Kendrick pushed the study door open and looked at the man who was perusing the documents seriously at the desk
—his brother—Cayden.
The heater in the study had been switched on. Cayden was dressed simply in a black shirt accenting his mature and
restrained aura.
From Kendrick's angle, he could see his big brother crossing his slender legs under the desk.
He had to admit that Cayden's rigorous working demeanor was exceptionally charming.
Once again, Kendrick couldn't help lamenting that the difference between people was indeed huge. If it weren't for
the fact that he was a man, he would have been mesmerized by his own brother, too.
Cayden was a workaholic. Even on vacation, he would still be handling business affairs. To Kendrick, on the other
hand, even spending half an hour at the work desk was a form of torture. Sure enough, Cayden is my idol. He's
worthy of my admiration.
Seemingly noticing Kendrick's complicated gaze boring into him, Cayden looked up and glanced at his brother
before lowering his head and immersing himself in work again.
It was noon, and the sun shone brightly in the sky. The brilliant sunlight poured through the windows and onto
Cayden, making his exquisite face appear even more handsome and elegant.
Although Kendrick had long known that his brother's appearance was much more attractive than his, he still
couldn't help falling into a daze.
“Cayden,” he called out in a low voice.
Cayden swept his sharp gaze across Kendrick and lit a cigarette before asking, “How's your mom?”
Naturally, he knew that Lily had suddenly passed out.
Unlike Allie, who gloated over the incident, he had done his part by sending Yuvan over to give the woman a
checkup although he didn't visit her in person.
As for the shady things Lily had once done to him, he had decided not to pursue the matter for Jeffrey's sake.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHowever, deep down, he still couldn't forgive her. One of the things he couldn't let go of, especially, was the car
accident Lily had devised. Not only did it almost kill him, but it also caused him and Avery to miss out on many years
of quality time they could've spent together.
Nevertheless, he understood that those tragedies would not have happened if his mother had not interfered with
Lily's marriage. He understood Lily's extreme hatred, which was why he had been tolerating her.
Cayden wanted to atone for his mother's sins.
“She fell asleep after taking medicine. Yuvan said it's a mental illness, and she needs to undergo psychotherapy and
counseling. I'm sorry, Cayden.” Kendrick stared at Cayden, his eyes filled with guilt.
He knew his mother well and was aware that what she said earlier in the day was most likely true.
At the thought that the car accident might have something to do with Lily, he couldn't help but feel that the loving
woman whom he called his mother was all of a sudden unfamiliar and terrifying. Cayden was still a teenager back
then. How could a woman be so vicious to lay her hands on an innocent teenager?
Cayden put away the document in his hands and took a puff of his cigarette.
Looking at Kendrick, who was wearing a grim expression, he asked in concern, “What's the matter? You're not
yourself today.”
Unlike his usual frivolous behavior, Kendrick put on a serious look. “Cayden, I've decided to help you in the company
after New Year.”
Cayden puffed out a cloud of smoke and stared at him with an unfathomable look. “Kendrick, you're already helping
out at the company now.”
Kendrick was so ashamed of himself that he dared not look into Cayden's eyes.
After taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and said with determination, “I'm not kidding this time, Cayden. I
mean it.”
Previously, under Jeffrey's compulsion, he had gone to the office but had been idling about all the time. It was good
enough that he did not cause any trouble for Cayden, much less provide him with any help.
But now, after learning some of his mother's secrets, Kendrick's heart twinged with guilt toward Cayden.
Seeing Cayden overwhelmed by the heavy workload every day, he sincerely wanted to give the former a hand.
“Okay. I believe in you.”
Although Cayden didn't know exactly what was on Kendrick's mind, he was still glad about his little brother's sudden
change.
He had always pampered this playful half-brother of his.
Only then did Kendrick heave a sigh of relief.
He glanced at the gold watch on his wrist and suddenly remembered the banquet he was about to attend. “Cayden,
I'll talk to you later. I'm attending Mr. Lambert's daughter's birthday party tonight.”
Cayden paused in his tracks and raised his brows slightly. “Mr. Lambert's daughter? Do you mean Nicole?”
Kendrick replied, “Yes. It's Nicole's twenty-second birthday party. I received the invitation from Mr. and Mrs.
Lambert.”
Cayden fell silent upon hearing that.
Such events were a trend among prominent families in the upper echelons of society. All the parents would throw
birthday banquets for their children, and their intention was as clear as day—to build connections through the
banquets.
In truth, Cayden received Nicole's birthday invitation, too. However, he had forgotten about it after throwing the
invitation card somewhere.
He had never cared for lively occasions and would never attend such banquets except for some unavoidable social
functions.
However, his interest was piqued that day, for he recalled the grievance Avery suffered in the Lambert residence.
He curled his lips slowly as he played with the silver lighter in his hand. The spark flashed intermittently, and he
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmsaid, “I'll also be there tonight.”
At around six o'clock in the evening, when the sky was getting dark, an eye-catching black Rolls-Royce sped toward
the Lambert residence.
As it was wintertime, the scenery along the way appeared slightly desolate but beautifully embellished by the snow.
Avery sat in the back seat and looked outside the car window.
The thought of having to meet her “love rival” later made her tense up subconsciously.
She couldn't fathom why Cayden still took her to Nicole's birthday party since he knew she disliked Nicole.
Besides, she had an argument with Claire and parted ways with her on a sour note last time. She believed that the
Lambert family would not welcome her either.
“We're here.” The driver's voice interrupted Avery's thoughts.
After the driver reverently opened the door for them, Cayden took the lead in alighting from the car. Then, he
gently protected Avery's waist and head while helping her out.
An array of luxury cars were lined up in front of the Lambert family's mansion, and the beautifully carved doors
were opened wide to welcome the guests with grandeur.
A long red carpet spread from the courtyard to the entrance, stretching all the way to the main hall.
The main hall was crowded with big shots from the political and business world and some celebrities from the
entertainment industry.
Cayden held Avery as they walked down the red carpet, catching everyone's attention.
Many senior government officials and business elites kept greeting Cayden along the way.
Avery loved to read the news and financial magazines. With her exceptional memory, she noticed that most of the
people who greeted Cayden often appeared in the Ackleton news and financial magazines.
Gosh! Cayden's connections are way too powerful!
She could feel her face stiffening from all the polite smiles she had to put on as she walked along with Cayden. It
was then she saw a group of rich millennials and famous celebrities from the entertainment industry surrounding
Nicole in the banquet hall.