Chapter 33

Robert ignored Kendrick and headed straight for the banquet hall. The hall was crowded. An elderly Hoffman family manager stopped him at the entrance.

"Sir, please show me your invitation," the manager requested.

"Invitation?" Kendrick sneered from the doorway. "How could Naomi's kept boy toy have an invitation? Let Naomi fetch him. She needs a manners lesson! The Labelle family's upbringing is appalling!"

Kendrick's outburst drew many glances. Naomi, seated with her father, Connor, immediately looked at Robert with a questioning expression. Connor, having missed the auction, didn't recognize him as the Zabinski heir. Those who had recognized Robert at the auction were hesitant to intervene, given the Zabinski family's involvement.

Naomi quickly whispered an explanation to her father. Connor's expression shifted from puzzled to complex. His scrutiny of Robert now held a different, more assessing quality.

The manager, having heard Naomi, said, "You are Ms. Labelle's friend. Please come in."

Kendrick's intervention hadn't helped Robert. Despite the manager's politeness, several older Hoffman guests glared at Robert, blaming Naomi for her lack of etiquette. They questioned her right to bring uninvited guests. Other guests also cast ironic glances, suggesting Naomi's friends were leveraging the Labelle family's status to gain entry.

Entering the hall, Robert noted twenty-three full tables. The Zabinski family had no reserved seating. He silently made his way to Naomi's table, the only person he knew. Unbeknownst to Robert, the Hoffmans had considered a Zabinski family attendance a long shot, assuming, if they did come, they'd be seated at the head table—a position even Stephen, the birthday boy, would have to defer to.

Robert sat beside Naomi.

"Mr. Zabinski," Connor greeted him quietly.

"Mr. Labelle," Robert replied politely.

Connor seemed surprised by Robert's demeanor. He'd encountered many heirs, some humble, others arrogant. As the Zabinski heir, Robert was a leader among his peers, not only in Yrinas but also Navarre. Arrogance wouldn't have been unexpected, or unpunished.

Marilyn, seated at the opposite table, observed Connor's cordial interaction with Robert, unable to hear their conversation. She found the scene inexplicable, leaving her wondering…