Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Banquet Invitation

Seeing Zane Simmons suddenly appear in the living room, Mrs. White quickly retracted the hand she was about to poke Lucy White’s forehead with.

She wrung her hands awkwardly, plastering on a fawning smile. "Mr. Simmons—oh no, I mean, Mr. Simmons... Joanne’s sister is just being immature and causing a little trouble. I’ll take her to her room right now."

After speaking, Mrs. White grabbed Lucy White’s arm and went upstairs, leaving the space for Joanne White and Zane Simmons.

Watching the two of them leave, Zane Simmons narrowed his eyes slightly.

Lucy White was younger than Joanne White, but she was surprisingly a little taller.

Unlike Joanne White’s fragile, delicate-flower persona, Lucy White’s features were more open, and her eyes held a touch of resilience, like a lily blooming in the wind...

Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail. As she walked, the tip of the ponytail swayed back and forth, reminding Zane Simmons of the vibrant and lively girls from his high school days.

Thinking of this, his gaze on Lucy White’s back couldn’t help but fill with a hint of admiration.

Seeing this, Joanne White subtly took a few steps forward, blocking Zane Simmons’s line of sight.

With a gentle smile, she thoughtfully took the trench coat from Zane Simmons’s hands and said softly, "Darling, have you eaten? My mother made chicken and celtuce soup today. Would you like to try some?..."

Zane Simmons averted his gaze and shook his head, saying to Joanne White, "My mom is hosting a victory celebration at The Nimbus Hotel’s banquet hall this weekend. I’m taking you with me, so remember to pick out a suitable outfit."

Without waiting for Joanne White’s reply, Zane Simmons headed straight for the study.

Zane Simmons had been feeling uneasy lately. Zara Walsh’s pursuit of him was becoming increasingly aggressive.

Zara had not only gotten on good terms with all his friends, but she had also won the favor of his mother, Paige Walsh. Paige had been praising Zara constantly, saying that thanks to her, they had a breakthrough with the special medication.

Speaking of the victory banquet, Paige Walsh had specifically instructed Zane Simmons to interact more with Zara Walsh at the event and not to be so quick to refuse her.

Zane Simmons had a massive headache. He really didn’t want to repeat his parents’ meaningless business-alliance marriage, and he couldn’t understand why Zara Walsh was so insistent on walking into such a tomb.

Though he was a cynical playboy who kept many women around, marriage was different for him. He felt that a relationship protected by law deserved a certain degree of respect.

He wouldn’t choose to get married unless he was certain that person was the one for the rest of his life.

That’s why he wanted to bring the pregnant Joanne White to the weekend banquet. He hoped Zara Walsh would understand his stance, see him as nothing but a dissolute rake, and give up on the idea of a marriage alliance with him.

Back in the second-floor room, Joanne White threw herself into Mrs. White’s arms, telling her what Zane Simmons had just said through tears of joy.

Zane Simmons had never taken her to this kind of formal gathering before. This was a first, and his mother would be there too.

’Being brought by Zane Simmons to such a formal event to meet his elders... I might finally have a chance to make this official!’ Joanne White thought.

Hearing this, Mrs. White patted Joanne White’s back in relief, her voice tinged with excitement. "Good, good, my dear daughter. Your suffering is finally paying off. I knew it! My daughter is so smart and sensible, how could any man not like you?"

Then, she turned to Lucy White, who had been standing silently to the side. "Lucy, it’s thanks to your sister that you get to live here. You must take good care of her from now on, do you hear me?"

Lucy White just nodded silently without a word.

For some reason, her gaze toward Joanne White held a hint of almost imperceptible pity...

******

The Hayes Family’s Buddhist hall.

A servant unlocked the door to the Buddhist hall and called into the pitch-black room, "Miss, the three days are up. You can come out now."

A hoarse groan came from inside the hall. The servant curled her lip in a smirk, paid it no mind, and left after propping the door open.

Light from outside streamed through the open door, falling on Clara Hayes, who was lying on the floor. Clara opened her eyes uncomfortably, staring blankly ahead.

She had been lying before the Buddha statue for three days. In that time, she hadn’t eaten a single bite of food. Her eyes were sunken, her lips were chapped, and her face was utterly haggard.

Clara Hayes felt as if she had almost died in here.

Hector Hayes had said she was only allowed to drink water for these three days, but there’s a big difference between a glass of water and a pitcher.

To curry favor with Lily Adler, the villa’s housekeeper had only given Clara half a glass of water each day—barely enough to make a difference, just enough to keep her from dying of thirst.

When Clara Hayes saw the door open, she gritted her teeth and struggled to her feet. But from hunger-induced hypoglycemia, her vision went black the moment she stood up, and she collapsed back onto the floor.

A long while later, she finally managed to stagger back to her room. Ignoring everything else, she grabbed a tin box of candy from her nightstand, trembling as she opened it and shoved a handful into her mouth...

After opening the door for Clara, the servant went to Lily Adler’s room. Shedding the mocking demeanor she had with Clara, she put on a fawning smile and said, "Lily, the young miss just returned to her room."

Hearing this, Lily Adler put down the silver acupuncture needle she was practicing with and flexed her wrist.

She thought for a moment before replying, "The poor thing... she hasn’t eaten a single grain of rice in three days. She must be starving... I remember there’s some fresh seafood in the kitchen. Tell them to quickly make some sashimi and tempura, her favorites, and bring them to her room."

The servant was taken aback and said with some hesitation, "Seafood is so rare these days. Are you sure we should give it to the young miss? Wouldn’t it be better to save it for the second miss..."

Ever since the volcanic eruption, air freight had been cut off, making seafood supplies much scarcer than before. Even the wealthy in Anworth couldn’t binge on seafood like they used to.

But Lily Adler just waved her hand and said with a smile, "Clara loves seafood, especially salmon sashimi. She’s been starving for three days, so let her have it first."

The servant immediately began showering Lily Adler with praise for being so thoughtful and considerate, complimenting her beauty and kindness, and saying she cared more for Clara Hayes than Hector Hayes himself did and had the air of a true matriarch.

Lily Adler just smiled silently at the servant’s flattery and casually took a pair of pearl earrings from her jewelry box to give to her.

The servant couldn’t stop grinning as she held the two large, perfectly round South Sea pearls. She knew these earrings would fetch a good price. She thanked Lily Adler profusely, bowed, and backed out of the room.

Watching the servant leave, Lily Adler went back to fiddling with the acupuncture needle in her hand.

Hector Hayes was getting older and always complained of headaches and back pain, so Lily Adler had learned some acupuncture and massage, and she gave him a massage every day.

It was because of this thoughtfulness that Hector Hayes had grown more and more inseparable from her over the years.

Suddenly, the door to the room was pushed open.

Lily Adler looked up at the sound and saw Sylvia Lancaster walk in with a smile. "Mom, what are you doing? Dad and my brother are taking me to a banquet at The Nimbus Hotel this weekend. Can you help me pick out a dress?"

Lately, Sylvia Lancaster’s cheeks had become visibly fuller, and her complexion had improved significantly. The exhaustion from her previous miscarriage was gone, replaced by an aura of pure happiness that made even her eyes sparkle.

Lily Adler was determined to make it up to her, providing her with the best of everything. Out of love for Lily, Hector Hayes also doted on Sylvia, showering her with jewelry and dresses. Sylvia Lancaster felt like she had returned to heaven from hell.

’It’s great to have your real mom around! A child with a mother is a treasured jewel!’

So she no longer had any doubts about Lily Adler and began to rely on her mother wholeheartedly.

Seeing Sylvia Lancaster, Lily Adler also broke into a genuine smile. She pulled Sylvia closer, lifting her long, shoulder-length hair as she spoke. "Sweetie, let Mommy see the tattoo on the back of your neck. I need to check if the color needs a touch-up."

Sylvia Lancaster obediently lowered her head, revealing the red, birthmark-like tattoo on the nape of her neck.