Chapter 752

Chapter 752

When Cody was declared not guilty and released in court, the entire

room erupted in cheers.

Not only were there official media reporters present, including Sylvia

and her group, but also some of Cody's friends and former colleagues

who had come early due to their concern for him.

Outside the courtroom, a crowd of reporters who couldn't get inside

swarmed towards Cody and Franklin.

"Mr. Wright, how do you feel about being released in court?"

"Going from a high-ranking figure to a defendant, what does that feel

like?"

“Your future as the head of Larro is probably in jeopardy. How do you

feel about becoming an ordinary person?"

"How do your family and friends view you now?"

The reporters fired off questions at Cody like rapid gunfire.

Franklin frowned, exuding an aura of coldness.

His powerful presence felt like an army of thousands. He stared at the

reporters, his eyes filled with a chilling gaze. In a cold, unemotional

tone, he said, "Please make way. My client will not be taking any

interviews."

The reporters were momentarily stunned by the lack of warmth.

So icy...

So frigid...

It was only at this point that they instinctively turned to Franklin, whose

face was cold as ice, as if he were covered in a layer of frost. Just one

look from him sent shivers down their spines, making them feel uneasy.

For a moment, no one dared to utter another word.

"Cody!"

Just then, Mrs. Wright suddenly pushed through the crowd.

She was dressed in a deep blue velvet suit, wearing low-heeled shoes.

Her face had a light layer of makeup, and although she seemed

carefully dressed, it couldn't hide the exhaustion and thinness on her

face.

It seemed she had been going through a tough time lately.

Her flight had been delayed, and she hurriedly made her way here,

waiting outside since her arrival. She was growing anxious.

Now, seeing Cody coming out unharmed alongside Franklin, her

anxious heart finally found some relief.

With tearful eyes, she held Cody's hands. "Cody, you've suffered.”

“It's nothing, as long as our family is back together," Cody replied with a

soft smile, looking at Mrs. Wright. “You've lost weight. Why did you lose

so much weight?"

“It's because I've been worrying about you. I couldn't eat or sleep

properly.”

Mrs. Wright looked away, tears rolling down her cheeks.

It had been too long, feeling like their family had been apart for a

century. The taste of it was truly unbearable, something she never

wanted to experience again in her lifetime.

"Mom, don't cry here. Dad's been acquitted; this is a happy occasion.

Let's go celebrate," Brayden walked over and gently patted Mrs.

Wright's shoulder. "I've reserved a private room at Balfax Hotel for us.

Let's have a meal, welcome Dad back, and thank Franklin for helping

with his exoneration."

"Brayden, you're absolutely right,” Mrs. Wright nodded. "Let's go."

They moved forward, and the journalists surprisingly didn't dare to

crowd around. Under the imposing presence of Franklin, they

instinctively made way, watching as the group got into two black cars

and drove away, leaving them in the dust.

Sylvia and Franklin took one car, and the Wright family took the other.

Cody's acquittal brought immense joy to Brayden, who promptly

booked several tables at Balfax Hotel. He excitedly called some of

Cody's old friends and comrades to join the celebration. However, the

responses were unexpected.

Many of those who had once considered Cody a close friend turned

down the invitations.

Brayden fell into silence for a while, his voice tinged with guilt. "Dad,

there's something I need to tell you."

Cody, with a gentle expression, asked, "What is it?"

Brayden struggled to find the right words.

Mrs. Wright glanced at him sideways and asked, "Are those uncles and

aunts of yours coming?"

It was only then that Cody realized his wife and son had invited other

people. Given his current status, having been acquitted but without a

job, he immediately understood his son's unspoken words.

Now that he was no longer in power, those people probably wanted

nothing to do with him, even though he had been proven innocent.

But to Cody, it didn't matter.

"Today's welcome-back feast might not have many attendees, just our

family and Franklin," Brayden said, his voice heavy with

disappointment.

Cody's eyes dimmed briefly, but he smiled and understood his son's

intentions.

He was acquitted, and Brayden wanted to throw a grand celebration to

show everyone that he was innocent. However, these people now had

thin skin and weren't willing to attend without a sense of obligation.

"Dad, I thought you'd finally be out, proven innocent, and I wanted to

make it a cheerful event. But... many people said they had other

commitments,” Brayden said, growing more disheartened as he spoke.

Cody didn't care about these superficial matters and didn't let them

bother him. He said, "It's okay, it's just a regular family dinner, right?

Fewer people make it more comfortable. I just wanted to have a chat

with our own people; the rest doesn't matter.”

Brayden sighed and didn't say anything more.

Jenna was also feeling the weight of the situation, and she softly

comforted Cody, "Godfather, I... I can play the piano for you later, okay?

What song would you like to hear?"

Her attempt at comfort might have been a bit awkward, but it touched

both Mrs. Wright and Cody deeply. They could tell that she genuinely

cared about the Wright family.

Mrs. Wright wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and said, "Jenna is

such a sweet girl."

She held Cody's hand and continued, "Cody, it's okay. If no one comes,

we'll have our meal together. We'll have a couple of drinks to shake off

the bad vibes."

Meanwhile, Brayden lowered his head to send a message to Franklin

on Facebook.

Sitting in the other car, Sylvia noticed Franklin let out a sigh and leaned

back in his seat. She couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Franklin replied, "Nothing, Brayden called to invite people for dinner,

but not many are coming. I was thinking of inviting a few of my MI6

members to liven things up.”

He leaned his head back, his handsome face clouded with frustration.

Cody's release from prison had been meant to send a clear message to

Urgford and others, letting them know that the Wright family hadn't

been defeated. However, with so few attendees at the welcoming feast,

it felt like the message had been lost.

Franklin began sending messages on Facebook, reaching out to MI&'s

core members and other friends he knew. As Cody had lost his job and

position, with only Brayden remaining outside the world of politics,

Urgford and others likely assumed the Wright family was done for and

wouldn't rise again.

While Brayden was the CEO of Maskelyne Group, the real power

rested with Franklin, making Urgford and his associates believe that

attending this feast was a waste of time.

So, one by one, they found excuses to decline. Now, they probably

viewed Cody as dispensable, and the Wright family as incapable of

making a comeback.

Franklin couldn't help but let out a wry smile. He couldn't stand seeing

his close friend's family mistreated like this. Those who chose not to

attend now might regret it later.

Sylvia had similar thoughts to Franklin. She lazily sat in her seat,

reaching out to her acquaintances through Facebook.

She wasn't particularly fond of large gatherings, but her sister and

brother-in-law were hosting this feast, and someone had to show up,

right? The absence of guests was a sign of disrespect, and she was not

pleased.

An inexplicable sense of anger swelled within her, especially when she

thought about Mrs. Wright's tears and her recent weight loss. It made

her even more furious.

Disrespecting Mr. and Mrs. Wright equaled to disrespecting herself.

Sylvia directly posted a message in the Secretly, Greatly chat group:

Zero: [Lunch at Balfax Hotel, who's free to join for a meal?]

Wind: [Me, me, me! I'm inf]

Alby: [I just arrived in Urgford for business, just got off the plane. Share

the address with me.]

Ward: [Darn it! Another dinner invitation? I'm in Aettosa!]

Chad: [I'm still in Middle Evroya, really want to come back! Annoying!]

Sylvia shared the address in the group: [Waiting for you all.]

After posting, she called Jonathan, “Lunch at Balfax Hotel at noon. It's

my brother-in-law's welcome-back feast, and my sister is there too.

Bring your mom; they used to be great friends.”

Jonathan, Jasper, and Franklin had all met before. Jonathan was the

young master of the Bennett family and a well-known esports player.

She then called Adriel, "Old man, come over to Balfax Hotel for a

meal."

Sylvia wasn't finished. She made another call, "Weston, come to Balfax

Hotel for a meal.”

They all knew Weston, the owner of that auction. He had extensive

connections in Urgford and was a prominent figure.

But even such a person had to listen when Sylvia called.

Still not enough, Sylvia dialed another number, "Blake, are you in

Urgford? How about joining us for a meal?"

Blake...

The name sounded strangely familiar, and Jasper had a vague sense

of déja vu, but he couldn't recall where he had heard it.

The calls continued, and after Blake, there was someone named Arian,

from the Dawson family?

Jasper felt a bit overwhelmed.

It seemed that Miss Andrews knew quite a few people in Urgford.

Jasper also thought of something else: their Howlett family had a

reputation in Urgford, and he decided to invite Mrs. Howlett for lunch.

He sent her a Facebook message, "Mom, come to Balfax Hotel for

lunch at noon and join the gathering. Yes, Miss Andrews is here. Mr.

Maskelyne is also here."

Franklin watched Sylvia closely. She was flipping through her phone

contacts, her delicate and beautiful face slightly lowered, her sharp chin

giving her an extra touch of charm. Her demeanor was exceptionally

cool, yet impossible to ignore.

At the entrance of Balfax Hotel, Katie and Kareem, the siblings, sat in a

corner of the lobby, gazing out of the window casually.

“It's your birthday today, and Uncle invited many celebrities to celebrate

with you. Why aren't you happy?" Kareem took a sip from his water

glass.

Katie pouted, "It's the same every year, just eating and banquets. It's so

boring."

Her eyes glanced toward the entrance, where a familiar face was

greeting guests. When she saw that face, her whole body tensed, and

her voice cracked.

"Why is he here?"