Yessica feigned a horrified look as she stared at Celena, who was now soaked from head to toe in red wine. Despite the apology in her tone, her eyes were alight with glee. "Oh no! I'm so sorry, Celena. I lost my footing just now, and I didn't mean to pour this on you. Are you okay? I'm so sorry. I didn't do this on purpose! I feel so terrible, Celena."No matter how hard she tried, Yessica could not conceal the delight in her tone, and it was clear that she stumbled on purpose. Celena was frozen in shock as she stared down at her dress, soaked through with wine. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she took a deep breath and replied, choking, "I'm fine. Please excuse me."With that, she turned and sprinted out of the room.Liam felt his blood boil, and he wanted nothing more than to explode his rage all over Yessica at that moment, but his priority was making sure Celena was alright, so all he did was shoot Yessica a deadly glare before turning around and follow Celena out of the roo
The waiter soon arrived with their food, and soon the entire table was full of delicious, hot food. The arrival of the food seemed to dissipate the tension in the air, and everyone visibly relaxed. As soon as dinner was served, Kayden stood up, raising his glass, and declared, "This is a joyous occasion, and I'm so glad to have all of you gathered here today. Let's toast!"Everyone stood up, raising their glasses, except Jovie and Liam. Jovie was a child, so she was excused from the toast, but Liam's refusal to take part was unacceptable. He remained seated, his expression calm as though he did not hear Kayden at all, and he did not give his glass of wine so much as a glance.The color drained from the Naylors' faces, and Yessica was the most spiteful out of them all. She glared at Liam and snarled, "Liam, are you deaf? Didn't you hear my father say that we should toast? Why aren't you doing it?"Cheryl was just as outraged, and she immediately screeched, "Get up, Liam! How rude a
Kayden Naylor let out a disdainful snort, his face twisted with rage as he spat out, "Save your breath. Me, a lowly deputy chief of some small-town tax office, I'm invisible to the likes of them."Yessica Naylor, backed by Theodore Eaton, chimed in with a sneer, "Oh, Celena, what's your game? If you've got a problem with our family, just come out with it. No need for this fake niceness at the party, only to stir up drama. If it weren't for family ties, do you think we'd put up with Liam, that loser? Does he even deserve our time?""Celena, you've got it all wrong. We invite you over for a nice meal, and then Liam goes and shames us like this? Too far, don't you think? And let's not forget, my dad's your elder. Treating him like this, is that what your family taught you? Oh, my bad, I forgot—the Cole family fell apart seven years ago. Liam's got no one to show him right from wrong."Theodore's eyes were icy as he glared at Liam, his voice dripping with disdain as he grilled Celena, t
Liam grabbed a bottle of red from the table, filled his glass to the top, and slid it across the table with an icy stare fixed on Yessica.Yessica, sitting across from him, caught his frosty look and the generous pour. Her face twisted in rage, she snapped at Liam, "What's your problem? I told you it was an accident, and I've already said sorry to Celena. Why can't you let this go?""Oh? An accident, huh?" Liam chuckled darkly, stood up, and lifted his wine glass with a sardonic grin. "Then how about I 'accidentally' drench you in red wine? Don't worry, I'll apologize too. You wouldn't mind, would you?"Yessica panicked at the sight of Liam's threatening move, scrambling to hide behind Theodore. No way she was getting that wine on her. She was decked out in the latest, limited-edition designer gear from Louise Studio.That dress was her ticket to bragging rights at the next girls' night out. A red wine stain would ruin everything.Theodore wrapped his arms around his shaken wife
Theodore's warning was clear in his tone, and his eyes, once fixed on Liam, then turned to Sherah as he added, "My father-in-law might go easy on you because you're family, but don't expect the same from the rest of us Eatons."His words sent a chill down Sherah and Yafe's spines, their faces twisting with dread.Sherah was livid, her face warped with anger as she jabbed a finger at Liam and spat out, "You useless piece of trash! You good-for-nothing stray, what are you waiting for? Get over there and grovel for forgiveness from Mr. Naylor and Theodore. Or do you want to drag our family name through the mud again?"Yafe's expression was icy as he glared at Liam, barking, "Liam! When will you stop this nonsense?"However, Liam just stood there, calm as ever, with no sign of remorse.That's when Sherah and Yafe turned their fury on Celena, hurling insult after insult. She sat there, taking the verbal beating without a word, her eyes brimming with tears.The sight stabbed Liam's hea
"Yes, yes!""You're here? Great, I'll be right out to greet you!"After hanging up, Kayden was practically vibrating with excitement as he pocketed his phone.Yessica, noticing the change, asked, "Dad, who was that?"Barely able to contain himself, Kayden leaped to his feet and addressed Theodore and Yessica, "Theodore, Yessica, come on, quickly! Let's welcome Kolten, the top dog of Drunham City. He's a VIP, and we can't afford to keep him waiting."Theodore and Yessica exchanged looks of shock, quickly morphing into a mix of thrill and anxiety. "Dad, for real? The Kolten? The big shot from Drunham City?"Unable to mask his glee, Kayden nodded vigorously. "Absolutely. I've been in touch with him, hoping to introduce you. He's the big fish in Drunham City, and rubbing elbows with him could only help your business prospects there.""I tried to set up a meeting several times, but Mr. Reath's always swamped. Never imagined he'd show up himself tonight. Listen, when we meet him, you
"Mr. Cole, what a pleasant surprise to see you here."The whole room was in shock, Kayden and the others could only gape at the unfolding scene, their eyes wide with disbelief.What was going on there?Were they seeing things?Kolten was no ordinary man, he was the richest guy in Drunham City, a titan of industry known far and wide!People of power and prestige would bend over backward to get on Kolten's good side, and yet there he was, blatantly ignoring Kayden and instead making a beeline to greet Liam, the Stone family's so-called 'good-for-nothing' son-in-law!Kayden, still with his hand awkwardly suspended in the air, watched the scene unfold, his face betraying his shock.However, Liam? He was the picture of calm. Holding Jovie, he did not reach out to reciprocate Kolten's handshake but simply offered a subtle nod.The crowd was left speechless, sucking a collective breath of cold air.Kayden, in particular, turned pale as fear washed over him, his forehead beading with
Kolten was lying in the crowd, on the verge of spilling the beans about Liam's true identity, when Liam suddenly coughed."Mr. Reath, let's not get into our history. I'm just a small fry. If you and Mr. Naylor need to hash things out, we'll just get out of your hair," Liam cut in, his voice icy.Kolten caught on in a flash—Liam did not want his identity revealed to Kayden and the rest.Quick as a wink, Kolten nodded, his expression dark as he turned to Kayden and his family, who were grinning sheepishly. "Mr. Naylor, I came here to talk about a potential investment with your new company. However, now? I don't see the point."That one line sent Kayden's family reeling.They could never have guessed that Liam, the nobody they wrote off, was chummy with Kolten, a real mover and shaker. To think they were old buddies!Kayden's brow was slick with a sheen of clammy sweat. His years navigating the treacherous waters of politics honed his instincts, and he knew instantly that Kolten was