Chapter 3

“Hey, our parents sent me to pick you up and emphasized that our first meeting should be a big deal so I scraped together a motorcade at the last minute. It’s not much, but it’ll do,” said Horace with a casual shrug, gesturing toward the impressive line of sleek black limousines that nearly blocked the entire driveway of the villa area.

Winnie stared at the grand display in stunned silence. This is his idea of ‘it’ll do?–

As Horace gave a casual wave toward the drivers, they snapped to attention, and in unison. they cried out, “Welcome home, Miss Winnie!” Their voices were perfectly synchronized, sounding like they were performing a military drill.

Winnie felt embarrassed, wondering if it was always this over–the–top in the Bryant family. Not. used to such fanfare due to the cold treatment she’d endured growing up in the Henderson family. Winnie could only manage a choked–out. “Let’s, um, get going ”

The sooner, better.

The security guards from the mansion were already peering curiously in their direction.

Horace’s eyes twinkled with amusement at Winnie’s discomfort, but then he narrowed his eyes as if he remembered something important. He scrutinized her from head to toe before asking. “But why are you here all alone?”

Standing alone at the entrance of a villa area wasn’t ordinary. She couldn’t possibly be out buying groceries at this hour, could she?

Winnie pursed her lips, reluctant to admit the Henderson family had kicked her out earlier than expected. She was searching for a plausible excuse when a cold, crisp male voice interrupted her thoughts, tinged with a hint of impatience. “Are we leaving or not?”

Winnie followed the sound of the voice and saw, seated in the back of the limousine Horace had emerged from, a man who nearly dazzled her with his presence.

From her angle, she could only see the shadowed outline of his long legs and the hand casually resting on the center armrest of the back seat. His posture exuded a composed elegance that made even the creases on his suit attractive.

But for Winnie, the aura of bright gold surrounding him had caught her attention. She always. could see things others couldn’t, like the aura of fortune that clung to people. Gold auras were. rare, seen only around individuals who had made significant contributions to their country, and even then, they were faint. The blinding gold aura emanating from this man was something she had never encountered before.

Had he stolen the country’s fortune?

With the man’s words, Horace hastened to usher Winnie toward the car, chuckling under his breath. “Let’s get moving. This devil isn’t the patient type ”

Before she knew it, Winnie was seated beside the enigmatic ‘devil‘ in the back of the limousine.

1/3 16:34 Up close, the golden light was even more intense.

Squinting against the brilliance. Winnie finally got a good look at the man. His features were sharp and angular, his beauty cold and austere. His lips were a thin line, and his eyes, dark and profound, seemed to draw in all that looked upon them.

Feeling the intensity of her stare, he turned his head slightly, capturing her curiosity and emotions in a single glance.

Driven by her fascination with the gold aura but wary of being regarded as a fool, Winnie ventured a guess. “Are you my brother, too?”

The question prompted a snort of laughter from Horace in the front seat while the man in “No,” was his terse reply, devoid of further explanation.

Thankfully, Horace was there to fill in the gaps. “This is Drake Patterson. He’s not your brother. I’m your only brother.”

The name Drake Patterson sounded familiar to Winnie, but she couldn’t place where she’d heard it. However, considering the Emerald Bay’s prominent families, it wasn’t surprising to encounter familiar names.

Horace added, “I was coming to get you. And he just needed a lift.”

Understanding dawned on Winnie, but Drake interjected with a frosty tone before she could nod. “Your motorcade is using my cars.”

Drake, head of the Patterson Group, certainly didn’t need to hitch a ride from anyone.

Unperturbed Horace spread his hands in a gesture of defeat. “All the company cars were out. and you’re the only person I know who has their private fleet ready to go.”

Because Drake was a man of meticulous obsession, even having a predilection for perfection that extended to his employees‘ matching socks, not to mention his vehicles.

As they spoke, the fleet of black Maybachs began to move, escorting.Winnie and her company away with the same pomp as when they had arrived.

The security guards, watching the spectacle, exchanged glances and began to murmur among themselves.

“That was the Henderson family’s elder daughter they just picked up, “Yeah, heard she’s not one of them. She’s been cast out. Rumor has it her real folks are from some backwoods place.”

“Backwoods? Come on! Look at the show they put on for her. Bet her real family is some big shot.”

“If that’s true, the Henderson family must be kicking themselves, huh?”

Despite strict protocols, gossip about the wealthy residents of the villa area was a common pastime among the guards. As they chatted, one of them suddenly fell silent and bowed respectfully toward an approaching car, the Henderson family’s vehicle.

Suzan and Kathryn sat in the rear seats, ignoring the guards‘ deference. To the ladies of high society, such lowly workers were beneath their notice.

“The final list for city representatives is set but hasn’t been officially submitted yet. I found someone from the Bright Group is handling it,” Suzan mentioned casually, her thoughts already moving on to their next strategic move.

Suzan leaned comfortably against the seat, a playful smirk dancing on her lips as she turned to Kathryn. “It’s perfect timing. Your dad wrapped up a deal with the Bright Group a few days ago. We can leverage that connection.”

Kathryn’s eyes lit up with pleasant surprise. “Bright Group? It belonged to the Bryant family, one of the big four powers! Did Dad manage to work with them? That’s incredible!”

Suzan basked in the glow of the accomplishment. Her pride was evident despite her attempts to sound calm. “Exactly, the Bryant family. You know what? Hordes of people are waving their checkbooks, trying to get a moment of their time, but they don’t even get a second glance. Yet, they approached your dad personally. It just goes to show our standing in Emerald Bay. From now on, we’ll have people knocking on our door and begging for a partnership.”

As Kathryn absorbed it, her excitement was palpable. Working with the Bryant family meant their family was on the fast track to joining the best of Emerald Bay’s wealthy elite. And this would mean a whole new league of suitors for her choice The Henderson family’s luck seemed to have turned around since Winnie’s departure.

“That’s fantastic,” Kathryn said, her voice tinged with a feigned modesty. “But if we approach them for help directly, do you think they’ll agree?”

Suzan’s confidence was unshakable. “They came to us for a partnership, didn’t they? We’re allies now. Helping us out with this little favor is only natural.”

She reached out and took Kathryn’s hand reassuringly, continuing, “Don’t worry, honey. I will make sure you secure that spot as the city’s ambassador! We can’t let that ingrate take what’s rightfully yours. It is about the image of Emerald Bay, and she’s not up to par!”

Kathryn’s heart swelled with pride, though she kept up her demure facade.

After a brief pause, she asked, “So, are we heading to the Bright Group headquarters now?”

“No, not the headquarters,” Suzan replied with a wave. “We’re going straight to the Bryant Manor.”