"Yes, tomorrow... it will indeed be a 'grand' gift."
John sat on the side, his deep eyes revealing a touch of coldness.
...
Next day.
Inside the Patel mansion.
Today marks Wallace Wentworth, Christopher Patel's father-in-law's eightieth birthday.
Wallace, a patriarch who once dominated the business world, transformed the Patel family from a mediocre elite into the top echelon of Cloud City's high society. He was truly an extraordinary figure.
Despite having numerous assets, Wallace only had one daughter, Lora. Lora had no interest in inheriting the family business. Despite Wallace's objections, she insisted on marrying Christopher, who had nothing at the time.
Reluctantly, Wallace allowed Christopher to marry into the family.
However, Wallace never had a good impression of Christopher. It wasn't until ten years ago, as his health declined and he observed Christopher's dedicated care for Lora, that Wallace, persu
John, with a 'little girl' at his side, walked towards the Patel residence, ignoring the complex gazes from the crowd. As they entered, it was as if a stone had been dropped into a pond, causing ripples of speculation. "Isn't that John Matthews? What's he doing here?" "It's strange. Who spread the rumor about a fallout between the Matthews and Patel families? Everything seemed fine..." "Things are not always as they seem. Did you notice Christopher Patel's expression? Something's off." "Knowing Matthews's style, if there were a real feud, he wouldn't be here. Those rumors about the Matthews Group targeting the Patel family can't be trusted. I think there might be a misunderstanding." ... "Mr. Patel, congratulations." John gestured, and Ethan handed over a gift box. Christopher stood there, momentarily puzzled by John's intentions. Unable to send him away immediately, he decided to observe. With a fake sm
Watson was his favorite artist. Unfortunately, Watson had retired, and Wallace had been turned down multiple times when seeking a painting. It was a small regret for him. Unexpectedly, Christopher had managed to compensate for that regret. "Did you put a lot of effort into convincing him?" Wallace looked at Christopher, unable to resist asking. Christopher showed a faint smile, "Not really. Since you've always liked Mr. Watson's works, I arranged for this painting just for you." "I really like this painting." Wallace was somewhat amazed, "How did you manage to persuade Mr. Watson to paint?" "Mr. Watson saw my sincere attitude and was moved by it, so he agreed." Christopher said slowly. Next to him, Lora tugged at Wallace's sleeve, "Dad, Christopher has been pleading with Mr. Watson since six months ago for this painting. He made countless trips, and finally, Mr. Watson agreed..." Christopher inte
Lora's words snapped him back to reality. He turned sharply, seeing the photo in Lora's hand, lips moving but no words coming out. In the photo, it was a bed shot. Him and Serena. He looked younger, entangled with the woman in his arms, utterly disgraceful. But this disgrace was not limited to just one photo. Numerous pictures depicted him in his younger years, in the past couple of years, entwined with her, even with other women. Each one was unbearable to witness, like slaps in the face, dragging him through the mud. The guests in the hall had long been ignited by this sudden turn of events, creating a stir of excitement. “What's going on? How could such a scandal happen at Mr. Wentworth's birthday celebration?” “Is this woman Christopher's mistress?! Wasn't she trying to become the mistress of the Thompson family before? It's too chaotic...” "Tsk tsk, Christopher has maintained an image of a f
Christopher grabbed her by the throat and violently flung her aside. Serena was thrown off course, causing the knife that was originally headed for his chest to veer off, slashing across his arm. Instantly, a deep crimson stream of blood emerged. Serena, in a frenzy, lunged at him again. "Beast! Die! You must die! I'll avenge Maddie!" However, security guards intervened, forcefully restraining her. They confiscated the knife from Serena and pinned her to the ground, swiftly dragging her away. Serena's curses continued until she vanished, her anguished cries echoing in the hall. After Serena's voice faded, an eerie silence settled over the banquet scene. All eyes shifted between Wallace and Christopher, awaiting their reactions. After a pause, Christopher spoke slowly, gesturing with a bow. "I apologize for the disturbance. The banquet ends here. Please, everyone, go home." As he uttered these words, his expression stiffened, unable to muster e
Christopher, covered in blood, rushed over, lifting Wallace up. "Are you okay?!" Wallace opened his cloudy eyes, lips trembling as if wanting to say something, but he only convulsed twice before fainting. "Quick, call the family doctor!" Christopher urgently shouted, turning to look at the unconscious Wallace. A glint of darkness flickered in his eyes. ... John and Diana strolled out of the Patel's mansion. As they were about to get into the car, they heard hurried footsteps behind them, followed by a faint call. "Ms. Thompson!" Diana turned around, spotting an elegant and handsome man approaching. It was Albert, the one John had mentioned earlier. Diana was puzzled. Her first instinct wasn't to greet Albert; instead, she subconsciously looked at John beside her. Meeting John's thoughtful gaze, she put on an innocent look and whispered, "I swear, I absolutely don't know this guy!" "Why is
Then, two people walked hand in hand towards the hall. The man looked about fifty, dressed in a black suit. The woman by his side was young and beautiful, draped in a light blue coat. She smiled gracefully, poised and gentle. Diana wondered who they were, and she saw James warmly welcoming them. "Perez, you finally came." The man showed a polite smile. "You've invited me several times; if I didn't come, it would be impolite of me." James turned and looked at the girl beside him, a satisfied look in his eyes. "Is this your daughter, Rowena? Truly born beautiful!" "Mr. Thompson, hello." Rowena spoke obediently, causing James to be unable to close his mouth. Watching this scene at the door, Diana was full of curiosity, and she subconsciously looked at Colin beside her. Only to meet his equally puzzled gaze. Diana licked her lips. "Who is this?" Colin: "Looks like dad wants to introduce a gir
James immediately intervened, "How could I let you take a cab, Rowena? I'll have Andrew drive you back." With a reassuring pat on Perez's shoulder, he added, "Perez, you go ahead." Seeing Perez nod, Andrew wasted no time in putting on his coat as soon as Perez stepped out. With car keys in hand, he sported an official smile on his handsome face. "Rowena, I'll drive you home." Rowena hesitated briefly, about to speak when James interrupted, "It's still early, Rowena. If you have nothing pressing, why not stay here for a while?" "Okay," Rowena agreed, following his lead. Observing the awkward tension, Diana couldn't decide whom to sympathize with. If it weren't for her brother being at the center of the storm, she wouldn't have minded some popcorn to enjoy the spectacle. Seeing Andrew's reluctance to engage, Rowena broke the silence, "Andrew, may I address you that way?" Andrew furrowed his brow, remained silent, and then
Watching Andrew wince in pain, Tony felt an odd sense of satisfaction. Andrew straightened, leaning against the table behind him, his handsome face displaying a nonchalant expression. "Discovering is better. Sooner or later, I'll have to tell him. Sooner is better," Andrew remarked. "No," Tony objected. Sitting in the chair, he added, "It's too sudden. Your dad won't be able to handle it." "Tony, are you afraid?" Andrew suddenly asked. Without a word, Tony placed his hands on his knees, avoiding eye contact. Indeed, he was afraid. After finally achieving some peace with Andrew, exposing their relationship to James could spark a storm. Thinking about it, Tony hoped to keep it hidden as long as possible. Tony looked up, meeting Andrew's gaze. "Let's not talk about that. What did you say to Rowena earlier?" "Just pretended to be a bit of a scoundrel, and she got scared off," Andrew said, taking a cigarette