Ch. 731..740
Chapter 731: Will You Feel Sorry for Your Brother?
It’s all about fated connections!
“Besides, everything you said is hypothetical.” Adrian Zhekova continued, “Cindy and I have already met and are together, so there’s no possibility of us missing each other.”
“It’s destiny that brought us together, our fate is here, whether we met sooner or later, we would have met.” Adrian Zhekova slightly curved his smiling eyes, looking at Cindy Clarke.
Just like more than five years ago, strictly speaking.
How could they have not met other people, only meeting each other by chance?
How could they have had a one-time accident, and got pregnant with Morgan?
How could Cindy have had so much courage and strength to give birth to Morgan?
Leaving aside what happened after they were reunited.
Even back then, if any of these things hadn’t occurred, or different choices had been made.
The outcome might have been different from today.
There could be several potential results.
Looking at it this way, his and Cindy’s fate together is incredibly deep.
A chain of intertwined fate.
It would be unreasonable if they were not together.
They were meant to be together.
Cindy’s face blushed a little after hearing Adrian Zhekova’s words.
Her heart, however, was filled to the brim with emotions.
Yeah, she hadn’t carefully reminisced before and hadn’t realized that the bond between her and Adrian Zhekova was so deep.
After breakfast, everyone took a break at the family mansion.
The Smith Family sent Christopher Smith and Benjamin Smith as representatives to pay their New Year’s visit.
The two also brought their wives and children.
“How come I don’t see Anthony?” Old Madam asked as soon as she saw them.
“He’s on duty at the military base,” Christopher Smith explained.
“Oh dear, that must be exhausting,” Old Madam sighed.
Anthony Smith didn’t hold an important position in the family like his older brothers did, but instead joined the military.
Anthony Smith had no interest in business.
And he thought that a big family like the Smiths should always have some connections in the military.
After all, the Big Eight families were too conspicuous; the larger the tree, the more storms it attracts.
There must be someone inside to support and collaborate with them.
Not just the Smiths, there were arrangements for people from all of the Big Eight families to be inside.
“Anthony is not young anymore. When can he find the time to take a good rest and think about his own life?” Old Madam couldn’t help but say.
Christopher Smith laughed and said, “He’s still young now, but because he’s too young, his rank isn’t high enough. He needs to endure a few more years, and once he gets promoted, it’ll be better.”
“Now our family isn’t pushing him either, we think that in two years, when he has some free time and isn’t as busy as he is now, we can properly introduce him to some people,” Christopher Smith explained with a laugh.
The path Anthony Smith chose was relatively difficult.
Even though the Smith Family would support him.
But it’s not possible for Anthony Smith to achieve such a high position at a young age.
This is not a good thing for Anthony Smith.
Like Eddy Morty, it’s also because he has solved numerous big cases, and not just ordinary ones.
Otherwise, even if Eddy Morty’s father held such a high position, he couldn’t simply promote Eddy Morty out of thin air.
It also depends on Eddy Morty’s own efforts and experiences.
Morgan and Derek Smith were already very familiar with each other, and they quickly went off to play.
The adults chatted in the house while the children went to play in the other rooms.
There were plenty of rooms in the old mansion.
If they got tired of staying in the rooms, they could go to the yard to play in the snow.
Yesterday’s snow had been intermittent.
But when it started again at night, it snowed all night long.
When they woke up this morning, they found the snow on the ground deep enough to cover the soles of their shoes.
Although it wasn’t a remarkable depth.
Still, the children were delighted.
After a while, Christopher Smith and his wife, as well as Benjamin Smith and his wife, all came out.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke also came out with them.
Not to see them off, but to join them on the next New Year’s visit.
However, the children didn’t know this.
Seeing the adults come out, they thought they were leaving.
The little ones didn’t want to part with each other.
Morgan hadn’t started primary school yet, and they didn’t attend the same school.
Once they parted, they wouldn’t see each other again for a while.
“Derek, you guys have to come and visit me often!” The little one reached out his hand to Derek Smith.
His exaggerated expression looked as if someone was holding him back, preventing him from going over.
The Smith children also hugged each other, “Morgan, you have to come and see us too!”
Everyone: “…”
Why were these kids so dramatic!
Cindy couldn’t help but laugh and said, “You guys don’t need to split up; we are all going to visit together.”
Morgan turned to Cindy immediately and heard her laugh and explain, “We’re all going together, just in time to visit the next family.”
“It’s perfect if we meet some of the others for the New Year’s visit, we can join together, and then go together to another family’s New Year visit. This way, the host family can receive fewer waves,” Adrian Zhekova explained.
Although paying New Year’s visits is a joyful event, it’s also tiring for the host family to receive one after another.
They were here to pay their New Year’s visit, but their own elders also had to wait at home for younger generations from other families to visit.
It’s all the same.
Morgan happily hugged Derek Smith and the others, “We don’t have to split up!”
“Yeah!” Derek Smith and the others also said with touched expressions.
Everyone: “…”
How could Derek, such a big kid, still have so much innocence?
Because the children had been playing in the courtyard, their clothes and hats were all neatly worn.
They could go out directly without needing to change clothes.
So, everyone set off together.
To get out of the front gate, they still had to walk a short distance through the old mansion’s courtyard.
On the way, Christopher Smith asked Adrian Zhekova, “Where should we go next?”
“Which families have you visited already?” Adrian Zhekova asked.
Looking at the time, it’s very likely that their first stop was here.
If they had visited other families before coming here, they could have only visited one at most.
As expected, Christopher Smith said, “You are the first.”
Adrian Zhekova nodded and said, “Then let’s go to the Wells Family next.”
Christopher Smith raised an eyebrow, as Benjamin Smith couldn’t help but turn his head and look at Adrian Zhekova.
Never mind them.
Even Cindy felt that it wasn’t Adrian Zhekova’s nature to be so considerate towards Clifford Wells.
Chapter 732: Chapter 732: Can Stab in the Side for Brothers
Cindy Clarke couldn’t help but look at Adrian Zhekova.
She understood Adrian’s personality quite well.
In critical moments, he would be willing to take a knife for a brother.
But when there was nothing going on, he’d also be willing to stick a knife in a brother.
Therefore, neither Cindy nor Adrian’s other close friends had much faith that at this time Adrian would suddenly be so considerate towards Clifford Wells.
Sure enough, they heard Adrian explain, “When so many people rush over, Old Madam Wells can’t look after everyone. How could she keep an eye on so many children?”
“Besides, you’ve all been married for so many years now. These children, Old Madam Wells has watched over them for years and they’re nothing new to her. As for your marriages and child-bearing, Old Madam has come to accept it quite calmly, even indifferently,” Adrian said.
Christopher Smith: “…”
Benjamin Smith: “…”
They seemed to have caught Adrian’s drift.
Adrian continued, “Unlike Cindy and Morgan, Old Madam Wells hasn’t had much interaction with them.”
“In the past, the Old Madams used to consider Mr. Chu as the baseline,” Adrian said.
Mr. Chu, of course, referred to Nathan Spencer.
Nathan had suffered from depression due to experiences from his youth.
Although it improved over time, due to those unpleasant memories and experiences, Nathan still wasn’t very talkative.
He would utter one word rather than two.
If he could get by with two words, he certainly wouldn’t stretch it to three.
Whatever he was thinking, he never voiced it.
His expressionless face, like facial paralysis, left him with no expressions at all.
It made him difficult to approach, let alone find a girlfriend.
Although the Old Madams empathized with Nathan, they had a tacit understanding that, given his nature, he was likely to be the last among them to find someone.
Let alone finding someone, getting a girlfriend would be something to thank the heavens for.
Yet, to everyone’s surprise, Nathan got married even before Zane Hamilton.
No one could have predicted that.
Initially, Old Madam Hamilton was so shocked by this that she gave Zane Hamilton a good beating.
Without Nathan as the benchmark.
It was hard to say who would be the last to find someone.
Looking at the situation, it seemed Clifford had the highest chance of being the last single one.
“Then all of you got married one by one,” Adrian said with a corner of his mouth lifted, “Old Madam Wells’s last baseline became me and Joseph Callaghan.”
“Now that even I’m married, Old Madam Wells might just beat Sonny to death,” Adrian laughed, “After all, Sonny doesn’t have much time left.”
“Because I have just got married, and although Morgan is already this big, we’ve only just recognized each other not long ago, everything is still new,” Adrian said.
Morgan covered her cheeks and squeezed.
She had been eating a bit too much these days and felt her face seemed rounder than before.
Her two small hands pressing on her cheeks felt softer than before.
Then, hearing Adrian talk about what’s fresh and what’s not,
Morgan suddenly felt like a piglet about to be slaughtered.
“With so many people, our family doesn’t stand out,” Adrian said, “With fewer people, it puts Cindy and Morgan in the spotlight, reminding Old Madam Wells that even I’m married.”
Adrian laughed with a mischievous smirk, “Won’t Sonny be beaten to death then?”
Somehow, hearing this, Morgan subconsciously covered her butt.
She began to carefully recall whether she had offended Adrian recently.
Otherwise, given Adrian’s vengeful nature, whether he was holding a grudge or not—he didn’t like to see others doing well.
Without care, she too could be beaten!
Thinking this, Morgan nearly burst into tears.
It seemed like she had been testing the waters on the edge of doing something fatally stupid since this morning.
Everyone had already silently lit a candle for Clifford Wells.
During such a festive season, who had he offended?
So, they set off together for the Wells Ancestral House.
Upon arrival at the Wells Ancestral House, they saw Walter Wells and Charlotte York were also there.
After Charlotte married Walter, she naturally celebrated New Year’s Eve with the Wells family.
She was there at the old mansion today, too.
Fortunately, with Bertrand York and Grace Evans accompanying the elder Yorks for the New Year, along with the children making noise at the mansion, it remained lively.
On the second day of the New Year, Charlotte would take Walter back to Yark’s Ancestral House to celebrate.
As soon as they entered, they saw Old Madam Wells sitting on the sofa, with Charlotte on her left and Walter on her right.
Old Madam Wells’s face blossomed into smiles.
Old Master Wells sat in the main seat, on a single sofa.
He couldn’t be as close to Charlotte as Old Madam Wells was, of course.
And as a man, he couldn’t be as affectionate and mushy to Walter either.
So he sat on his own single sofa, free of that trouble.
Clifford’s parents, on the other hand, were occupying a long sofa opposite, together with Walter’s parents.
The four of them were chatting.
Poor Clifford seemed to have been ostracized, pulling a chair over to sit by himself.
Even his own mother, Mrs. Wells, didn’t feel sorry for him.
According to Old Madam Wells, Walter had settled down; Clifford was the only “single dog” in the house, so what right did he have to sit on the sofa?
He should just stay aside!
A “single dog,” how could he be equal to others.
Mrs. Wells also found it quite reasonable.
She was now envious of Brody Wells and Rosie Thompson.
She thought how they had finally made it through; their son was married, so grandchildren couldn’t be far behind, right?
In the past, Walter had no choice at Lanarn Training Ground.
One reason was the distance; Brody Wells and Rosie Thompson couldn’t reach him.
Another reason was indeed the heavy work at Lanarn Training Ground; where would Walter find the time to date?
He didn’t even have time for blind dates.
Even if he managed to find a match, it would be pointless without time to spend together.
It would have been better for Walter to go on blind dates after stepping down from Lanarn Training Ground, or to find love naturally.
Wouldn’t it take several more years before he could get married?
Especially with Walter’s toxic tongue, he would start talking about being destined to be alone.
Who knows how many girls he had driven away with his poison.
Mrs. Wells thought that although Clifford was a bit low on emotional intelligence, at least he wasn’t toxic.
Surely finding someone wouldn’t be harder for him than it had been for Walter.
Unfortunately, Clifford had plenty of opportunities to find a girlfriend while Walter was at Lanarn Training Ground, with much more free time than Walter.
Yet he hadn’t found anyone even after Walter had retired.
Walter moved much faster.
By the time he was about to retire, he had chased down and won over Charlotte York.
Originally, Walter and Charlotte were enemies, unable to see eye to eye.
Yet Walter managed to pursue her and even got married, with impressive speed.
Looking back at Clifford, with all that time and opportunity, he couldn’t keep up with Walter.
What a waste!
Therefore, with Walter as a comparison, even his own mother wasn’t very fond of Clifford.
Now, they all noticed Adrian Zhekova had come to pay a New Year’s visit too.
Chapter 733: Chapter 733: This heart, oh, it’s been thoroughly pierced.
The little ones were the first to take the brunt.
In order to make Clifford Wells suffer more from the beating.
Adrian Zhekova, Christopher Smith, and Benjamin Smith made a plan, even deciding to let Morgan Zhekova take the lead.
Cindy Clarke, Cherry Swift, and Sophia Brown were shocked to hear their plan.
During the New Year, they were plotting against Clifford Wells like this.
If you get beaten on the First day of New Year, you will be beaten all year long!
Old Madam Wells saw the little ones enter the room, dressed in bright red, filled with joy.
Morgan was also wearing a new outfit for the New Year.
He dressed in a special red sweater which made his fair skin and little face even more tender.
“Great Grandfather, happy New Year; Great Grandmother, happy New Year; Grandfather, happy New Year; Grandmother, happy New Year; Uncle, happy New Year; Housekeeper, happy New Year,” Morgan said all in one breath without stopping.
After he finished, he hurriedly caught his breath.
“Oh, our little darlings are here!” Old Madam Wells couldn’t be happier when she saw them.
She got up quickly to welcome the little ones.
“Is it cold outside?” Old Madam asked with a smile.
“Not too bad. We were warm in the car and didn’t walk too far when we got out. We came inside before we got cold,” Morgan crisply explained.
Such a little child, with such clear thinking and precise speech.
He spoke without any stutters, and it was easy to understand him.
Old Madam Wells liked him even more.
Although she had met Morgan before, they hadn’t talked much.
After all, the times they had met were in public places, such as Walter Wells and Charlotte York’s wedding.
Old Madam Wells was busy showing off Morgan to everyone.
There were so many people to introduce him to.
In front of each person, Morgan only stayed for a minute or two.
There was hardly enough time for a few words.
So, in the past, Old Madam Wells had simply admired Adrian Zhekova for having such a big son as soon as he got married.
It was an impressive feat.
She wished Clifford Wells could have the same ability.
Today was the first time she could spend a long time with Morgan.
After talking for a while, she found the little guy to be so smart and likable.
Old Madam was fair and patted each child’s hand and face.
All warm, she was reassured.
Then she handed out the red envelopes, one for each of them.
Except for Morgan, the others were used to this.
They received it every year.
After receiving the red envelopes, they would give them to their mother for temporary safekeeping.
When they got home, the red envelopes would be given back to them.
There would be no famous lines like, “I’ll save it for you, and give it to you when you grow up.”
Such a situation would not happen.
Morgan saw this and also handed his red envelope to Cindy Clarke.
The children’s hands were free again.
Old Madam then grabbed a handful of candy for each of them, telling them to eat and play.
The housekeeper also brought fruit juice and snacks, keeping their mouths busy at all times.
Old Madam Wells naturally wouldn’t favor one child over another, showing partiality.
Such treatment wasn’t fair to the other children.
All the children were so likable that it was impossible not to feel affectionate towards them.
It’s just that thinking about Adrian Zhekova having such a lovely child as soon as he got married.
Old Madam’s heart felt pierced through and through.
She couldn’t help but glare at Clifford Wells.
Clifford Wells: “…”
Clifford Wells blinked his big innocent eyes, looking back at his grandmother.
Chapter 734: Chapter 734: This destructive power is too great
Old Madam Wells continued to glare.
What are you looking at!
Still have the face to look!
Now, she even wished that Clifford Wells had had some romantic debts when he was younger.
Hurry and find it back, maybe like Adrian Zhekova, and even find a chubby son along with it.
Coincidentally, it didn’t take long for the Hamilton Family to arrive.
Zane Hamilton brought Olivia Davis and the children over.
Zander Hamilton and Mia Sullivan also came.
Mia Sullivan had already left her confinement, but her son was still too small, and with the current weather, he couldn’t go out yet.
So they didn’t bring the child with them.
This made Clifford Wells breathe a huge sigh of relief.
These freshly born milk balls have the greatest lethality.
If their Old Madam saw them, she would be so envious.
Zane Hamilton’s twin boy and girl could now walk quite securely.
Although they had taken off their coats when they came in, their sweaters and pants were still thick.
So, when the twins walked, they looked a bit like little penguins, waddling.
The twins, in perfect harmony, both walked over to Old Madam Wells.
Each one of them placed their hands on Old Madam’s knees, one on each side.
“Grandmother!”
Two little milk balls looked up and called out in a babbling voice.
Now that’s lethal.
Old Madam Wells’ envious eyes were practically glowing green.
She hurriedly stuffed a red envelope into the arms of the two little milk balls.
The two little milk balls held their red envelopes while still working hard to climb up Old Madam Wells’ legs.
Seeing this, Old Madam quickly picked up both little milk balls and put them on her legs—one on each leg.
The two little milk balls were already quite heavy.
They were very substantial and heavy.
Although the flesh on their bodies seemed soft and tender when pinched, they were indeed very solid.
The two little milk balls sat on Old Madam’s legs, and their bodies softly leaned into Old Madam’s embrace.
Suddenly, the scent of milk from the two also wafted over.
Old Madam Wells was overjoyed.
She just wished Walter Wells and Charlotte York would hurry up and have a baby too.
However, when she thought about Charlotte being an actress.
Having a baby would mean she couldn’t work for a long time.
And Charlotte was still so young now, only 25 years old.
It was indeed too early to ask her to have a baby now.
And the young couple had just got married and probably hadn’t had enough intimate time yet.
So Old Madam Wells dismissed the idea again.
“Morgan,” Old Madam suddenly called out.
“Great Grandmother?” The little boy looked up at Old Madam Wells.
Since Old Madam’s legs and arms were now occupied by the Hamilton twins, she had to lean forward slightly and lower her head to speak to Morgan. “Great Grandmother has a favor to ask. Can you help?”
The little boy blinked and immediately said, “Just tell me, Great Grandmother!”
He pat his chest, very straightforwardly.
Old Madam then said, “You go and stick more with your Uncle Sonny, let him share some of your good luck.”
The little guy blinked, not understanding why the Old Madam would suddenly make such a suggestion.
However, going for a rub wasn’t a difficult task.
When it came to good luck, the little guy claimed that Old Madam Wells had found the right person.
“Great Grandmother, I’m not bragging, but I’m actually very lucky!” the little guy said.
“Oh?” Old Madam Wells thought, could it be that she and the little guy had a telepathic connection?
She then heard the little guy happily say, “In our family’s New Year’s dumplings, there were a total of 8 coins! And in that huge pile of dumplings, there were only eight coins!”
“I ate two of them!” The little guy held up his hand, making a “2” symbol. “My luck is unbeatable.”
“Your luck is that good, huh!” Old Madam Wells agreed and exclaimed, “Then it’s just perfect.”
“Actually, the main reason is that I want your Uncle Sonny to share your luck,” Old Madam Wells said.
She continued, “Just like how when people get married, they find a boy to roll around on the bed, right? You could go and rub against your Uncle Sonny. Maybe he could have a son as cute as you!”
The little guy was a bit confused by Old Madam Wells’ logic.
“If he wants a son as cute as me, doesn’t he have to get married first?” the little guy glanced back at Clifford Wells, who was sitting pitifully on a stool, and asked a soul-searching question, “But Uncle Sonny doesn’t even have a girlfriend.”
“Not to mention a girlfriend, he doesn’t even have a single girl to chat with,” the little guy added.
How did he know this?
Adrian Zhekova was Clifford Wells’ best friend!
How could he not be clear about Clifford Wells’ situation?
Moreover, he has a Whatsapp group called “8 to the power of n” with Derek Smith and others.
Children can exchange information with each other, right?
Each of them heard news from their fathers about Clifford Wells’ romantic problems.
They would all communicate and exchange information in the group.
The little guy knew a lot.
Old Madam: “…”
Morgan’s words were quite heart-piercing.
There were children playing and adults chatting in the room, so it was quite noisy.
Thus, Clifford Wells didn’t hear Morgan’s words.
But he looked back innocently when Old Madam Wells glared at him once more with disapproval and disgust.
What did he do wrong?
Clifford Wells felt that this year was just too hard.
“Isn’t it…” the Old Madam struggled to think and decided to be honest, “Isn’t it about hoping that, in case your Uncle Sonny has good luck, he could be like your father and meet someone by chance, and then have an adorable child?”
The little guy suddenly understood.
But he thought not everyone could be as lucky as his father.
To be able to have such a good wife like Cindy, and such a smart and lovely child like himself.
Most importantly, his parents’ encounter was all thanks to his intelligence and cuteness.
His parents would never have met if not for him playing matchmaker!
Not to mention whether Uncle Sonny has the ability to find a girl to have a child out of wedlock or not.
What if the child isn’t as smart as him?
Nevertheless, the little guy was kind enough not to shatter Old Madam Wells’ frail hopes.
He nodded towards Old Madam Wells, “Alright, I’ll go rub against Uncle Sonny.”
After saying that, he swiftly turned around and ran towards Clifford Wells.
Clifford Wells: “…”
What was the meaning of the little guy’s rescue mission-like behavior as he ran towards him?
“Uncle Sonny.” The little guy ran over and directly climbed onto Clifford Wells’ lap.
“What’s up?” Clifford Wells asked, baffled.
“I’m here to give you a rub.” The little guy replied, rubbing his head against Clifford Wells’ chest.
“…” Clifford Wells felt uneasy with the rubbing, “What are you rubbing for?”
“Great Grandmother said, just like when people get married, they have kids roll around on the bed. So I’m rubbing against you, hoping you can find a child as cute as me soon.” the little guy explained.
Chapter 735: Chapter 735: The Desire to Break Free From Singlehood is Very Strong
Clifford Wells had a puzzled face: “What do you mean? Is this possible?”
“Well… maybe… if you’re lucky…” the little guy said sheepishly, “When you were younger, you might have met a girl like my dad, and in a confused encounter, you could have had a child without knowing?”
Clifford Wells: “…”
Could such a good thing happen to him?
The little guy patted Clifford Wells’ chest: “You have to hold some hope! What if!”
Clifford Wells: “…”
Cindy Clarke heard the conversation between the little guy and Clifford Wells.
She couldn’t help but feel sorry for him in her heart.
Was Clifford Wells so desperate now that he had to hold on to even this kind of hope?
This isn’t a hundred percent good thing either.
It also depends on luck.
What if the other party isn’t good?
No, Cindy Clarke silently corrected herself.
How could she have followed Old Madam Wells’ and Morgan Zhekova’s train of thought as well?
Old Madam Wells was simply trying anything in desperation.
How could Clifford Wells encounter such a thing?
It’s not like picking cabbage on the side of the road.
Clifford Wells sighed helplessly, saying, “Ah! I know if I’ve had any encounters with girls or not! There haven’t been any; where would a girl or child come from? Ah!”
The little guy thought to himself that it probably wasn’t true.
Just like his daddy, even if it had been an accident, there was still a memory of it.
If it had really happened, Clifford Wells couldn’t have no impression at all.
So, this possibility was still not reliable.
The little guy also looked at Clifford Wells with some heartache.
It was indeed a bit difficult for Uncle Sonny to be single.
“No matter what, let’s try rubbing first,” said Clifford Wells.
The little guy showed a rare bewildered face.
Uncle Sonny’s wish to get rid of his “single” status was strong!
Before the little guy could react, he was pressed into Clifford Wells’ arms, and they rubbed against each other.
This squeezed the little guy’s face out of shape.
The little guy: “…”
After sitting in the Wells Ancestral House for a while, everyone left to prepare for the next house.
They visited the ancestral houses of the Big Eight families one by one and returned at noon.
Because Cindy Clarke went to pay New Year’s greetings with Adrian Zhekova, she couldn’t prepare lunch in the old mansion.
Lunch was prepared by Aunt Evans.
As soon as they entered, they could smell the steaming rice and dishes.
“Just before you came back, Sonny and Dylan had just left,” said the Old Madam as they entered.
There were leftover candy wrappers from the kids on the living room coffee table.
“We met them at the Wells Ancestral House.” Adrian Zhekova smiled and said, “When Sonny came over, you didn’t stimulate him, did you?”
Adrian Zhekova finally had a conscience.
He felt that the stimulation at the Wells Ancestral House was quite ruthless to Clifford.
During the time at Wells Ancestral House, he watched from the side and felt that Clifford Wells would be driven mad.
Did he not have any idea whether he had been with a woman before?
A stupid young man who, even if there was a girl standing in front of him expressing her feelings, or even suggesting something like a fling, he wouldn’t understand.
Expecting him to have a child outside?
That’s less likely than Clifford Wells becoming enlightened one day.
Even so, he kept rubbing against Morgan, trying to rub a child out for himself.
That would be a miracle if it worked.
Because they only needed to pay New Year’s visits to the Big Eight families.
So the task of paying New Year’s visits was not heavy.
After lunch, there was nothing to do in the afternoon.
The little one happily played with snow in the yard.
When Cindy figured it was about time, she started putting on her makeup.
Her makeup skills were passable, just a bit slow.
So she started getting ready two hours in advance.
Initially, Adrian wanted to call a makeup artist for her.
Although Mia was a makeup artist herself, she was also attending the banquet with Zander tonight.
It wouldn’t be right to ask her to come do Cindy’s makeup as well.
Cindy didn’t let Adrian find a makeup artist.
After all, the main purpose of their attendance tonight was to reveal her face and make their relationship public.
The emphasis was on her presence.
As for how elaborate her makeup looked, Cindy thought it didn’t really matter.
As long as she didn’t look ugly, it was fine.
Fortunately, Cindy was naturally beautiful and had a great foundation.
She didn’t need much additional adornment.
A simple touch-up was enough to make her look great.
Even if Mia were here to help with her makeup, she would only enhance a few key areas according to Cindy’s facial features.
But the makeup would still be simple and light.
At most, Mia would have a more nimble technique.
Cindy had no acne on her face, no acne scars, and not even a mole.
Therefore, there was no need for concealer. She just dabbed a thin layer of foundation with a makeup sponge, then set it with some loose powder, and that was enough.
Her eyebrows were thick enough, so she didn’t need to fill them in much. A casual and slightly sloppy touch was all that was necessary.
For eyeshadow, she chose a dual-color palette.
She didn’t know how to do complicated layering, so she just used the simplest two colors and followed the brand’s pre-set color combination for a simple overlay.
Then she drew her eyeliner and applied mascara, and it was done.
In the end, she brushed on some blush and put on a foolproof lipstick shade, and she was all set.
She wore her long hair loose and curled the ends with a curling iron.
After changing into her outfit, she unexpectedly had an extra hour to spare.
Because Cindy feared she wouldn’t have enough time, she preferred to have extra time instead of rushing at the last minute.
At this time, little Morgan had finally finished playing and came inside with rosy cheeks.
Originally, Morgan was supposed to attend the event with them tonight.
However, after receiving some information, Adrian felt it wouldn’t be appropriate to bring Morgan along.
So, he left Morgan at the family mansion.
He and Cindy went out to the event together.
Adrian drove himself, not knowing whether he would drink alcohol or not tonight. So when they come back, Cleave would pick them up.
The banquet was held at the Pleasure Hotel.
Adrian only stopped the car in front of the hotel, and a waiter immediately came over to take his car keys and park the car for him.
Adrian then entered the Pleasure Hotel with Cindy.
Shortly after Adrian and Cindy entered the Pleasure Hotel, a car slowly drove into the hotel’s entrance.
It stopped in front of the Pleasure Hotel.
Getting out of the car were Edward Lopez and Wendy Clarke.
Richard Lopez and Mrs. Lopez were in another car and had already gone in.
Because Wendy was with them, Edward dared not go in too early.
He was afraid that Adrian would find out.
They had been waiting outside the hotel’s entrance by the roadside, only coming over when they saw Adrian and Cindy arrive.
Once Adrian entered, he would definitely be surrounded by people.
By then, he wouldn’t have time to pay attention to anyone else coming in.
If they entered before Adrian, even hiding in the corner would hold the risk of being noticed by him.
Chapter 736: Chapter 736: How Can So Many People Come Here
Edward Lopez parked the car at the entrance as well.
He stepped out of the car, handed the key to the waiter, and went in with Wendy Clarke.
After their invitations were checked, they walked in, but they hadn’t reached the banquet hall yet.
Edward Lopez stopped and whispered to Wendy Clarke, “I’ve brought you in here, but the rest is up to you. Don’t involve me in this matter.”
“Don’t worry,” Wendy Clarke whispered back. “This is a deal between the two of us, and I won’t forget that. I still want to cooperate in the future, so I can’t let you down this first time and jeopardize our future collaboration.”
Wendy Clarke had given up on having a relationship or marrying into the Lopez Family.
She realized that it was impossible.
Moreover, her relationship with Edward Lopez had unknowingly developed into a partnership.
That wasn’t bad, either.
As for whether their relationship would change in the future, that could be addressed later.
“I’ll text you later; then you can go in,” Edward Lopez said.
“Okay,” Wendy Clarke nodded.
Edward Lopez went to the banquet hall first, while Wendy Clarke looked around and hid elsewhere for the time being.
There was no one at the entrance of the banquet hall to check invitations.
After all, considering the guests, especially female guests, they would occasionally need to go to the restroom to touch up their makeup.
Would they have to check the invitation every time?
So, there was a checkpoint set up a short distance from the banquet hall.
That’s where they had just entered.
Once inside, no one would check again.
As soon as Edward Lopez entered the banquet hall, he quickly scanned the room.
It didn’t take long before he saw Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke.
Not all the guests had arrived yet.
Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke’s area was not surrounded by layers of people as he had expected.
It wasn’t that others weren’t interested.
All the guests present wanted to chat with them for a while.
One reason was Adrian Zhekova, and the other was the curiosity about Cindy Clarke.
After all, only a few people now knew Cindy Clarke’s identity.
Many others didn’t know.
Many of those present today were seeing Cindy Clarke for the first time.
Just by seeing how their gazes were focused on Adrian Zhekova and Cindy Clarke from every corner of the banquet hall could tell that everyone was paying attention to them.
Everyone was watching.
The reason they didn’t approach was because the Big Eight families were all there!
Their presence was too intimidating.
It made people feel timid and dare not approach them easily.
Edward Lopez took a closer look.
Adrian Zhekova, Zane Hamilton, Zander Hamilton, Zachary Hamilton, Nathan Spencer, Bertrand York, Anders York, Christopher Smith, Benjamin Smith, Danny West, and Stanley West were all present.
Of course, this included their wives as well.
The children didn’t come.
But it was still astonishing.
How could there be so many people here this year!
When did the organizers become so influential!
In previous years, although members of the Big Eight families would attend and they would all be at Adrian Zhekova’s level.
However, not all of the siblings would be present.
For example, in the past, while Zachary Hamilton was in school and Zander Hamilton was in Europe.
Only Zane Hamilton attended as a representative.
Similarly, either Bertrand York or Anders York would attend, but not both.
As for Benjamin Smith and Christopher Smith, only one of them would attend as well.
The same went for Danny West and Stanley West.
It wasn’t necessarily determined who would attend, but as long as one person attended, the others wouldn’t come.
Sometimes they thought that having a representative was enough, while other times they were genuinely busy with work and couldn’t make it, so they sent a representative instead.
Chapter 737: Chapter 737: The Vicissitudes of Human Relationships
To see everyone here together, so punctually, it truly was an unprecedented sight.
To say that Edward Lopez was surprised would be an understatement.
The guests who had arrived before him looked at the scene and silently acknowledged: “The hosts have really gone all out this year!”
However, because there were so many people.
Adrian Zhekova and his group huddled together, offering a stunning sight, but it also made people hesitate, afraid to approach casually .
However, because there were so many people around Adrian Zhekova, Edward thought he would not be noticed.
Therefore, Edward Lopez did not dare to linger any longer and quickly retreated to a corner.
He wouldn’t dare to seek attention from Adrian Zhekova at this moment.
He was still harboring hopes that Wendy Clarke would reveal Cindy Clarke’s transgressions, drawing all of Adrian Zhekova’s attention towards punishing Cindy.
In this way, the Lopez Family would be off the hook.
At Adrian Zhekova’s side, his friends were in a conversation.
Cindy Clarke noticed Mia Sullivan’s subtle makeup, but it looked so elegant.
Even though there seemed to be little color on both faces, Mia’s just looked different.
Cindy Clarke couldn’t help but ask Mia Sullivan for some makeup advice.
As a professional makeup artist, Mia explained things in easy-to-understand terms.
She didn’t go into any complicated techniques.
Instead, based on Cindy’s facial features, she suggested techniques that would best suit Cindy.
As Cindy had a good foundation, she didn’t need much makeup enhancement.
Mia mentioned a couple of points, and Cindy understood immediately.
As Zander Hamilton was talking to Adrian Zhekova, from the corner of his eye, he spotting a familiar figure.
His stern lips curved into a mocking smirk: “Edward Lopez is here.”
“Sneaking around as if we haven’t noticed him,” Zane Hamilton mocked.
It didn’t usually require all of them to be present.
As with previous years, a representative from each family would have sufficed.
But today was the day Adrian Zhekova formally introduced Cindy Clarke, so naturally they had to be there to support her.
To help Cindy stand strong.
To let everyone know that Cindy has their mutual support.
To silence all those malicious whispers and backhanded rumors.
To let them know sour grape comments had no place here.
As for Edward Lopez’s predicament, they were all in the know.
Mia had reported back home, asking them to make trouble for the Lopez Family.
So, Zane Hamilton and his group, they all knew.
Due to their inside knowledge, coupled with the fact Adrian Zhekova had received a message saying Edward Lopez had foolishly teamed up with Wendy Clarke with plans against Cindy.
Therefore, once they learnt about this, they felt even more obliged to be present.
Even though Adrian Zhekova could have dealt with the matter single-handedly, they had to be there to cheer him on.
Naturally, the moment Edward Lopez arrived, they kept an eye on him.
Edward Lopez thought he had gone unnoticed.
Edward sauntered into a corner.
Seeing Richard Lopez and Mrs. Lopez, he quickly approached.
“Dad, mom.” Edward greeted.
“Where is she?” Richard asked.
He didn’t mention Wendy Clarke’s name.
Fearing they might be overheard due to the presence of so many people. There simply was no guarantee.
“She’s arrived too, but I told her to hold back for a bit, to lay low until the time is right.” Edward whispered quietly, “This gives us a chance to distance ourselves from her.”
Richard Lopez nodded approvingly, noting Edward’s newfound caution and attention to detail after this recent experience.
And most importantly, he was putting his family first.
Mrs. Lopez glanced around and whispered, “This group of people has shown us what it’s like to experience the coldness of human emotions.”
“Our family hasn’t fallen apart yet, we are still able to attend this banquet, everyone should know that we can still hold our ground.” Mrs. Lopez uttered discontentedly in a low voice.
” We’ve been away for just a few days and they’re already avoiding us. They keep their distance as if we carry some kind of plague.”
It’s only because there were so many people in the banquet hall now.
Even if they tried to avoid them, they couldn’t really go anywhere.
However, the few people who did manage to walk past them were mostly waitstaff.
The guests were doing their best to stay away from them.
Even if they were to pass by, they would choose to go around them.
Upon looking around the hall, other guests were grouped in twos and threes, mingling and chatting.
Unique to them, the Lopez family, there was just the three of them and not a fourth person.
Despite being three of them, they still felt isolatingly lonely.
There were also a good number of ladies present who used to be on good terms with her.
They had afternoon tea together and even went on vacations.
But just a few days down the line, and they’ve all turned their backs.
Businessmen chasing profits, and their wives share the same face.
“This was not unexpected.” Richard Lopez remarked, seemingly unaffected.
Even the best of relationships could boil down to mere business dealings.
Over the past few days, Edward, too, has experienced the swings of human relationships.
Those friends who he used to hang out with often no longer acknowledge him.
Even though he wasn’t in the mood for games due to his family’s problems.
He also wanted to unwind at home and play some games with his friends, given the current situation at home.
Even if he didn’t go out and played online games or mobile games at home, it was nice to chat while playing.
He tried contacting his friends one by one, but none of them were available.
He then saw them commenting in other people’s IG stories about how they were bored and looking for something to do.
Eventually, Edward started to realize that something was off.
He noticed that he no longer received updates from those friends with whom he usually hanged out.
Given his knowledge about his friends, they loved to boast about their adventures.
Any novelty or change they would share instantly. They were not the modest type.
When he went to check their IG stories manually.
The latest update was either two or three days old.
Their love for bragging wouldn’t allow them to set their IG stories to disappear after three days.
They always wanted to show off and have people looking at their stories.
Edward became increasingly suspicious and went to bother someone else.
Someone he wasn’t very close to but would chat with occasionally.
He asked them to check his friends’ IG stories.
When the other party sent the screenshots, he found out that indeed, his friends had been updating their stories these past few days.
But they had blocked his access to their latest updates on IG stories.
These friends, who used to play so well when they had nothing to do.
One by one, their words uplifted the spirit of camaraderie.
They would help each other when needed.
However, all that was based on the fact that nothing was happening at home.
For they knew, the help they provided each other were just small favors.
In addition to earning gratitude, they knew the families’ status quo remained unaffected.
But now, with the Zhekova Family against the Lopez Family.
No one could predict the outcome for the Lopez Family.
Nobody knew whether the Zhekova Family would let the Lopez Family off the hook.
So, they didn’t completely distance themselves from the Lopez Family yet.
Chapter 738: Chapter 738: A Talented Individual
They were polite to Edward Lopez, not wanting to completely burn bridges with him.
They wanted to leave themselves a way out in case the Lopez Family wasn’t finished yet.
But they also worried that the Zhekova Family might really push the Lopez Family to the brink.
If the Lopez Family really was finished and they maintained a good relationship with them,
what if Adrian Zhekova thought they were getting close to the Lopez Family to provoke him?
Although many people haven’t experienced Adrian Zhekova’s temper themselves,
since his notorious temper was so well-known, they didn’t dare to challenge it.
Thus, they could only be cautious and maintain a moderate distance from the Lopez Family.
“My aunt’s family is here.” Edward Lopez’s view showed the three members of the Kirk Family entering.
Unlike when they arrived, nobody paid any attention to them.
As soon as the Kirk Family entered, many friends came forward to greet them.
Wyatt Kirk had a few friends there as well; they rushed over when they saw him.
With the Kirk Family surrounded by warmth, the coldness of the Lopez Family was even more pronounced.
Originally, Mateo Kirk had been worried about whether he should greet the Lopez Family when he arrived.
He had loaned them fifty million, so he couldn’t offend the Lopez Family on this matter.
If he lent them money and helped them only to be blamed, it would be a great loss.
But if he dared to openly show a good relationship with the Lopez Family, he wouldn’t have had to secretly lend them money before.
Now, with so many people coming over, it solved his problem.
Surrounded by people, he couldn’t go and find the Lopez Family.
So, Mateo Kirk didn’t worry and chatted with Mrs. Kirk.
Wyatt Kirk also chatted with his friends.
He noticed the chilliness of the Lopez Family from the corner of his eye.
Edward Lopez had a few friends here too, but none of them approached him.
Although they usually had fun together, they all looked out for themselves during crucial moments.
On this point, Wyatt Kirk was much more aware than Edward Lopez.
He knew what was going on very clearly.
“The Lopez Family has been targeted by Adrian Zhekova lately, how are things on your side?” one of Wyatt Kirk’s friends asked.
“What can be done? Master Adrian isn’t someone to take out his anger on others. If someone offends him, he will find that person, it’s normal.” Wyatt Kirk said.
“Did the Lopez Family ask your family for help?” another friend asked.
They had always known that although Wyatt Kirk appeared to be a playboy, he was actually quite shrewd.
If they thought they could take advantage of Wyatt Kirk as an ignorant person, they would be making a big mistake.
Who knows who would end up at a disadvantage in the end.
“They asked, how could they not?” Wyatt Kirk didn’t hide it, “After all, we’re relatives, we can’t ignore them.”
“But we’re really powerless to help.” Wyatt Kirk said, “So, we just loaned them some money. As for business matters and introductions, my family can’t help. Besides, the industries we’re involved in are different, there’s not much overlap.”
Their friend circles were different from Edward Lopez’s.
Usually, there wasn’t much interaction between them.
But they still knew some news.
“Two of Edward Lopez’s friends who usually hang out with him are here, they’re over there.” Wyatt Kirk’s friend pointed them out.
“Look, they’re pretending not to know him from afar,” his friend sneered, “Usually, they act like they’re too good for others, but now that a problem has happened, it’s become a joke.”
Not to mention Edward Lopez himself used to look down on Wyatt Kirk.
Even Edward’s friends didn’t think highly of them.
Anyway, they were not on the same path.
With the Lopez Family in trouble, it wasn’t just Edward who became a joke.
The news of his friends turning their backs and distancing themselves from him spread throughout the circle.
Who spread it?
Edward captured the IG stories of his friends, and it turned out that the person who captured it was the one who spread the news.
Even though they weren’t really familiar with each other, they were all still on Whatsapp.
In the IG stories, they saw his friends hanging out everywhere, but Edward was never present.
Nobody saw him liking or commenting on anything.
At first, they didn’t pay attention, but later when they heard about the screenshots from the person who spread the news, they suddenly realized.
Edward’s friend circle had become a joke to them for a while.
Wyatt Kirk laughed and said, “You don’t need to laugh at them, if any of us had a problem, wouldn’t the others stay away too? It just hasn’t happened to us yet.”
“Hey, don’t say that! I don’t know how I would react if a real problem occurred. But at least, even if we distance ourselves on the surface, we would still secretly help in private.” one of Wyatt Kirk’s friends said.
Wyatt Kirk patted each of them and said, “I know, our friendship is trustworthy. Besides, the way we usually play around is different from my cousin.”
So are the friends they associate with.
Wyatt Kirk secretly glanced at Adrian Zhekova’s side.
If it hadn’t been for the Lopez Family’s troubles, he would have rushed over to call him Brother Adrian.
But now, it clearly wasn’t appropriate.
Later, the Lopez Family would probably ask him to beg Adrian Zhekova for mercy.
But he knew very well that if he thickened his face and called Brother Adrian, it would be considered good luck if Adrian Zhekova even acknowledged him.
Asking Adrian Zhekova for mercy?
He must think his face is really big.
That’s why Wyatt Kirk didn’t go over with a high profile.
However, without flaunting his presence, Wyatt Kirk felt that his hard-earned invitation would be wasted.
So, he took out his mobile phone and sent Adrian Zhekova a Whatsapp message.
“Brother Adrian, I see my cousin’s family is here, so I can’t come to you. I’ll wish you a happy new year from here and send my regards to my sister-in-law!” Wyatt Kirk said.
Adrian Zhekova raised his eyebrows and asked, “Cousin?”
“Oh! It’s Edward Lopez.” Wyatt Kirk said.
Adrian Zhekova didn’t expect that Edward Lopez was Wyatt Kirk’s cousin.
As for this, Adrian Zhekova didn’t bother to check, nor did he care about the relatives of the Lopez Family.
Now that he knew it was Wyatt Kirk, he felt like laughing.
The difference between these cousins was not small.
Although Wyatt Kirk was thick-skinned, he was flexible, able to kneel and adapt.
The reason Adrian Zhekova was willing to put up with him was because he thought Wyatt was quite interesting.
In this day and age, a man who could cry while hugging his legs in public in a shopping mall was rare.
He was talented.
Just for this persistence, he was already better than Edward Lopez.
Wyatt Kirk, afraid that Adrian Zhekova would misunderstand his intentions of asking for mercy, quickly told him, “Brother Adrian, I’m afraid that if I come to you now and my cousin’s family sees me, they’ll cling to me for mercy. That’s why I’m not coming over.”
“Being relatives, aren’t you going to help?” Adrian Zhekova asked.
Wyatt Kirk hurriedly explained: “Our two families are involved in different business fields, so even if we want to introduce them to some businesses to ease their situation, we can’t do it. As for introductions, it’s not up to our family. The other party wouldn’t dare to offend Brother Adrian, and they wouldn’t give face to our family either.”
Chapter 739: Chapter 739: I Am Kneeling in My Heart
“Otherwise, we could have directly cooperated with the Lopez Family, without our family having to act as a go-between.”
“But, in the end, they are relatives. Edward’s mother and my mom are sisters. We don’t want to put my mom in a difficult position, so although we couldn’t help in business, we lent them some money. Whether they use it to keep their company or maintain their life, it’s their own business.”
“Our family has done everything we can.” Wyatt Kirk honestly told Adrian Zhekova without hiding anything.
He was afraid that if he hid any information, Adrian would find out, and then his own family would be in trouble.
Wyatt just hoped Adrian would be reasonable and understand the difficulty of his family.
“Well, at least you’re honest.” Adrian replied.
“Of course!” Wyatt said hurriedly, “Brother Adrian, my family can only help this once. Their company is so huge, our family can’t help even if we want to.”
“I got it.” In Wyatt’s anxious mood, Adrian finally replied.
Wyatt couldn’t help but wonder if Adrian was blaming him for this?
Thinking about it, Wyatt looked over from afar.
At that moment, Adrian was leaning down and telling Cindy Clarke about the information Wyatt had given him.
“Wyatt is quite interesting,” Cindy couldn’t help but laugh.
Looking up, she asked, “Where is he?”
Adrian then pointed in Wyatt’s direction.
Cindy then looked in the direction Adrian had pointed.
Just then, her gaze met with Wyatt’s face looking over.
As they were far apart, neither Cindy nor Adrian could see the unease in Wyatt’s eyes.
Cindy waved at Wyatt with a small gesture.
Wyatt’s legs trembled, almost collapsing in a kneeling position.
He quickly smiled at Cindy and waved back.
Then hastily sent Adrian a kneeling emoji.
Adrian: “…”
Why was Wyatt sending him this emoji?
Immediately after, Wyatt sent a new message: “Brother Adrian, please show this emoji to my sister-in-law!”
Adrian: “…”
“I can’t go over there right now, but I’m kneeling in my heart!” Wyatt sent again.
Adrian: “…”
So, Adrian decided to stop talking to him.
He simply showed the kneeling emoji to Cindy, so she’d know.
Meanwhile, Wyatt was quietly reflecting on himself.
Sending a kneeling emoji didn’t convey any sincerity.
When he got home, he planned to secretly take a photo of himself kneeling.
That would be specifically for Adrian and Cindy to see in the future.
At this time, the host took the stage, announcing the official start of the banquet.
The main focus was on the contributions made by the guests in attendance to Belfard over the past year.
These included donations to Belfard and various charitable activities.
Recognition was given to a few who made significant contributions.
And some favorable business policies were given to these people.
As expected, those who were recognized came from The Big Eight families.
Of course, they couldn’t enjoy all the benefits every year.
Others would complain.
The Big Eight families might have the meat, but at least they would share some soup with others.
Thus, two other families also received some rewards.
Without further ado, the main purpose of this banquet was to strengthen cooperation between families.
At this time, Wendy Clarke received the message from Edward Lopez and entered the venue.
All the guests were already there, so the place was a bit crowded.
But Adrian’s group was just too conspicuous.
Chapter 740: Chapter 740: Just Go Ahead and Say It
Thus, Wendy spotted them immediately without much effort.
Previously, whether it was at the awards banquet for the top ten or at the family mansion.
She only saw Cindy and Adrian interacting with the Zhekova family members.
What she saw was limited to a small scope.
Therefore, she hadn’t genuinely grasped how powerful Cindy has become, or how different she was from her.
Wendy felt that she managed a restaurant and was about to expand it beyond Nork City.
She planned to open a branch in Belfard soon.
Belfard wasn’t just any big city, it was the capital!
She didn’t feel inferior to Cindy at all.
On the contrary, she was more capable than Cindy.
Cindy was just relying on Adrian. Without Adrian, Cindy was nothing.
How could she afford such a high-end lifestyle then?
Unlike her, who could attend such an important party all by her own efforts.
These days, while waiting for the party, Wendy was quite pleased with herself.
She had only been in Belfard for a few days but was already attending such a prestigious party.
This was a party that many could only dream of attending.
But she managed to get in.
Regardless of how she managed it, the result was what mattered.
Before coming here, Wendy had assumed that she would shine at this party and would not be inferior to anyone.
But now she was here, she realized she seemed so insignificant, and nobody noticed her presence.
Not a single person paid her any attention; they all ignored her.
She wanted to find someone to chat with and expand her network.
She had high hopes, but upon standing there, she realized the gap between reality and her expectations.
The guests were all in their small groups, chatting while holding champagne flutes.
She had no opportunity to join their conversations.
She didn’t know anyone, and she didn’t know how to introduce herself.
It wasn’t because she lacked confidence.
Wendy was certainly confident.
The atmosphere at the scene was something she had never experienced before.
While these guests were smiling as they conversed, their unconcerned gaze swept over her casually.
She was sure that except for the Lopez family and those related to Cindy, no one recognized her.
But the guests showed no curiosity about her, their attitude was indifferent.
Because the circle was not large, they knew who belonged to whom; they had a clear understanding.
Even though they didn’t know Cindy.
But Cindy had Adrian by her side, and a small number of people at the party had previously met Cindy, they could naturally help relay who Cindy was.
For someone like Wendy who came alone and had no one accompanying her, they won’t bother to inquire.
A person with a background and connections, why would they stand alone without knowing anyone?
Furthermore, Wendy herself was unaware.
The others’ eyes were keen, however.
They could determine Wendy’s situation at a glance.
Wendy stood there confidently, unaware that her insecurities and anxieties were showing without her realizing.
It was subtle.
But who at the party wasn’t a skillful observer?
Could they not see?
They were extremely good at judging a person’s social status and underlying intentions.
They could see right through Wendy.
Consequently, no one paid her any attention.
Some even held her in contempt.
If they showed contempt, at least Wendy could get angry.
But their indifference and disregard for her, looking at her as though she were air, was a blow to Wendy.
Looking at the Lopez family, who were alone and ignored too, it appeared that they were even more unimportant than she had imagined.
Although dismissed by the others, the Lopez Family could solve problems that appeared difficult to Wendy without a second thought.
Wendy’s gaze returned to Cindy.
Now, seeing Cindy’s ease among the representatives of the Big Eight families.
Witnessing how familiar she was with them.
Looking at the other guests, those who ignored her, regarded Cindy with a mix of anxiety and reverence.
Seeing that the power of the Big Eight families was intimidating, yet Cindy wasn’t affected at all.
At this moment, Wendy had a feeling that Cindy was in a different world from hers.
Cindy was standing with the representatives of the Big Eight families.
They formed a small world of their own.
It was as if an unseen wall surrounded them, observable to all, but no one dared to approach.
No one dared to come near the Lopez Family out of fear of being implicated.
However, no one dared to approach Adrian and the others because of their respect for them.
People around them looked over with awe and admiration.
This was exactly the treatment Wendy dreamt of receiving.
She took a deep breath and walked towards Cindy.
There were many guests, and she squeezed through them.
Close enough to hear someone quietly ask, “Who is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who did she come with?”
“I didn’t see, could she have come alone?”
“Can someone come alone to something like this?”
“I don’t know how she got the invitation.”
“Look at her cowering. Obviously, she’s not one of us, I don’t know how she managed to sneak in.”
“She’s somewhat attractive; who knows what means she used.”
Those words left everyone listening with a sly smile on their face.
Then they were surprised to find that Wendy kept moving and was about to arrive where Adrian and his group were.
“What on earth is she trying to do?”
“Can’t tell, she’s quite ambitious.”
Wendy just heard the sarcastic remarks of those people and was very angry.
But now, she couldn’t afford to be angry anymore.
Because the closer she got to Adrian and his group, the more nervous she became.
At this moment, she felt the oppressive atmosphere they exuded.
Despite still being a distance away from them.
She was already finding it slightly hard to breathe.
No wonder no one stood too close to them.
But looking at Cindy, she was standing amid them, having an animated conversation.
“Cindy.” Wendy gritted her teeth and bravely walked over.
Cindy saw her and didn’t seem surprised. She said coldly, “Congratulations, you managed to get an invitation.”
Wendy pulled Cindy over and whispered, “This is your last chance, or else don’t blame me for being rude.”
Cindy pulled away Wendy’s hand, and said nonchalantly, “Say whatever you want.”
Unlike Wendy who had to lower her voice.
Cindy spoke at normal volume without any effort to lower it.
Just because Wendy was headed straight for Cindy, Adrian and the others already had everyone’s attention.
Additionally, Wendy’s actions caught everyone’s attention.