Besides that, most of the men who had their eye on Celena had already secretly come to Sherah with various gifts and offerings, in hopes that Sherah could help nudge them in the right direction. This was also the reason why she had to continue pretending as though she cared about Celena's happiness. Celena was rather annoyed by this, but she knew better than to let her anger show, so instead she asked, "Mom, why are you calling me? Tell me now, or I'll hang up."To which Sherah scoffed and replied, "Why else would I be calling you? I wanted to invite both you and Liam to the River Lodge for dinner, of course. Your father and I are already here. Your Uncle Kyros and his family are visiting, so we're all meeting for dinner tonight. Cheryl won't be able to make it, unfortunately, so I hope you and Liam can come."Celena's face fell. "Uncle Kyros and Aunt Melaine are in town?" she asked, her heart sinking. Sherah was beginning to lose her patience at this point, so she snapped, "Yes,
Celena knew there was no backing out now. She merely sighed and disappeared into the bedroom to get dressed, while Liam headed off to wake Jovie. The River Lodge was not too far away from Stone Mansion, so the three of them took Liam's scooter together. The River Lodge was a magnificent hotel that specializes in local Drunham City cuisine, and because of this, the entire architecture of the hotel was also heavily influenced by Drunham City culture. Naturally, this was not any ordinary hotel at all, but an upper-middle class eatery that could easily cost upward of thousands of dollars for a meal!This was an expensive place to dine for the average citizen, but to the rich and famous, the River Lodge was still considered too humble and lowly. Therefore, most of the customers who dined here were of the upper-middle class. Celena and Jovie waited at the entrance while Liam parked the scooter. When he returned, he picked Jovie up in his arms, and the three of them were about to walk
Xareny's eyes were as wide as saucers. The next moment, her heavily made-up eyes narrowed into snakelike slits as she pointed at the child and screeched, "Who do you think you are, you little twat? How dare you speak to me this way? Didn't your mother and father ever teach you manners? I'll give you a good spanking, and that'll teach you to behave!"Jovie, however, was not at all intimidated by the deranged woman before her. With one arm slung around her father's neck, she stuck her tongue out at Xareny and said innocently, "Don't be rude. I'm not a little twat. My name is Jovie Cole, and this is my Dad, Liam Cole, and my Mom, Celena Stone."She then tossed Xareny a withering look and added, "I have a name, madam, so please call me that. I'm not a little twat—you are!"Liam had been silent all this while, and although his expression was unfazed, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes.Celena, on the other hand, was horrified by this. She tugged on Jovie's arm and said, "Jovie, you
Celena could not help but shoot a stern look at the chattering father-daughter duo, especially Liam. She rolled her eyes dramatically at him and chided, "Really, Liam, you're supposed to be the dad here. How could you set such an example for Jovie? Kids need to learn manners, and you're leading her astray!"However, no sooner had she scolded them than a giggle escaped her, muffled behind her hand. Liam joined in with a chuckle, and they shared a moment of silent understanding.Not too far off, Xareny caught the sound of their family laughter. She glanced back, saw the joy on Celena and Liam's faces, and frustration bubbled up inside her. She clenched her teeth and stomped her foot in a fit of rage."That damn witch! She'll get what's coming to her!"With that, Xareny spun on her heel, determined not to give them another glance. She was afraid she might lose her composure and do something unbecoming of her status. She reminded herself over and over that she was the esteemed daughter
As the dinner party's host, Kyros watched everyone find their places before lifting his wine glass with a grin. "Yafe, it's been too long. Let's toast to old times."Yafe's laughter boomed. "Indeed, it's been ages. Come on, let's have a drink together!" He clinked glasses with Kyros and took a hearty swig.Then, turning to the young man at Kyros's side, Yafe inquired with a chuckle, "And who might this be, Kyros?"Caught off guard, Kyros looked at the young man, pride shining in his eyes. "Oh, where are my manners? I haven't made introductions. Everyone, this is my future son-in-law, Kaiden, a sharp mind in the finance and securities world."Kaiden Tacker, with impeccable politeness, raised his glass to Yafe, his smile warm. "Mr. Stone, a pleasure to meet you."Kaiden's charm was undeniable. Dressed to the nines in a designer suit, sporting a luxury watch, he carried himself with an effortless grace that caught Yafe's admiring eye.Yafe did not hold back on the compliments. "Kaid
With that, Xareny turned to Celena, her tone shifting to one of concern tinged with pride. "Celena, as your cousin, I shouldn't really say this, but I can't stand by and watch you settle. Finding the right man is like getting a second chance at life. You've got to be picky. Take me, for example. I snagged a catch like Kaiden, and now I'm set for life. And just look at this rock on my finger—ten carats of pure sparkle."In the midst of the conversation, Xareny casually waved her left hand, showing off the massive diamond that glittered like a pigeon's egg, catching the light and dazzling the onlookers. Celena's eyes lingered on the ring, not because she coveted it, but because it was undeniably stunning—a sentiment any woman could understand when faced with the sparkle of a diamond.Xareny, basking in the attention, noticed Celena's gaze and could not hide her smugness, a sneer briefly crossing her features. "See, Celena? You can tell how much a man cares by this—a diamond ring symbol
Kyros and Melaine did not seem to care either. Given the Stone family's not-so-stellar reputation in Drunham City, a wedding thrown by them was not likely to draw any big names. Why bother with a dull affair? Besides, everyone knew Celena and Liam were not exactly the Stone family's darlings, which made the idea of their wedding even less appealing.Sherah's eyes rolled with a touch of scorn before she broke into a warm smile, addressing the crowd. "Oh, and just a heads up, the 28th of this month marks the big day for our Cheryl. She's tying the knot, and you'd better not miss it!""Sherah, your Cheryl's getting hitched? On the 28th, too? Who's the lucky guy?" Melaine's voice bubbled with curiosity.A genuine smile crept onto Sherah's face at the mention of Cheryl. "Yep, Cheryl's beau is none other than Wasyl Abbott, the heir to the Abbott corporate empire in Drunham City. They're set to wed on the 28th."The Abbott family's reputation preceded them. Melaine's smile froze for a mom
"Listen, the stock market isn't a game, it's all about the analysis. You seem to be all about the flash, just posing and posturing without a clue. Mr. Stone, don't fall for his act. I've seen the stocks you've picked up, and trust me, with my years in the game, they're going nowhere fast. You'd better dump them quickly and cut your losses—that's what really counts!" he lectured.Kyros chimed in, backing up his son-in-law with a grave tone, "Yafe, my boy's been in the trenches of this business long enough to know the score. If he says those stocks are duds, you can take that to the bank. Better to sell now than bleed more cash."After his piece, Kyros shot Liam a frosty smirk, his eyes dripping with scorn. "Kid, let me give you some elder's wisdom: put in the work, don't just mooch off others. And if you're out of your depth, keep your mouth shut. You don't want to make a fool of yourself, especially with the Stone name on the line."Sherah and Yafe's expressions soured instantly, th