Larissa and Aster turned their faces away and ignored Wendy. Their expressions of disdain were obvious. "Hmph!" Wendy tossed her napkin in annoyance. She grabbed her bag and stood up, gritting her teeth. "I'm going to the restroom!" The restrooms in the restaurant were separated by gender, but the sinks outside were shared. When Wendy came out, there was a man who looked like a Caldorian washing his hands at the sink. After living in Aldovia for some time, she had long passed the phase of striking up conversations with random Caldorians. These days, she would not even look twice at the faces of unfamiliar people. Still, this man caught her attention for one reason. In this fast-food restaurant, no one was dressed as well as he did. Wearing a well-fitted suit, the man had a neat tie on. His black leather shoes were gleaming. Having worked in the hotel industry for many years, Wendy had seen her fair share of distinguished guests. Although the man's clothes had no logo, it

"Lunatic?" Larissa instinctively leaned towards Aster and shielded him with her arm. She looked around. "Where?" Wendy scanned the surroundings. The tables surrounding them were all filled with Aldovians. The lunatic she encountered at the restroom was nowhere to be found. "That's strange … " Frowning, Wendy muttered. Although their conversation wasn't soft, it wasn't that loud either. The person who overheard them should be seated close by. He should be within their range of sight. "Maybe he hasn't returned yet," Wendy guessed. Larissa was shaken by Wendy's words. She was fearful of madmen, given the rising rate of shootings. They had to be cautious everywhere they went. Worried about any potential mishaps, she told Aster in a low voice, "Eat faster, we are heading home soon." Wendy was also feeling anxious. She kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. Luckily, the lunatic didn't appear until they paid the bill and left. No one knew whether he had left or was still

"Hasn't he been calling you Daddy all this while?" Larissa pretended to not understand Kevan.Still, Kevan persisted, "You know what I mean." Larissa bit her lip and fell silent.Kevan continued sternly, "You should know how much Aster craves a father's love. Larissa, our issues should not involve Aster. He has the right to have both a father and a mother." Larissa understood everything Kevan said, but … "How are you going to explain to him your years of absence in his life? How are you going to tell him about our past? Right, and that daughter of yours. Aster doesn't like her, and vice versa. How are you going to handle the relationship between them going forward?" Larissa's questions were like landmines that stood between Kevan and Aster. Kevan paused for a moment and said hesitantly, "I have a perfect solution to all of this …"Larissa's curiosity was piqued. "What solution?" "Let's get married." "Hey! Hey!" Wendy stretched out her hand and waved it in front of Lariss

The banquet on Sunday night would start at 6 pm. Lewis picked Larissa up to prepare for the banquet at noon.The venue of the banquet was Gary's villa, which was located in Glory Hill. The collection of villas there were all owned by the rich and wealthy of Westonia. It was the most upscale real estate in that city. Before this, Larissa never had the privilege of stepping foot there. Her impression of Glory Hill came from the Internet and through various dramas. Yet, as the car drove past luxurious mansions, she realized how little she knew of Glory Hill. She couldn't even begin to imagine the lives of wealthy people here. The villas there had vast private gardens, enormous swimming pools, and unique architecture. Larissa was in awe. She had thought that the Seymour family's villa she lived in for ten years was already luxurious. Alas, it paled in comparison to the villas here. Gary was a Caldorian at heart. He designed his villa. It was charming and classical. The la

Yvette was the one who had instilled these principles within her. After being reunited with Gary, everything he did for her touched her deeply. "Alright, that's enough. Dry your tears and we will go to the next room. You need to get your hair and makeup done." Lewis gave her some tissues. Larissa's room was next to Aster's room. It was furnished in a modern style as well. In the room, a few pretty and fashionable young ladies were waiting for her on the sofa. Lewis pushed Larissa forward and said, "I brought her, now you can start your work." The young ladies stepped forward and pounced on her with sparkling eyes. Getting her hair styled was a boring and arduous process. Larissa dozed off a few times, but she was awoken by the painful tugs on her scalp. Her shoulder-length hair was dyed chestnut brown and styled in waves. Her face was made up with a thick layer of makeup. Her red lips and the mole in the corner of her eyes added to her sensuality. Surrounding her,

Gary's speech was short and sweet. It didn't exceed two minutes. Larissa was still in a daze when Lewis nudged her on the shoulder. "It's time to go down." In a hurry, she almost tripped over the hem of her gown. Lewis caught her before she fell. Holding up his fist at his lips, he whispered in a low tone, "Walk elegantly and with dignity." Larissa immediately followed the training she received. Lifting the hem of her dress, she held her head high and straightened her back. Step by step, she descended the stairs. Larissa maintained a smile as she faced dozens of intense gazes. Gary's eyes were filled with tears as she approached him. When Larissa stopped at his side, he offered his arm. She held onto him and scanned the room. Most of the guests tonight appeared to be young Caldorians. Larissa couldn't help but wonder why. Blue Star Shipping was founded and established in Aldovia. Although the company's partners were likely diverse, most of them should be middle

Mike remained composed and stretched his hand out toward Larissa with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Larissa." "Nice to meet you too." Larissa shook his hand. Seizing his chance, Gary excused himself and gave them some privacy. Larissa felt awkward. Mike picked up two glasses of champagne from the table and gave Larissa one. "Care for a drink?" Larissa took it and said, "Thank you." "Seems like Mr. Logan wants to matchmake us." Mike rested on the edge of the table and stared as Gary weaved among the crowd. Larissa almost choked as she didn't expect him to be so direct. Still, she visibly relaxed after that. "He meddles in things he shouldn't." Sipping some champagne, Larissa sighed. "All parents are like that," Mike said with a chuckle. "My parents are always pressuring me to get married. I was forced to attend today's banquet as well, but …" He turned to stare at Larissa. "It was fortunate that I came, or I wouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting you." Mike wa

One of Gary's close friends was a famous pianist. He was among the guests. He was drunk and got into the mood for some music. So, he opened the cover of the grand piano and began playing. His fingers danced across the keys.The chatter of the people stopped all of a sudden. Everyone turned to look at the pianist, who had a drunk smile on his face. He said, "The next song is for today's star—the beautiful Ms. Larissa Seymour!"Larissa hurriedly put down the wine glass in her hand as she straightened up. She nodded a little at the pianist with the crowd between them.The pianist's fingers landed on the keys again. Beautiful music filled the spacious hall.Guests with female partners began to dance, and the others joined in. Even Mike held out his hand to Larissa."May I have the honor of dancing with you, Ms. Larissa?"He bowed with a hand behind his back. His manners were perfect.Larissa did not want to have close contact with men, but she could not refuse him in front of ev

"Mr. Rogers is here too?""Hi, Mr. Rogers, I am …""Mr. Rogers, we met in Bartham last time, I am …"…Many of Gary's invited guests were Caldorians. Even if they had already immigrated to Aldovia many years ago, most of their businesses remained in Caldor, so they naturally knew Kevan.The crowd's focus quickly changed, and the "perfectly matched couple" were tossed aside. However, the "couple" in question were not unhappy because of this.Larissa was still staring blankly at Kevan, who came from who knew where. Mike was staring at Kevan with sparkling eyes too after he got over his surprise. He adjusted his tie and took an eager step. But then he suddenly seemed to have recalled something as he turned to Larissa. He looked a little uncomfortable."Do you … want to greet Mr. Rogers too?" he asked."Huh?" Larissa seemed to have woken up from a dream. Once she finally heard what Mike said, she smiled dryly and shook her head. "No, thanks. You go on ahead.""Okay." Mike turned

Kevan seemed to have dressed up today. His tailored black tuxedo seemed to show his aura even more than ever. His white shirt clung to his flesh, and his muscles bulged out.The white vest he wore hugged his waist. His long legs were hugged by black trousers.His bangs were swept off his forehead. They were set in place with hair wax, making his eyes stand out When Larissa locked eyes with him, she felt like her soul had left her body. She could only stand there. She could find no words.Kevan smiled. His eyes were shining. He glanced at the pianist in the corner of the room and used a rare humble tone of voice as he asked, "Please play another song."The pianist was Aldovian. He was just regular friends with Gary. He had never been involved in the business industry, so he did not know Kevan. But from the way others treated Kevan at the banquet, the pianist could tell that Kevan was someone important. So, he dared not neglect him.A lighthearted tune began to flow from the pia