“What’s with that look, Alice?” Ethan’s brows creased slightly. Does she have to be this frightened that I’m coming
along to Old Mr. Woland’s birthday banquet? Am I embarrassing? Or am I that scary?
“D-Don’t! You don’t have to. I’ll tell Mr. Knight about it.” Alice thought his decision was a force of Lawrence’s
suggestion. “You can stay home and keep Caroline company. You’ll get along just fine.” She quickly left, depriving
his chance of rebutting.
Stuffiness overwhelmed Ethan because he woke up early in the morning and spent a few hours grooming himself.
Yet, she barely looked at him. What was the use of taking the initiative to join the banquet only to be refused
without hesitation?
“I don’t mind that she’s not bringing me home, but you too? We’re in the same boat. No one cares nor loves us.”
While holding a toy, Caroline sighed and cast a sympathetic look at Ethan. The little girl did not forget to rub salt in
his wound. “I know Mom’s not gonna bring me, so I didn’t ask. I would’ve ended up like you anyway.”
“Why are you here? Didn’t you go with Alice?” There came another blow from Lawrence, who headed downstairs.
At that moment, Ethan thought he could cough up a river of blood from the stifling frustration.
“Dad, cheer up. Think about it. If Mom’s not bringing me, why would she bring you along?” Caroline had a great
talent for comforting one’s feelings.
Was Ethan sad? Yes, he very much was.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“Alice’s not bringing you along, but what are you standing here for?” Lawrence could not believe how dunce his son
was. Will Alice kick his butt if he insists on tagging along?
“I’m staying home, keeping Caroline company.” That was a sulky statement at the spur of the moment. He was
doing as Alice told him to.
“I heard rumors about Alice. They’re waiting for the opportunity to make a clown out of her. Will you let her walk
into the trap by sending her off alone?” Lawrence sighed loudly. “Are you going to let your wife get humiliated?”
Ethan slightly straightened his body. He knew that Alice was not someone to yield to bullies.
“If you’re not going to stand up for her, who will?” Lawrence glanced at his son, deciding to add fuel to the fire. “I
heard that the Rowland Family has proposed marriage with the Wolands. If you don’t go, I’m afraid Keith will be the
person helping Alice.”
“Why must he help my wife?” Ethan sprang up from the couch. Why is that guy everywhere?
“Go ahead. You should be the one standing by Alice’s side. Give the audience a reality check. Show them what
awaits them if they bully her.” Lawrence was finally satisfied. He had no choice but to give his slow-witted son a
reason.
Those words were not said merely to make Ethan all jumpy. Lawrence asked someone about the birthday banquet,
where trouble awaited Alice. Judging from Ethan’s character, he would not stand still and do nothing without
bringing her justice.
Today, a show was set to start at the birthday banquet.
Coincidentally, Ethan bumped into Irvin in the hotel lobby.
“Ethan, what brings you here?” Irvin was surprised to see him there. “Are you here for Alice? I came downstairs and
noticed something was off with the banquet. Old Mr. Woland isn’t here yet, but Elijah and Emma are acting weird. I
wonder what they’re up to. Instead of celebrating Old Mr. Woland’s birthday, I think it’s a platform for a scheme. I
think Alice is their target.”
Irvin came from a dysfunctional family; he grew up falling for his elder brother’s traps and schemes. Thus, he was
particularly sensitive to such things.
“Emma was talking to a waiter, and I overheard Alice’s name. Is she going to hurt my sister-in-law?” He was not
here for the party because Elijah was not powerful enough to send an invitation to the Thornes. He was merely
asking around because he overheard Emma mentioning Alice’s name. “Ethan, don’t go to the second floor where
the birthday banquet is. I’ll take you to the third floor. Maybe, we can find something out.”
“Is Alice on the second floor?” The way Irvin addressed her alleviated Ethan’s grim expression. What are Elijah and
Emma up to? Since I’m here, I won’t let them get ahead of themselves.
“No? I didn’t see her.” Irvin looked at the entrance over Ethan’s shoulder. “Didn’t you come together?”
Irvin rubbed salt into Ethan’s wound unintentionally, prompting the latter to give him a fleeting glare.
Did I put my foot into my mouth? Ethan looks scary. Irvin was stunned momentarily.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“So, do you wanna go to the second or third floor for observation?”
“Let’s go to the third floor first.” Ethan was not in a rush to join the birthday banquet since Alice was not there yet.
Taking Irvin’s words into consideration, he decided to observe the situation from the third floor.
At that moment, most of the quests on the second floor were gushing about Alice due to Emma’s intentional
arrangement and hints.
“I heard that Alice, the ugly duckling, is coming!”
“For what? To scare the guests away? Her face gives me nightmares.”
“Bruce will be here too.”
“Did she come because of Bruce?”
“That must be it. She handed over Woland Group to him just to marry him.”
“So what? He didn’t marry her anyway.”
“No one will marry someone as stupid and hideous as her. If I were Bruce, I would make the same choice too.”
“Exactly! He’s gorgeous, and she’s not his type at all.”
“Since she’s handed over the company to him, and the marriage has gone out of the window, she has nothing to
butter the man up. No one’s gonna marry her either. Guess she’ll spend the rest of her life single.”
“She deserves it. Who will marry an ugly idiot?”
“Her future husband will be having nightmares every night, facing such a hideous wife.”
They did not soften their voice throughout the discussion, so one could hear them crystal-clear. Due to Emma’s
arrangement, such discussion became the main topic everywhere.