Chapter 29

When Amber that Winnie had chosen a black ballgown, she immediately picked out a white ostrich feather flapper dress for herself, which highlighted her already delicate and gentle features, making her appear even more pure and graceful.

Those boys had been visibly stunned by Winnie’s transformation earlier, but they couldn’t bring themselves to compliment her in public, fearing it would go to head.

Now, at the sight of Amber they didn’t hold back, enthusiastically surrounding her and showering her with compliments as if they cost nothing at all.

Amber, like the true princess of the Bryant family, cast a subtle and smug glance at Winnie, who seemed utterly uninterested and was busy discussing with the hairstylist about keeping her hairdo simple.

Amber wavered her smile slightly and her spirits visibly dampened.

“What’s wrong, Amber?” Springer asked promptly.

“Nothing.” Amber replied, shaking her head slightly, her voice softening. “You should stop complimenting me anyway. Today is Winnie’s day, and she might feel unhappy seeing this.”

Hobson frowned upon hearing this, “Why should we care if she’s unhappy? You’re the one who grew up with us.”

Springer nodded in agreement, muttering, “Yeah, she’s just been getting all the attention because she’s newly back, with Clifford and Bacchus favoring her.”

Despite their words, they lowered their voices to avoid being overheard, not daring to mock. Winnie loudly.

Amber glinted her eyes as she quietly about their efforts to bring Winnie back. In her mind, Winnie wasn’t someone who could be easily coaxed to return.

She had hoped that Winnie’s stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to come back, causing the Bryant family embarrassment, and secretly blamed Winnie for any trouble caused.

But to her disappointment, Winnie had indeed returned.

As Springer recounted Clifford’s words to her, Amber was stunned. She hadn’t expected Clifford to go to such lengths for Winnie.

The difference between an own daughter and others was clear as day.

With a sneer in her heart and concerned facade, Amber cautioned, “Make sure Bacchus doesn’t find out about this, or he’ll be heartbroken to know Clifford would choose Winnie over .

Her words, laced with a sigh of faux regret, led those cousins to believe that it was indeed Winnie who had turned the household upside down since her return.

Their fleeting admiration for Winnie quickly dissipated.

Seeing her chance, Amber added fuel to the fire, “I just hope that Winnie has grown wiser with her return ”

Springer, previously marked by dissatisfaction, became conflicted, and he mumbled, “She seemed to have a tough time with the Henderson family. Let’s just be patient with her if she’s not too much to handle.”

At the thought of Winnie living in that modest rental, Springer couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

Amber was taken aback by his change of heart.

The banquet was set to begin at 7:30 PM.

The Bryant family’s entire garden was decked out with lights well in advance. As dusk fell, the Bryant Manor lit up like a castle, with the garden wrapped in twinkling lights, radiating splendor from afar.

Before 7 PM, a stream of luxury cars began arriving at the gates of the Bryant Manor, delivering impeccably dressed young men and women in suits and evening gowns.

Most of Bacchus‘ guests were close acquaintances of the Bryant family, prominent figures within Emerald Bay and even nationally.

Many of the younger guests had come with their parents, while others arrived solo, tasked with bringing gifts.

The grandeur of the event left many in awe.

Kathryn alighted from the car with Barton and Suzan, her eyes widening at the sight of the assembly.

Many were individuals Barton could only dream of rubbing shoulders with, and the social medial celebrities were practically untouchable for Kathryn.

“Our Kathryn is remarkable, snagging an invite to the Bryant family’s event. You’re our little lucky star,” Barton praised his daughter, eyes filled with admiration.

Since the sudden cancellation of the Bryant family’s partnership had disrupted Barton’s plans for the company, he was eager to seize the opportunity to reengage with them that evening.

Suzan, sensing Barton’s ambitious mood but feeling a bit uneasy, pulled Kathryn aside and whispered, “Maybe we should warn your father, just in case he isn’t prepared to find out about… the Bryant family’s daughter.”

They had kept from Barton the possibility that Winnie might be the lost daughter of the Bryant family, fearing he might blame them for the partnership’s collapse.

Tonight, Barton was solely focused on reconnecting with the Bryant family.

The Henderson family lingered at the entrance for a moment before being greeted by someone from inside.

Dressed in a bespoke suit and exuding charm was Parker, Kathryn’s recent boyfriend, freshly committed to their relationship.

The Robinson family was a name to be reckoned with in Capital City, wielding considerable influence. But Parker was merely a scion of a lesser branch of the family, who had been tasked with expanding the family’s interests in Emerald Bay years ago. He had only managed to secure a stable position for himself in the past few years.

Initially, the Robinson family was nobody In Emerald Bay, but the locals still showed them respect, if only because of their ties to the bigwigs back in Capital City. Riding on these coattails, the Robinson family had managed to carve out a modest niche among the city’s elite. With this in mind, the Robinson family had been keen on forging a marriage alliance with one of the local powerhouses for Parker Parker had his sights set on Winnie at first, as the attraction was mutual. However, just days ago, a bombshell dropped that the Henderson family, a prominent local family, announced that Winnie was their adopted daughter and her biological parents were impoverished folks from back in the hills.

Parker promptly dropped all romantic pursuits of Winnie and shifted his attention to Kathryn. When Kathryn asked him to secure an invitation to tonight’s affair, Parker found himself in a bind.

But as luck would have it, his uncle’s family ran into some trouble yesterday and couldn’t make it, freeing up their invitation, which inadvertently went to the Henderson family…

Ironically, his uncle was Middleton from the Robinson family that had a run–in with the Sanchez family just last night.

If Parker had known what had befallen his uncle’s family and at whose hands, he might not have been so cavalier about bringing the Henderson family to the Bryant family’s dinner party.

As the evening lights cascaded down from the villa, bathing everyone in a warm glow, the guests, as if on cue, made their way inside.

The grand dinner to celebrate Ms. Bryant’s return to society was about to commence.