Five minutes later, Lilia walked out of the residence with red eyes. She closed her mouth tightly and the tip of her nose looked slightly red. Her slender body was trembling violently, as if she was shaken by something.
Jean stood at the gate and waited patiently. As soon as he saw Lilia coming out, he immediately greeted his wife with a tight hug. His hand rubbed the woman's back.
The corner of Lilia's mouth slowly relaxed as she was in the man's arms. She leaned her head against Jean's chest and asked in a hoarse voice, "Who did this to Sister Mel?"
"A group of thugs living in a nightclub."
*****
At exactly five in the afternoon, Lilia and Jean returned to the greenhouse. The birthday party was about to start, so there were already many guests.
As a world-class famous painter, Simon Irwan was also a prominent professor from a well-known university. His disciples were scattered from all over the world and came from all walks of life.
Among the guests, all of the Austin Family and Lin Family members were present without exception. Both had long been friends with the Irwan family.
From outside the greenhouse, through the glass wall which was illuminated by the light, Lilia could see the Irwan Family sitting at the main table. The figure of an old man immediately caught Lilia's attention. Even though the man was over seventy years old, he was wearing a burgundy tuxedo which made him look energetic. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses adorned his face and there were real flowers in the breast pocket of his coat.
The old man's sharp eyes were colored with a smile, deepening the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. But when the old man spoke and laughed, his movements showed tenderness and dignity.
Lilia's steps automatically stopped outside the greenhouse. Her gaze was fixed on the happy scene inside, but her heart felt empty. Right now, she couldn't feel the slightest joy in her heart.
Mellisa was badly injured, so Lilia came here to make anyone who did it regret what they did. She would not be satisfied until she made them pay for their actions!
"Lilia."
Jean's voice made Lilia turn her head. The woman thought he was going to tell her to be more careful tonight. But to her surprise, Jean smiled ignorantly.
"You can do whatever you want tonight," he said while raising Lilia's hand and kissing the back of his hand. "I will handle all the consequences, so you don't have to worry."
Jean looked at Lilia with an indulgent look. Even if Lilia made a fuss at this respectable Irwan Family's birthday party, Jean was ready to support her. Just one word from Lilia and he would immediately fulfill all of her wishes.
Lilia took a deep breath, then the corner of her mouth lifted into a grin. "Since it's Grandpa Simon's birthday party, I'll try not to go overboard," Lilia said with a cold gaze.
"It's all up to you," Jean replied without hesitation.
Hearing this answer, Lilia gently squeezed the man's hand. Then she turned her gaze back into the greenhouse. To be precise, Lilia's gaze was focused on Leila's figure.
"Come on in."
*****
The birthday party was about to start. The person who prepared the opening speech to the audience was Anton Lin, the owner of the Imperial restaurant. Lilia met Grandpa Anton when she ate at the restaurant with Claire and Andrew.
Anton read his speech aloud in front of the audience. However, only a small proportion listened to Anton's speech. Many guests were still laughing at their tables.
In the midst of the speech, the butler, Hardy, hurried to Jenny's side. He bent down and whispered a word in the woman's ear.
Almost immediately, a smile spread across Jenny's face. She nodded and said, "Quickly invite them in,"
After Hardy left them, Jenny smiled at Simon beside her. "Dad, I'm going to introduce you to two young people in a moment. They are very good people. I really appreciate them," Jenny explained.
Simon smiled as he nodded. His hoarse voice sounded dignified. "Then, I really need to meet them. What kind of young person can make you so amazed and recommend me specifically?"
"Look, they are here!" Jenny pointed to the glasshouse entrance. At the same time, Simon and other members of the Irwan family who were at the table also looked away.
Lilia's figure who walked over with Jean caught everyone's attention. The black dress she wore stood out among the greenery. The soft light slowly fell on Lilia, making her appearance even more dazzling.
"Isn't that supermodel Lilia?!"
"Why did the Irwan Family invite artists?"
"Look, they look so proud just because Uncle Hardy personally escorted them in here. Looks like they don't come from a nice family!"
"Hey, did you see that? The guy next to her is so handsome!"
In everyone's eyes, the woman was wearing a simple but striking dress, with an elegant demeanor. On the other hand, the man was wearing a tuxedo as black as night. His tall and upright posture almost made all women fall in love with him.
"Like from a painting ..."
Nobody knew who said that, but everyone agreed with what that person said. The husband and wife looked so stunning and harmonious, as if they just came out of one of Simon's paintings.
In the midst of the silence, there was a continuous sound of broken glass. The first sound came from the main table, while the other came from the back of the greenhouse. The second sound came from a husband and wife who looked very nervous.
Jenny waved to Lilia and Jean with a smile. She opened her mouth to speak, but the woman sitting beside Richard Irwan suddenly rose from her chair.
"Mellisa... Are you Mellisa?!" Janice asked with a shaken face.
At this moment, Leila's face immediately turned pale from her seat beside Janice. Her breath shortened and her eyes flickered continuously.
Why was Lilia here?! She didn't see their names on the banquet's guest list!
As Leila tried to make sense of the situation, Janice's words immediately silenced the main and the neighboring table. For a moment, the entire greenhouse was enveloped in silence.
It could be just Janice's feelings as she had been thinking of her daughter recently that she was so stunned upon Lilia's arrival. When she suddenly saw a girl who looked very much like Mellisa, Janice lost all control of herself.
Grandpa Simon frowned and lowered his voice to warn the woman. "Janice, don't talk nonsense," His rebuke was brief.
Janice bit her lip and looked closely at Lilia. As the wife of Richard Irwan, Simon Irwan's eldest son, Janice came from the Harrison Family, one of the respected families in Jakarta. The woman was not used to being reprimanded by others. She still wanted to observe Lilia a little more, but Janice couldn't oppose Simon in front of everyone.
Finally, Janice sat back down with a disappointed expression. Even so, her gaze never left Lilia.. Janice felt even more convinced that the model looked like her daughter who died five years ago, Mellisa.
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