Perhaps it was because they knew a very important guest had arrived at the banquet today.
Not only had the rcer family’s son-in-law, Gavin Sinclair, arrived, but even the young master of the Rowan family was present.
Julian rcer and Judith Caldwell, overco with excitent, had a quick discussion and eagerly began the evening’s banquet.
It was clear that Julian rcer was a little nervous on stage.
Even though he was a man who had seen his fair share of storms.
But it couldn’t be helped.
The young master of the Rowan family, a man everyone wanted to curry favor with, had actually co to *their* family’s banquet.
This wasn’t just a huge boost to the rcer family’s prestige; it was a golden opportunity they couldn’t have even hoped for.
’If my daughter could catch the young Rowan master’s eye, if we could win the Rowan family’s support...’
’The rcer Family might be able to squeeze into Rhonia’s circle of top-tier wealthy families. Then, we would just have to wait to skyrocket to the top.’
How could Julian rcer not be nervous, filled with such hopes and fantasies?
Even his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"First, I, Mr. rcer, would like to express my deepest gratitude to all our distinguished guests for taking ti out of your busy schedules to attend this banquet at the rcer ho."
"Your presence graces our humble ho and leaves overwheld by the honor."
"To have you all gathered here today is the greatest honor of my life..."
After a string of pleasantries, Julian rcer finally got to the main topic of the evening.
"The reason I’ve invited you all here tonight is that the rcer family has so joyous news we wish to share."
As soon as he finished speaking, the already dim lights of the banquet hall went out completely.
A single white spotlight flared to life, sweeping toward the second floor of the banquet hall’s spiral staircase.
Standing in the light was a young woman.
The light was a bit too blinding to make out her features clearly.
One could only see that she was wearing a purple haute couture evening gown, her hair swept up high, looking just like a noble princess.
She descended the stairs, her movents graceful and poised.
The spotlight followed her until she reached the center of the stage.
Only then did the banquet hall’s lights co back on, allowing everyone to finally see her face.
Her features were well-proportioned, her skin fair, and her beauty apparent. She carried herself with an air of refinent.
It was just that Claire rcer’s appearance earlier had been too stunning.
So, by comparison, the girl before them seed sowhat plain.
The crowd, not recognizing her, couldn’t help but lower their heads and whisper amongst themselves.
"Who is this?"
"Don’t tell she’s Oscar rcer’s girlfriend?"
"They wouldn’t need to make such a big fuss just to introduce his girlfriend, would they?"
"I don’t get what the rcer family is up to."
"..."
But when Claire rcer saw clearly who was standing on the stage, she was both shocked and bewildered.
’Scarlett Jewel!’
The person on stage was actually Scarlett Jewel.
’Why would she appear at a rcer family banquet in such a manner?’
Soon, Julian rcer answered the question in her heart.
"This," he announced, "is Reina, the biological daughter Judith and I lost many years ago."
The mont he said it, an uproar swept through the hall.
"Huh?"
"What?"
"How many daughters does the rcer family even have?"
"If this is the biological daughter they lost years ago, then what about the one who married into the Sinclair family?"
"Don’t tell the one who married into the Sinclair family, Claire rcer, is the fake heiress?"
"Is the rcer family that audacious? They actually married a fake heiress into the Sinclair family?"
"I heard the Sinclair family’s matriarch was the one who took a liking to Claire rcer back then. It didn’t have much to do with her birth. Otherwise, would the rcer family have even had a chance?"
"..."
The guests were all baffled.
Claire rcer, however, was shocked beyond asure.
’Scarlett Jewel... she’s actually...’
’The rcer family’s daughter?’
She latched onto the key phrase in Julian rcer’s words: ’the biological daughter we lost many years ago...’
’Then what about ?’
’By saying that, does he an... I’m not the rcer family’s biological daughter?’
Filled with a storm of questions, Claire rcer stared at Scarlett Jewel on the stage.
And at Julian rcer and Judith Caldwell, who were gazing at Scarlett with such loving expressions...
Her gaze swept back and forth between the three of them, and an answer began to surface in her mind.
In all these years, she had never once been on the receiving end of such a gentle, loving gaze from them.
’So it turns out they don’t favor sons over daughters.’
Because the way they looked at Scarlett Jewel was filled with deep affection.
It was the complete opposite of the cold, sharp glances they always gave her.
Claire rcer laughed.
’So, my suspicions weren’t just being paranoid.’
’The reason they were always so harsh with ... it was because I’m not their daughter at all, was it?’
Soon, so of the guests below voiced the sa question.
"If the one on stage is your biological daughter, then what about Claire rcer, the one who married into the Sinclair family?"
Julian rcer said, "Actually, we found Claire by the side of the road back then."
"We did try to find her birth parents, but we couldn’t find a single clue."
"At that ti, our own daughter had just gone missing, and we saw little Claire, all alone and helpless. It was a pitiful sight."
"So my wife and I discussed it and decided to bring her back to the rcer ho to raise as our own."
"Although Claire isn’t our biological daughter, we’ve treated her as our own all these years."
"Even now that my biological daughter, Reina, has returned, Claire is still the apple of our family’s eye."
At these words, Claire rcer almost laughed out loud.
’Treated as their own?’
’The apple of the rcer family’s eye?’
*Hah!*
’What a smooth talker.’
’To think he could tell such lies so righteously.’
Their thods of abuse were just so clever that outsiders could never find fault.
It didn’t matter anymore.
She had already lost all hope for this family.
Now that their real daughter was back, she felt a sense of relief, oddly enough.
But why did their daughter have to be Scarlett Jewel?
Why did it have to be Scarlett Jewel, the mistress...
Claire rcer found it all so ironic.
Not only had Scarlett stolen Gavin Sinclair, her nominal husband...
But now, even her identity as the young miss of the rcer family had originally belonged to her.
She felt like a total loser, defeated utterly and completely.
Adrian Sutton, however, had been watching Claire rcer carefully from the mont Julian rcer revealed Scarlett Jewel’s identity.
He saw the tears glistening in her eyes, even as she kept a smile on her face...
Adrian Sutton’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed tight by a pair of hands.
An ache of sympathy made his breathing catch.
He quickly called out to her in a soft voice, "Miss rcer..."
Claire rcer imdiately wiped away the tear that had unconsciously rolled down her cheek and gave him a faint smile.
"I’m fine."
Though she said that, her heart was already shattered to pieces.
No wonder Scarlett Jewel had been so adamant before about inviting her to her and Gavin Sinclair’s wedding.
It turned out that not only was she pregnant with Gavin Sinclair’s child, but she was also the lost biological daughter of the rcer family.
Although the rcer family’s status in Rhonia was far below the Sinclair family’s, they were still a reputable, wealthy family.
With these two connections, it shouldn’t be difficult for her to marry Gavin Sinclair.
Her gaze drifted to Scarlett Jewel on the stage, and she saw the other woman raise her lips in a smile.
It seed to be a sneer, a jeer, with a hint of provocation...
But more than anything, it was the gloating pride of a victor looking down on the vanquished.
’Scarlett Jewel must be so pleased with herself right now.’
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