Chapter 404 Recognition Banquet
Margaret's eyes were blank, her gaze drifting aimlessly past Karen.
"Margaret, it's me, Karen, your best friend," Karen said softly, holding her hand.
"Friend..." Margaret echoed, her eyes still unfocused, staring into the distance.
Karen realized that the once vibrant and stunning heiress of the Collins family, who had enchanted so many, was now a shadow of her former self.
"Listen to me," Karen said, crouching down and gripping Margaret's shoulders firmly.
"Everything that's happened to you is because of Elsa. If it weren't for her, you'd be the lady of the Taylor family, cherished by Luke."
"But now, she's convinced Luke to lock you up in this place."
Karen crouched in front of Margaret, coaxing her bit by bit. As expected, at the mention of Elsa, Margaret's eyes widened in terror.
"Margaret, listen. As long as Elsa is alive, you'll never have a chance to rise again!" Karen hissed into Margaret's ear.
Margaret stared at her, dazed, unsure how much she comprehended.
Soon, it was the day of the King family's recognition banquet.
Elsa didn't care much for formalities, especially since she and Vincent had been living at the King Villa for a week, basking in the affection of Lara and Jonathan, feeling a happiness that seemed almost overwhelming.
Because they lived close by, her late-night outings with Luke were replaced by him driving her to and from work every day.
Luke, who had a different schedule, adjusted to match Elsa's startup hours, transforming into an early bird and night owl. Even Lara was amazed.
"Mr. Taylor works and moonlights as a chauffeur. No wonder the Taylor family is the richest in Maplewood City," Lara teased while having breakfast in the front hall, watching Luke pick up Elsa.
Luke wasn't bothered, just smiled. In private, he told Elsa, "Now I know where my wife's dry humor comes from. Grandma's sharp tongue is something else."
During their marriage, he rarely called her "wife," but post-divorce, he used it frequently. Elsa had given up arguing about it; he could call her whatever he wanted.
Now, she deeply appreciated the happiness of life, living with her family, having a career to strive for, the person she loved by her side, and her brother's health improving.
She felt grateful every morning, cherishing the seemingly ordinary yet hard-earned life. Since Lara and Jonathan wanted to host the banquet, she went along with it.
She hadn't expected Luke to be more invested than her, arranging for her and Vincent's outfits days in advance.
On the day of the recognition banquet, Karida and Terry were there to support Elsa, as expected. What surprised her was Brian's presence.
He stood with Jonathan, chatting and laughing, looking very familiar.
"Brian, what are you doing here?" Elsa asked, surprised and delighted, running over to greet him.
They had shared street food together, their friendship now far from formal.
Brian raised an eyebrow.
"Funny story, you were Brian's last client, and I was his first," Jonathan explained to Elsa with a smile.
"To be precise, my first earnings in the industry came from Jonathan," Brian added.
Elsa was astonished.
She and her uncle Jonathan had chosen the same path.
The world was indeed small, everything seemed to be arranged by fate.
Elsa stood excitedly, holding her dress, waiting for the emcee to announce, "Now, let's welcome today's star, Elsa," so she could step onto the stage.
But as she took her first step, a commotion erupted below.
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