Chapter 228: Chapter 228: Wyatt Sterling with Miss Hawthorne
Iris Irving’s expression suddenly tightened. She turned to Felix Hawthorne and said, "You have good taste, I’ll give you that. It’s just a shame she’ll never be able to marry into the Hawthorne Family. The most you can do is enjoy her youth for a few years."
"Is that so?"
Their eyes met.
Iris saw a half-genuine, half-feigned expression in Felix Hawthorne’s eyes. After pondering it for a moment, she asked, "Don’t tell me you’ve actually developed real feelings for her?"
But Felix Hawthorne just asked, "Can I?"
Iris was taken aback. ’Why is he turning the question back on me?’
’If I said no, would he actually listen to me and take back those feelings he’s developed?’
’Whatever, it’s none of my business.’ She chose not to answer.
「Meanwhile.」
Alice York waited for a long time for Felix Hawthorne and his fiancée to leave. She hurried to make her way out, but in her haste, she accidentally bumped into another guest’s arm.
"Excuse me," she quickly apologized.
The guests at the banquet were all well-mannered people from high society, so they naturally wouldn’t make a fuss over a minor bump. The person said it was fine and even made way for Alice York.
"Please, go ahead."
Just as Alice was about to thank him again, she heard the person suddenly call out her name—
"Alice York?"
’He knows me?’
Alice looked up. The face before her instantly brought back the awful memory of the first time in her life she’d ever been reported.
"Rhys. Lan. Cas. Ter." She bit out his name, syllable by syllable.
The Lancaster Family had a massive business. As the heir to Lancaster Enterprises, it wasn’t surprising that he would attend a banquet to network with titans of commerce.
Rhys Lancaster’s face turned cold. "We meet again, Miss York."
Alice genuinely despised him, so she couldn’t even muster a polite, fake smile. "But I had no desire to see you again. Goodbye."
Not wanting any more interaction with this man, Alice turned to leave.
Rhys Lancaster’s voice came from behind her. "Your methods are getting more and more sophisticated, Miss York."
Alice stopped in her tracks.
She turned around. "Are you being sarcastic, Mr. Lancaster?"
Rhys Lancaster said coldly, "With you, there’s no need for sarcasm."
Alice took a step back toward him. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
The proximity made Rhys Lancaster uncomfortable, so he subtly took half a step back. Meeting her questioning gaze, he said calmly, "First you were wrapped around Holden, then when you couldn’t make it in Silvanus, you ran over to Arden to seduce someone from the Hawthorne Family. Should I say you’ve got guts, or are you just brazen?"
’So he’s mocking me for seducing men everywhere.’ Alice smiled. "Thank you for the compliments, Mr. Lancaster. It’s both."
Rhys Lancaster didn’t say a word, but the look in his eyes was louder than any shout. ’He must have cursed me ten thousand times in his head by now—shameless.’
’Let him curse. It’s not like he’s a good person, either.’
Alice shot him a look, then turned and walked away.
Rhys Lancaster frowned and reached out to grab Alice. But in doing so, he accidentally pulled down her shawl. As the shawl slid off, the first thing he saw was her smooth, flawless back, exposed by a deep V. The deep purple, diamond-studded gown outlined her figure to perfection. The visual impact left him dumbstruck for the first time in his life.
At the same time, the gazes of many guests turned in their direction.
Alice frantically crouched down to pick up the shawl. She had specifically chosen a large one to cover her dress—not only her back but also the top of the high slit—so she wouldn’t draw too much attention while walking among the guests.
Now, with the shawl fallen, she was like a dazzling gemstone, sparkling brilliantly and attracting one astonished gaze after another.
She hastily draped it over herself, but in her panic, it was a mess and didn’t cover her properly at all.
’No, this is still too conspicuous.’
Besides, this was not the time for her to be on full display. Just a moment ago, she’d overheard people gossiping about the "scheming woman who seduced Eldest Young Master Hawthorne." If she were recognized now, she could only imagine the scene.
"Sorry."
Rhys Lancaster’s voice came from above her.
Alice looked up to see Rhys Lancaster pulling his arm back. A man’s suit jacket was now draped over her shoulders.
Looking at Rhys Lancaster, she saw he was now only in a white shirt.
"I have my own shawl, why did you take off your jacket for me?" ’Wasn’t that completely unnecessary?!’
Rhys Lancaster said, "I saw that you couldn’t..."
Alice’s tone was aggressive. "You did that on purpose, didn’t you? You want everyone to think I’m fickle, that I’m leading on a Young Master Hawthorne while still being entangled with you. That way, my reputation at this banquet will be ruined. Is that your goal?"
Rhys Lancaster: "..."
He stared at Alice for a moment, then suddenly smiled. "You’ve just given me an idea. That’s not a bad strategy at all."
"I won’t let you get away with it."
With that, Alice took off the jacket and threw it back at Rhys Lancaster. Then, she quickly adjusted her shawl and draped it properly over herself.
Rhys Lancaster caught the jacket. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a dark expression. "Me, trying to harm you? Heh. You really don’t know how to appreciate a kind gesture."
"Mr. Lancaster may be a good person to others, but to me," Alice smiled, "you’re not."
And with that, she left without a moment’s hesitation.
Rhys Lancaster was practically fuming. To his surprise, the woman who had just stormed off so furiously suddenly turned back. But she didn’t walk toward him; she headed for the area behind him, as if deliberately avoiding something.
「At that moment.」
The Hawthornes had all made their appearances before the guests. However, the true guest of honor for the evening—the Miss Hawthorne who had been lost for over twenty years—had yet to be formally introduced.
Finn Hawthorne toasted a nearby elder, then glanced around. Noticing his brother wasn’t with Iris, he quickly slipped over.
"Bro."
Felix Hawthorne handed his glass to Chloe Linden and turned around. "What is it?"
Finn Hawthorne asked, "Where’s Alice?"
"I don’t know."
Felix Hawthorne started walking in another direction. There was another elder he needed to greet.
"Bro!" Finn Hawthorne blocked Felix’s path. "Our sister and Wyatt Sterling are about to be introduced to all the guests. I need to be with Alice right now! I have to prot—I mean, watch over her!"
Felix Hawthorne repeated, "Watch over her?"
Finn Hawthorne admitted honestly, "I’m worried about her being alone."
Felix Hawthorne said quietly, "She’s not alone. Chase Jennings won’t be more than ten meters away from her."
Tonight, wherever Alice went, Chase would be nearby to protect her, but without letting her easily notice him.
"How is that the same! Chase was sent to protect her, but I’m going to accompany her!" Finn Hawthorne was dying of anxiety. All he wanted right now was to see Alice.
After much pleading and pestering, Felix Hawthorne finally relented. He turned his head to Chloe Linden beside him and said, "Take him to find Alice."
"Yes, sir."
Chloe Linden acknowledged the order, then said to Finn, "Third Young Master, please follow me."
Finn gave Felix a thumbs-up, grinning like a sunflower. "Bro, my dear brother, I won’t say more. I’m off to find Alice. I’ll leave the rest to you!"
"..."
Almost all the invited guests had arrived.
Simon Sterling attended with Rosalind Sawyer. People from the Lancaster Family of Silvanus and the Churchill Family of Washington had also come. Alice even saw Julian Dalton, along with many other familiar faces.
The only one who had yet to appear was Wyatt Sterling.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried to contact him; she just couldn’t get through. ’Is he not coming tonight?’
Just as she was thinking this, she overheard a nearby guest say, "Is that the Hawthorne family’s long-lost daughter?"
"The Hawthornes have kept her well under wraps; she’s never made a public appearance before tonight. I’m not sure if that’s Miss Hawthorne, but the man next to her is Third Master Sterling. I’ve seen him before."
