Chapter 208: Smile for the Fall, Sweetheart
Wyatt raised an eyebrow. Instead of seeing it as a challenge, he found it amusing.
Yunice set the file down and said, “Mr. Carl is very likely to work with you; otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to meet you. I think he’s waiting on a show of intent.”
Wyatt smiled. “That’s enough business talk for now. Weren’t you planning to stir the pot a little?”
He pondered. Your turn to shine.
Yunice replied, “I don’t need to lift a finger. Her vanity will ruin her all by itself.”
Both Yunice and Wyatt had a knack for drawing trouble; they knew better than to mingle at the main event. Wyatt took Yunice upstairs, where they found a perfect spot with a full view of the room below.
Yunice sat with her back straight, facing the railing, watching the guests in the hall as if searching for someone. Wyatt, on the other hand, lounged comfortably in a rosewood chair, seemingly indifferent to everything around him. From time to time, he’d glance up—always toward Yunice. If she wasn’t looking, he’d let his gaze linger a little longer. She was wearing the dress he’d picked out. He liked seeing her in a princess dress.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Wyatt asked, “What are you looking at?”
Yunice said, “I haven’t seen Paul or Jensen anywhere.”
The smile on Wyatt’s lips dimmed slightly; his gaze fell on the delicate curve of Yunice’s neck, and Paul’s words echoed in his mind. Sensing a sudden chill, Yunice turned to find Wyatt watching her with a sharp, unreadable look. She had no idea what triggered it and observed him cautiously.
It took a few seconds before Wyatt pulled himself together and casually said, “Maybe he ran home crying to his daddy.”
Yunice looked back down at the crowd below, though her thoughts drifted. She remembered what Carl had said to her earlier in the lounge.
Carl had asked, “Do you know why Wyatt suddenly lashed out that day at the pool hall?”
She’d said she didn’t.
Carl told her, “I said I’d do business with him—if he handed you over to me. And then he hit me.”
Her eyes had gone wide when he said that. Hyatt had thrown a punch… for her.
Now, thinking back to that flash of coldness in Wyatt’s eyes, Yunice picked up on a pattern: every time she brought up Paul in front of him, he seemed unhappy. A new idea began to take shape in her mind.
“Mr. Jackson’s looking sharp as ever!”
“With a promising younger generation and the Powell family thriving, no wonder Mr. Jackson’s in such high spirits!”
“Mr. Jackson’s granddaughter-in-law is quite impressive too—I heard she prepared a very special birthday gift. We’re all just dying to take a peek!”
Down in the grand hall, a wave of flattery followed Jackson’s arrival. Of course, with compliments came snide remarks too. “Most everyone’s here by now—funny we haven’t seen your second son and his wife.”
“I heard he never shows up to Mr. Jackson’s birthday parties. But then again, what do you expect from someone raised with no manners? Born with a mother, raised like he didn’t have one.”
“His wife isn’t much better. Doesn’t even try to talk sense into him…”
Before the words could even settle, a dark shadow shot down from above. The man who’d just spoken instinctively jumped to the side, and a teapot exploded at his feet.
“Who the heck?” he shouted.
Everyone looked up toward the second floor, but the railing was empty—not a soul in sight. Someone tugged at the speaker’s sleeve, whispering a reminder that the old man was still present, and it wasn’t the time to make a scene.
With no one caught red-handed, he had no choice but to swallow his anger. Jackson, however, wasn’t so easy to fool. He gave his butler a look, and the man slipped silently upstairs.
Meanwhile, downstairs, someone brought out Taylor and began coaxing her to show off the gift. They didn’t really care about the gift; they just wanted to fawn over her.
Taylor clapped her hands twice. The person keeping the gift ledger stepped forward, followed by a row of attendants, each carrying a present.
“One hand-painted marigold vase.”
The man stepped forward, presenting the priceless piece to the guests.
“One gold leaf Victorian figurine.”
Chapter 208: Smile for the Fall, Sweetheart
Anyone familiar with auctions would know that vase had once gone for 70 million; and the Victorian figurine was even more priceless, thanks to its sacred symbolism and repeated sky-high sales. Taylor had really gone all out to make a statement. The first two gifts were already so extravagant. What kind of treasure would the third one be?
All eyes turned to the third attendant holding a box. Even Taylor looked over… but as soon as she saw what was inside, the smile on her face began to fade. She hadn’t prepared that gift.
Send Gifts