HEIRESS REBORN: MARRYING HER EX-FIANCÉ-Chapter 33: The birthday banquet (3)

’’W-What.....’’

’’I am the daughter and first child of the late head of our family and the late president of the Kingston corporation. Who are they to speak about my tardiness at your birthday banquet?’’

’’H-Huh....’’

’’Speaking of which, cousin, your words were quite weird. If you hadn’t pointed my tardiness, no one would have spoken in the first place.’’

’’T-That’s....’’

’’However cousin, if you were looking for a reason, I guess I should give an explanation. Yours and the Young miss Easmond’s birthday gifts had arrived earlier. I had to check on them first before coming to the banquet.’’

’’...’’

’’Two beautiful bracelets for similarly outstanding ladies. In my eyes, You and the Young miss Easmond are the perfect role models for other young misses such as myself. I can’t seem to find any difference between the both of you. Well, you are close friends, after all. Am I right, cousin?’’ Ayana concluded, maintaining the same smile she had worn from the beginning, her voice sweet yet laced with venomous words in the ears of her second cousin.

Such words were considered venomous because Arabella was not one to stand comparison, especially with the likes of the Young miss Easmond whose birthday was in the same month.

Ayana held her trembling gaze, watching as the smile that had once adorned her face vanished, leaving behind a strained expression that betrayed her faltering composure.

’’I hope that’s enough explanation for you all.’’ She turned her smile towards the guests on the side whose voices were the loudest moments ago.

’’Haha....We misunderstood, Young miss Kingston.’’ One of them hurriedly said.

’’Perhaps the first young miss meant something else entirely.’’ Another still stood up for Arabella.

’’It’s our fault for misunderstanding her intentions.’’

’’Perhaps the first young miss was curious about her gift, young miss.’’

Immediately, the murmurs returned, and the guests tried not to focus their gazes entirely on this particularly young miss.

Were they fools to ask for more explanation? Absolutely not!

Like her previous words, who were they to question someone like her? With just a word, she could destroy their family if given the chance.

To think this young miss Kingston was not as fragile-looking as she appeared to be on the surface.

The guests were no fools. Ever since the death of the late President Kingston and his wife, the rumors had pointed out that the Kingston family was not as harmonious and peaceful as it seemed on the surface.

It didn’t seem surprising to them that the first young miss wanted to exert her dominance in the presence of the late president’s daughter. Her father, the Eldest master, was meant to have been the President of the Kingston corporation and head of the family as the first-born son.

In this birthday banquet, the Young miss Kingston was akin to a lamb in the den of wolves waiting to be slaughtered without backing.

Though, that seemed to have been their own illusion, as the first young miss was rather the slaughtered lamb in the presence of Young miss Kingston. They had backed up the wrong person.

The power in the Kingston family still remained the late president’s family and not the Eldest master’s family. This was the true goal of many in the banquet hall.

Now that they have seen where the true power lies in the Kingston family, they knew who not to offend in the Kingston family.

Either way, this Young miss Kingston was their number one not to offend. Who knows if they would trigger her sharp tongue that made the first young miss look so speechless?

’’Thank you for the gifts, Ayana. Your cousin seems a bit too shock to respond at the moment.’’ Ayana watched as Lucinda unsurprisingly stepped in with an elegant smile for her dear daughter.

Only she knew what dark heart laid beneath such disgusting smile.

’’Then I’m glad, Aunt. I hope the Young miss Easmond will have the same reaction.’’

’’She definitely will, Ayana.’’ Lucinda returned with her smile.

’I underestimated her.’ She frowned deeply in her heart. To think this little girl had put her Arabella to shame in the eyes of so many.

Lucinda understood her daughter best. If there was one that her daughter would never tolerate, it would be comparison, especially with the likes of the Young miss Easmond.

Her husband’s niece was very cunning to use such weakness against her poor daughter.

Thanks to that, the atmosphere had shifted instantly, and their eyes of the guests have changed. Unlike her own daughter, many were starting to view this girl as the true Young miss of the Kingston family—the very outcome that she had originally hoped for her Arabella!

’I’ll have to be cautious when dealing with her next time.’ Lucinda mentally noted as she sensed movement on the side and turned to see her husband heading towards them.

His appearance immediately washed a sense of relief over her. At least now, she wouldn’t have to conjure more excuses to cover up her daughter’s humiliation. With her husband’s presence, the focus would shift away from her daughter and gradually, the guests would momentarily forget what had just happened.

’’It’s been a while, Ayana.’’ Mark glanced at his wife and daughter before focusing his gaze on his niece, who had become more difficult and unreadable unlike the past.

’’Yes, it has, Uncle.’’ Just like Arabella, Ayana’s greetings came off polite with a distant smile.

As expected, her uncle couldn’t stand that she had humiliated Arabella, and immediately stepped in just like his wife.

’’How is Noah doing, by the way? It seems we can’t expect him to his own sister’s birthday banquet come despite sending an invitation.’’

’Ha!’ Ayana inwardly scoffed at those words. Was her uncle trying to put the blame on her for alienating Noah from his family? Did he have an amnesia? Had he forgotten the treatment that Noah had received in the past?

’’Eldest brother is doing fine, Uncle. He’s quite busy with work from the corporation, so I came in his stead and also in Jason’s stead. Not to worry uncle, you can definitely come for our respective birthday banquets without invitations in the near future. A family like ours absolutely has no need to be invited to one another’s banquets and gatherings.’’ Ayana said all that with her distant smile.

Trying to put the entire blame on her? Her uncle should reflect on his actions on his first. He said it himself. How could Noah receive an invitation to his own sister’s birthday banquet?

’’...’’ Now Mark got to experience firsthand what his wife and daughter had suffered a few times from his niece before and now.

’’You speak correctly, Ayana.’’ He readily agreed to her words. ’’Next time, I’ll be sure that your Aunt will not make such mistake in the future.’’

Lucinda’s mistake?

Ayana almost laughed at the choice of her uncle’s words. He was quite heartless to turn the entire conversation to Lucinda’s fault.

Curious of the latter’s reaction, she glanced at her uncle’s wife, who elegantly smiled, meeting her gaze as though nothing was wrong with the words uttered just now.

’Well, she’s different from her daughter.’ Ayana did not feel too disappointed at the sight of Lucinda’s composure. Unlike Arabella, Lucinda was similar to her mental age. The woman had an ample of experience in facing conversations that contradicted her.

’’Since you’re here, Ayana, allow me to introduce you to one of my acquaintances.’’

One of his acquaintances?

’....is it him?’ Her expression nearly hardened as her uncle turned back without her reply, waving his hand toward someone hidden within the dense crowd.

’’Liam!’’ He slightly raised his voice and called out the name that she had always avoided to have in her thoughts.

Even if this was something that she had mentally prepared herself for, Ayana still felt a chill settle over herself as a familiar figure began to make his way through the crowd, her heart both defiant and wary as the memories of her past life resurfaced against her will.