Chapter 574
Andrew could not help but chuckle to himself—he definitely was not going to refuse that entire tray of gold. Rodney had brought it straight to him, so why not take advantage of it? He carefully handed the gold off to Francesca, who grinned brightly as her dimples deepened.
“Mr. Sanford, you and your team should sit down before all the food’s gone!” Francesca said warmly.
Rodney waved his hand, polite as ever. “No need to worry about us, Ms. Aicker. We’ll just grab a spot anywhere.”
After that, he quickly led the Madblade Martial Academy members to an empty table, keeping things humble despite their earlier fanfare.
Dean subtly nudged Rodney and whispered, “Mr. Sanford, look over at the VIP section.”
Rodney followed his gaze and immediately tensed up. His heart skipped a beat when he realized sitting at the head table were Jayrodale’s top power players: Marvin, the wealthiest man in Jayrodale; Tiana, the matriarch of the Rhodes family; Cedric, the famous doctor; and Mark, the mayor himself.
“Good thing we came to offer respect instead of trouble. Otherwise, we’d be leaving on stretchers today,” Rodney muttered, quietly instructing his people to stay low-key and focus on enjoying the meal.
Meanwhile, Andrew, Lauren, and Francesca found themselves in an awkward predicament. All the tables were full, leaving no seats for them.
“Should we just crash a table somewhere?” Lauren suggested.
Francesca shook her head. “You two go ahead. I’m not that hungry. I’ll head to the back to tally up the gifts.”
Lauren grinned mischievously. “Fran, you little money-lover! You must be thrilled with today’s haul.”
“You have no idea!” Francesca laughed. “I’ve handled millions before, but there’s just something magical about receiving gifts—it’s a whole different level of joy!”
Lauren clapped her hands in agreement. “Exactly! Regular money doesn’t hit the same because it’s either work-related or tied up in business. But receiving gifts—other people’s money being handed over willingly—oh, it’s just pure bliss!”
Andrew shook his head, exasperated. “You two were just teasing me for wanting to keep Rodney’s gold, yet you’re both acting like treasure hunters now!”
Lauren giggled. “Oh, we wanted it too! We just have to keep up appearances. Girls like us have to pretend to be polite. But you, Dr. Lloyd, as the host, it’s perfectly proper for you to accept it!”
Andrew sighed. Of course, he had been roped into it. He had accepted the gifts, but he knew exactly where they would end up—safely under Francesca and Lauren’s watch, far out of his reach.
Francesca glanced toward the VIP section. Marvin, Tiana, and Mark were enjoying themselves, laughing and chatting over wine.
“So, when are those three going to cough up their gifts?” she wondered aloud, her eyes sparkling with expectation.
Lauren leaned in, equally hopeful. “Oh, if those heavyweights contribute, today’s total could double in no time!”
Andrew opted to stay out of their gift-greedy fantasies. However, his gaze landed on Finley in the corner, drinking heavily and wolfing down food with his crew. A sly idea began to form in Andrew’s mind.
“Lauren, Fran,” Andrew said with a grin, “you two want mere gifts, right? Well, there’s a VIP guest over there who hasn’t paid his dues. We can’t let him leave without contributing!”