Chapter 16 Dudley Hart
Xander proudly watched Lenora descend the stairs and extended his hand to her. “Come on, your grandfather is already waiting for you at the
venue.”
This was his daughter. Despite all the hardships she’d gone through out there, she still bloomed into the most beautiful flower.
“Okay.” Lenora responded with a gentle smile and took her father’s arm.
Only then did the others snap out of their daze.
“Liliana has turned from a cute little girl into such a graceful young lady.” Amelia exclaimed, admiration shining in her eyes.
This was what a Finley girl should be like, elegant and poised.
Not like certain others…
Her gaze inadvertently swept toward Bianca.
That outfit didn’t suit the occasion at all.
Bianca’s smile froze instantly, and she clenched her fists.
Cecilia was overjoyed to hear her daughter get praised so highly, though she still tried to stay humble. “Thank you. But this girl is too thin. She’d look even better with a bit more flesh on her cheeks.”
“Yeah, she is a bit too thin.” Amelia cheerfully linked arms with Cecilia as they walked out together.
“I got some rare nutritional supplements from my parents the other day. I’ll give them to Liliana to nourish herself.”
“Oh, that’s too generous. My parents gave me a top–grade pearl necklace. It would look perfect on you…”
Their conversion went on.
Livia and Bianca were left behind, furious.
Seeing Livia about to lose her temper, Bianca quickly tried to calm her, “Mom, don’t be mad. Let them gloat for now. There’s a show coming
soon.”
As she spoke, her gaze toward Lenora’s back grew more vicious.
Lenora had stolen her spotlight again and again. This time, she’d make Lenora pay.
Once the Finley family members had all gotten into their cars, the convoy drove toward the restaurant.
No one noticed someone had been left behind.
“Mom! Where did you put my burgundy tie after it was ironed?”
Edward came running downstairs, shouting, tugging at his collar, only to meet the eyes of the butler watering plants in the living room.
Gary glanced out the window at the receding convoy and froze. “Mr. Edward, you haven’t gotten in the car yet?”
Edward froze too, mumbling in a faltering voice, “Did they leave me behind?”
Gary nodded stiffly, like a robot.
16 DOL
11540
Immediately, a heart–wrenching roar shook the entire estate.
“Damn it! They forgot me!
“Unbelievable!”
The Vienna Diner was one of the most luxurious in Fizzoria. It had won countless awards, appeared in newspapers, and was praised as one of the best in the world.
Reservations were notoriously hard to get. To ensure a perfect annual banquet, Seth had spared no expense and booked out all five floors of the restaurant.
After getting out of the car, Lenora was led inside by attendants. She was instantly captivated by the venue.
The decoration was upscale, with stunning views of the glittering night city through the windows.
Luxurious crystal chandeliers cast a soft golden glow across the space, making the restaurant feel elegant and serene. A live band played a melodious violin piece to welcome each guest.
“Liliana.” Seth had already been waiting there. He looked her over from head to toe and nodded in satisfaction. “I’ll introduce you at the banquet. Don’t be nervous.”
Lenora grinned playfully, “With you by my side, I won’t be nervous.”
“Good girl.” Seth gently patted her head.
Ilis calloused hand brushed across her forehead. It was ticklish, yet Lenora found it strangely comforting.
This was probably what a family felt like.
“Bianca.” Seth raised a hand to call over Bianca, who was chatting with her friends. “Take good care of your sister.”
Bianca found it annoying.
Why did she have to drag this bumpkin around?
As reluctant as she was. Bianca put on a gentle smile on the surface. “Okay, Grandpa. I’ll take good care of my sister.”
“Liliana looks so beautiful tonight. She’s sure to be the star of the banquet.”
“You look beautiful too, Bianca. That guy earlier couldn’t tear his eyes away from you,” Lenora played dumb and replied cheerfully.
The two of them looked all sweet and close as if they shared a deep bond.
“Liliana, is this your first time attending such a big event?” Bianca asked, as casually as she could.
First time?
Lenora scoffed inwardly.
Back when she was helping Zavier plan annual celebrations that left all guests in awe, Bianca probably didn’t even know what a banquet was.
But she decided to play along and nod. “Bianca, this really is my first big banquet. What if I mess something up…”
Bianca put on a fake smile and said, “The more you say, the more likely you’ll make mistakes. Just stay by my side and let me do the talking. It won’t go wrong that way.”
Seth despised people who were overly shy and timid.
1140
ti buday Han
That was why everyone in the Finley family was trained to be articulate, composed, and never shy away from any social setting.
Bianca just wanted to make Lenora look like a hopeless nobody who would never amount to anything.
She wanted Seth to be disappointed in Lenora and the guests to laugh at
Lenora.
Lenora stared at her for a moment and continued to play along. With a nod, she replied, “Thank you, Bianca.”
Seth couldn’t hear their conversation, but seeing the two girls leaning in close, acting all affectionate, made him nod with satisfaction.
“Seth! Long time no see! You’re looking more energetic than ever!”
A loud and hearty voice rang out as one of Seth’s old friends greeted him.
“Dudley, you’re still not dead, huh?“.
Seth shot back with a laugh, then waved the girls away. “Alright, you two go have fun. Grandpa’s off to mingle.
“Okay.” Lenora nodded obediently and watched Seth walk up to Dudley with his cane, grinning ear to ear.
Dudley looked about the same age as Seth. His energy was formidable, and his gaze sharp and penetrating.
Honestly, he looked like he had ten times the vitality of someone her age.
“Bianca, who is this Dudley?” Lenora asked curiously.
It was the first time she’d seen anyone other than herself make Seth grin
like that.
11.540
The way they interacted was special. It was like they were two mischievous old boys.
At the mention of the Hart family, Bianca’s face turned slightly more. genuine. “Dudley Hart and Grandpa have been friends since childhood. Their bond is even deeper than family.
“The Hart family has enough assets to buy an entire country. Even the president of Fizzoria has to show them respect.
“If our Finley family sits in the middle tier of Fizzoria’s economic pyramid, the Hart family is at the very top.
“On top of that, the Hart family is still expanding into other fields. Dudley’s grandson, Randall Hart, created the social app Eyebook. It’s popular all over the world.”
Bianca’s eyes lit up at the mention of Randall. She cupped her chin and gave a bashful smile like a schoolgirl in love.
She might as well have it written all over her face that she had a crush on Randall.
Chapter 17 Randall Hart
Lenora noticed the lovestruck look on Bianca’s face and immediately. understood.
No wonder Bianca was still single. It was because she already had someone in her heart.
There were still thirty minutes before the annual celebration officially began, but many guests had started arriving.
When they noticed Lenora beside Bianca, their eyes lit up.
“Who’s that girl next to Bianca? I don’t think I’ve seen her before.”
“She looks a bit like Cecilia.”
“Are you dumb? That is Cecilia’s long–lost daughter. Of course, she looks like her mother!”
“She’s definitely a Finley. Despite being out there for over twenty years, she has a better presence than Bianca!”
“She doesn’t look like someone who just came back from hardship, more like someone descended from the heavens!”
All the chatter made Bianca’s face darken.
She cursed inwardly, “Damn it!
“Are these people blind?
“I’m obviously the better–looking one. How could they say Liliana has a
11 MET
Just then, a stir came from the entrance.
Someone gasped, “Randall is here!”
When Bianca heard Randall’s name, all her anger vanished. She lifted her skirt excitedly and dashed into the crowd. “Where is he?!”
Lenora looked over and immediately spotted the most striking man in the
crowd.
The man stood tall and straight, wearing a perfectly tailored black suit with a dark blue tie. With his white shirt buttoned to the top, he looked cold and aloof.
Randall was a mixed–race, with a quarter of Fizzorian blood in him. He had chiseled features, his nose tall, his light amber eyes sharp, and his lips thin.
His appearance silenced the noise, and everyone was staring at him.
Lenora was no exception.
She found it almost impossible to tear her eyes away from him.
And he seemed to have glanced at her briefly
“Randall, welcome to our family’s annual banquet.”
Bianca pushed her way to the front, excitedly greeting Randall.
“Today’s a big day for the Finley family. Of course, I had to come,” Randall said with a slight nod, his tone courteous but distant.
“I heard Bianca once claimed she’d marry nobody but Randall, but it doesn’t look like he’s interested.”
“Which woman doesn’t want to marry Randall? But wanting it doesn’t mean you deserve it.”
“If this drags on any longer, Bianca might end up an old maid.”
Hearing the whispers around her, Lenora was surprised.
If Bianca had said something like that about Randall, she must like
Randall a lot.
Bianca didn’t care about the discouraging comments at all. Her eyes could only see Randall, and her cheeks flushed.
The Finley and Hart families had a long–standing relationship, which gave her more access to him. She was determined to win this perfect man!
“Randall, my grandfather is chatting with yours right now. How about I show you around first?”
Bianca blushed and leaned in toward Randall, looking every bit like a schoolgirl in love.
But Randall remained as cold as ever. “No need. I have something to
discuss with Xander.”
He brushed past her and walked straight toward Xander.
Bianca’s body stiffened instantly.
Lenora looked at her with sympathy and let out a sigh.
Another poor girl blinded by love.
With the Finley family’s resources, wouldn’t it be better to focus on her career?
1140
11
Bianca immediately turned to glare at Lenora upon hearing the sigh and stormed off angrily.
Clearly, she had mistaken Lenora’s sympathy for mockery.
Lenora casually picked up a glass of champagne from the tower and took
a sip.
The pale golden liquid shimmered in the glass, reflecting the dazzling excess of the banquet.
As for Bianca’s misunderstanding, she couldn’t care less.
“Liliana, come here!”
Hearing Cecilia call her, Lenora placed the glass onto a passing waiter’s tray and walked over.
After exchanging greetings, Xander asked Randall with concern, “Have your parents still not come back yet?”
“No.” Randall replied with a helpless smile, shaking his head. “The last message they sent to let me know they were safe was from last month. They’re in Nivaria filming wildlife.”
Xander laughed heartily and grabbed two glasses of wine, one for Randall. and one for himself. “Good thing your parents have a son like you. Otherwise, the Hart Group would go bankrupt in their hands.”
Dudley only had one son, who was born with a love for freedom. He spent all his time and energy on art instead of taking over the family business, which infuriated Dudley daily.
Later, he married a painter, and the two of them wandered the world together, treating the family fortune like it was nothing.
11540
With no other choice. Dudley pinned all his hopes on his future grandchild and urged the couple to have a child.
That poor child turned out to be Randall.
Most rich heirs stepped into a life of indulgence after coming of age.
Randall, on the other hand, was greeted by mountains of documents. Dudley personally trained him at the company.
Luckily, Randall turned out to be a business prodigy. He not only helped the Hart Group reach new heights but also expanded into new industries, leaving Dudley grinning from ear to ear
On top of that, Randall didn’t neglect his academic studies. He earned dual degrees in Computer Science and Financial Management from Herman University.
Now that the Hart Group had such an outstanding heir, Dudley finally felt at ease. He no longer cared what his son did and only asked that his son contact Randall once a month to prove he was still alive.
Xander had laughed for a long time when he first heard about that.
In other families, it’s the son reporting back to the father. But in the Hart family, it was the other way around.
“What are you guys talking about?” Cecilia came over with her arm around Lenora’s shoulder.
“Hello, Cecilia,” Randall greeted with a smile,
Cecilia looked at the increasingly mature and composed Randall and nodded with a smile.
