"What's the matter?" James noticed Rowan's distant expression and followed her gaze, but he couldn't discern anything unusual.Rowan snapped back to reality upon hearing his voice and mumbled with a hint of confusion, "I thought I saw someone just now.""Who?" James was secretly worried that she might mention a name like "David." Recognizing someone in a bustling crowd at a glance might suggest an enduring place in her heart. Fortunately, she didn't.Instead, a name he'd never heard before slipped from her lips, furrowing his brow. He probed further, "Who are you talking about?"Rowan, now more aware, apologized and explained, "I forgot I never told you his name before. It's Victor—the guy who stole my necklace that day, the one who made me go to the police station with him!"James began to recall the incident. Rowan had gone for a prenatal check-up alone, and she hadn't returned home too late, but she was visibly shaken.He squinted and scanned the direction Rowan had been looking ea
James smiled politely as he stood with Uncle Matteo."That's good, that's good," James replied, trying to maintain a pleasant demeanor.Uncle Matteo, with a warm smile on his face, turned his attention to Rowan, who was standing beside James.He inquired, "Who is this?"James introduced, "This is my female companion, Rowan."Then he turned to Rowan and said, "Rowan, this is my Uncle Matteo, a close friend of my dad's. Please say hello."Rowan obediently greeted him, "Hello, Uncle Matteo.""Okay, okay," Uncle Matteo responded with a polite smile. However, he didn't engage in much conversation with Rowan.Turning back to James, Uncle Matteo changed the topic, "Why are you still getting ready to go out? Are you planning to make a brief appearance and leave without even saying hello to me?!"Upon hearing this, Rowan finally realized that Uncle Matteo was the host of the banquet. She and James had contemplated slipping away, but they were intercepted before they could even reach the eleva
Whose birthday partyNaomi's captivating, oversized eyes seemed to brim with simmering frustration year-round as she approached her father with a visible scowl on her face.With a furrowed brow, she confronted him, asking, "Why are you trying to push my friend away?"Before Uncle Matteo could formulate a response, Kate, standing beside him, couldn't contain her impatience and reached out to grasp Naomi's arm.She spoke with genuine concern in her voice. "Naomi, please don't be so angry. You shouldn't talk to your father that way. He's acting in your best interest and for the well-being of our family."Naomi appeared to harbor strong aversion towards Miss Kate. She promptly rolled her eyes and brushed Kate's hand away dismissively."Stop pretending! What's so good for me about this? I can't even have my friends over for my birthday, let alone celebrate it the way I want to. Explain to me, what's good about that?"Miss Kate's face exhibited a touch of sadness, and she responded with a h
"Are you two intentionally trying to provoke me?" He couldn't resist asking the two children.Victor remained silent and gestured to Naomi, stopping her from responding.His gaze initially landed on Miss Kate, who stood just slightly behind Uncle Matteo. He quickly averted his eyes, as if he believed they would become tainted if he looked at her for too long. Then he scanned the surroundings, and his face displayed a mix of surprise and delight when he saw Rowan. His eyes lit up as he asked her, seemingly oblivious to everyone else's presence.All eyes were now fixed on Rowan, making her feel a weight on her shoulders. Before she could speak, James calmly grasped her hand and clarified their presence with a slight curve of his lips. He smiled at Uncle Matteo and said, "We received the invitation and came together."Rowan couldn't shake the feeling that there was something peculiar about James's words, something that could easily be misinterpreted regarding their relationship. But it w
At Uncle Matteo's residence, Rowan had no choice but to follow Victor to another banquet hall not far away.Before stepping into the door, she thought she would face another chaotic and noisy carnival, and she was already prepared to have her eardrums pierced again.It turned out that it was much quieter inside than she expected, and there were not as many people there as before.Of course, the silence here is not the kind of deathly silence, but there are a lot less noisy sounds.Many people gathered near the buffet table, chatting and laughing while eating, and the atmosphere was warm and warm.Like a real birthday party. Uncle Matteo seemed to see the surprise in her eyes and asked her with a smile."What's wrong? It's not what you imagined?"Rowan was a little embarrassed, "I thought it would be... livelier than now." "Hahaha."Victor grinned widely, his eyes and eyebrows lightening up.At this time, he really looked like a 17-year-old boy."My sister has a more direct temper. S
It was already half an hour later when they'd returned to the banquet hall next door.Sure enough, as Rowan thought, when she saw James from a distance, she could clearly see the anxiety in his eyes.When he met Rowan's gaze, he breathed a long sigh of relief.Then he walked forward and hugged her gently.The movements were as gentle as hugging a lost and found precious porcelain."Where did you go?"His tone was not so much questioning her whereabouts, but more like a parent who was frightened by a child who ran away from home all night.Rowan felt very sorry for making him worry so much, so she obediently let him hug her."I'm sorry, I've been out for so long and I didn't tell you where I went..."Then she apologized in a low voice.James still held his arms around her shoulders, leaning slightly to look at her face."You must tell me next time. It really scared me just now. I want to go find you, but I am afraid that you will come back suddenly after I leave and we will not be able
A warm big hand passed through the back and firmly supported Rowan's waist.The warmth of his hands was faintly transmitted through his clothes.Rowan calmed down a little when she remembered that someone was still with her.Beside him, James had already taken up uncle Matteo's words and spoke."We know each other. David, long time no see."In fact, it didn’t take long.He saw David last time when he suddenly appeared at the door of Rowan's house.Not only did he almost fall out when he saw him.But at this time, no one would take the initiative to raise this old score.David looked away and responded coldly, "Long time no see."Uncle Matteo seemed a little surprised, but after all, he was a veteran who had been in the business world for so many years. He quickly calmed down and said to the two people with a smile, "So you have known each other for a long time! That's better, that's even better! "Then he turned and pointed at Uncle Matteo, "This is my youngest son. David must have
Despite various troubles, the Matteo family's reception retained its elegance.In the hall, soothing piano music filled the air, neither too loud to overwhelm conversations nor so soft that it made pauses seem monotonous.The waitstaff, highly trained and efficient, gracefully navigated the room, offering trays of red wine and champagne for guests to indulge in.The banquet exuded an elegance that didn't quite match Uncle Matteo's somewhat carefree personality.Rowan and her companions made their way around the venue, ultimately finding an empty corner sofa to rest, with nothing in hand.Rowan refrained from alcohol, and Victor, being under 18, wasn't allowed to drink.Naomi, however, decided to enjoy a glass of red wine offered by a passing waiter. As she was about to bring the wine glass to her lips, she noticed Rowan's surprised gaze fixed upon her.She met her eyes and said disapprovingly, "How old are you?How can you drink?"She was stunned for a moment, probably because she did