Chapter 19: Chapter 19 - Elite Judgment
Mabel’s cold gaze fixed on Lyla, her face a mask of frost.
"I..." Lyla’s eyes went wide, about to speak.
Harvey quickly clamped his hand over her mouth, then stammered, "Miss Sean, she... she doesn’t deserve to be on stage, please don’t joke about..."
Mabel let out a dismissive huff. "If she continues showing disrespect, she should be prepared for what follows."
After delivering this warning, Mabel completely ignored Harvey.
"What’s this about? If she wasn’t going to pick us, why shine the light on us in the first place?" Lyla muttered under her breath.
"Be quiet!" Harvey snapped, unable to contain his frustration any longer.
The more he looked at Lyla, the more irritated he became.
"No, I can’t let her ruin this opportunity my family worked so hard to secure!" Harvey screamed internally.
His mind raced, searching desperately for a way to salvage the situation.
By then, Mabel had pulled me directly off the stage toward the front-most table.
Everyone seated there held significant status—only River City’s most distinguished citizens were permitted at this table.
Facing such influential figures would make anyone nervous.
But I’d made up my mind. I’d spent most of my life being a coward, and I refused to be that person any longer!
Besides, I’d harbored feelings for Mabel for so long.
If I continued letting fear control me, how could I ever deserve to be with her?
We walked directly to the table and took our seats.
Mabel wore a composed smile, completely at ease.
I tried my best to appear natural as well.
After we sat down, everyone’s eyes turned to me, their skepticism obvious.
"Mabel, who exactly is this young man? Why haven’t I heard of him before?" A middle-aged man in an expensive suit finally broke the silence.
Mabel laughed lightly. "Uncle Thompson, would you believe me if I said he’s tomorrow’s rising star?"
Uncle Thompson chuckled. "In other words, he truly has nothing to his name right now?"
Mabel paused briefly before responding, "If you mean wealth and status, yes, Mason truly has nothing."
"But when it comes to talent and inner abilities, I believe he could rival a nation."
Her words made me blush, my heart pounding against my ribs.
To the others, however, her statement seemed almost laughable.
Talent and inner abilities? In this era, who valued such intangibles? Only money and power commanded respect!
Uncle Thompson seemed intent on making things difficult for me. He studied me carefully before asking, "Young man, Mabel has given you quite the endorsement. I wonder, what talent do you possess?"
I observed Uncle Thompson carefully, then furrowed my brow. "Uncle Thompson, have you been feeling unwell lately? Perhaps experiencing angina or some discomfort in your chest?"
At my words, Mr. Thompson burst into laughter. "From your tone, are you some kind of doctor?"
"You could say that," I replied.
Uncle Thompson shook his head, chuckling. "Unfortunately, I just had a complete physical examination a few days ago. All my indicators were normal."
I frowned deeper. "Uncle Thompson, I still strongly suggest you get your heart checked again."
My insistence seemed to amuse him. "I really don’t think that’s necessary."
"Uncle Thompson, I’m being completely serious," I said, my voice taking on a note of urgency.
I could clearly see a patch of dark, shadowy mist hovering around Uncle Thompson’s heart area.
Though I wasn’t entirely certain what this dark mist signified, I knew it couldn’t be anything positive.
By now, Uncle Thompson’s expression had soured considerably.
"I understand young people are eager to climb the social ladder, but showing off recklessly often backfires," he warned, his tone sharp.
If not for Mabel’s presence, Uncle Thompson might have lost his temper entirely.
"Young man, Mr. Thompson commands the Chuzzle Battle Zone. The doctor who conducts his health checks is a specialist from the battle zone itself. Best not to push this further," someone interjected with a forced laugh, trying to ease the tension.
I fell silent, unsure how to proceed.
"Mabel, you’re still young. You need to be more discerning about the company you keep," Uncle Thompson remarked, his implication unmistakable.
Mabel replied with a light laugh. "I think, Uncle Thompson, you should take Mason’s advice seriously."
This left Uncle Thompson visibly uncomfortable, though out of respect for Mabel, he restrained his temper.
"Let’s drink before the food gets cold," someone suggested, raising their wine glass to defuse the situation.
The overall atmosphere remained festive, but Uncle Thompson’s expression had darkened considerably.
Seeing this, I picked up my wine glass and proposed a toast. "Uncle Thompson, perhaps I was mistaken. I hope you’ll forgive my presumption."
Uncle Thompson glanced at me, snorted dismissively, and turned away.
I awkwardly lowered my untouched glass.
"Don’t let it upset you," Mabel leaned close and whispered, smiling.
"To them, you’re just an ordinary person. They’ll show you respect because of me, but it’s only surface-level."
"If you want to earn their genuine respect, you’ll need to prove yourself to them," she suggested, her eyes sparkling.
Meeting Mabel’s gaze, I felt as if no challenge was insurmountable!
I nodded firmly. "I’ll definitely prove to them that your faith in me isn’t misplaced!"
"I believe in you," Mabel replied, her eyes shimmering like water. I couldn’t help being captivated.
"Miss... Miss Sean..."
Just then, Harvey and Lyla approached our table, wine glasses in hand.
Harvey clearly had no desire to bring Lyla—such a tremendous embarrassment—along, but without her coming to apologize, the chance of forgiveness was practically nonexistent!
After carefully explaining the stakes to her, Harvey had summoned his courage and approached with Lyla in tow.
Looking at the pair, Mabel’s expression turned playful.
Harvey was visibly nervous, his hand trembling as it clutched his wine glass.
He understood all too well that the woman before him could determine his family’s fate with a single word.
"Miss... Miss Sean, I was blind and offended you. I hope you won’t stoop to my level..." Harvey stammered.
After speaking, he roughly pulled Lyla’s arm.
Though extremely reluctant, Lyla managed an apology. "Miss Sean, right? I need to warn you though—what do you see in someone like Mason? He’s nothing but a hopeless loser who just cooks and does laundry all day! Calling him ’useless’ is actually a compliment!"
