,” Hawthorne explained. “I doubt anything less would pass muster with you, Mrs. Langford, or with you, Grandfather. Do these meet your standards?”

He knew that if he wanted to impress Victoria and Thorpe, he’d have to put in real effort. He was confident these gifts would do the trick.

“Oh, yes—of course they do!” Thorpe grinned so widely that the wrinkles on his face had all but disappeared; a fly could’ve gotten stuck between the folds.

Victoria cleared her throat, still a bit stunned by the tailored gowns. She’d never actually worn anything like that in her life. When her figure had been at its best, she’d spent most days at home; for formal occasions, she wore evening dresses, and during her one year of work, it was all business attire. Then she’d gotten pregnant, which meant maternity clothes, and after becoming a mother, it was always practical and proper—suits or casual wear. Skirts were rare; heels, even rarer. And now, these elegant, form-fitting gowns? Unthinkable.

Of the boxes of fitted dresses sent for Gwyneth, one was clearly full of more mature styles in darker colors—meant for someone Victoria’s age. Hawthorne had obviously picked out a whole box just to please her.

Celia rolled her eyes. Of course he’d know how to win over Mom and Great-Grandpa. That’s probably how he tricked their eldest sister into leaving too. Not that any of this impressed her—at least, that’s what she told herself. But her gaze kept drifting back to those dresses. God, they were stunning. Starfall City had boutiques too, but they couldn’t hold a candle to these.