Chapter 75
Everyone was waiting for Clifford to say something, and he didn't let them down. He walked up to Agnes, straightened up, and gave a crisp military salute. "Hey, Agnes, I'm Clifford Hayes." In his formal getup, Clifford's salute was spot-on, adding a bit of flair to his look.
Agnes was a bit taken aback by his booming voice but quickly returned a somewhat awkward salute. "Hi, Mr. Hayes, I'm Agnes Tudor. Maybe we can chat sometime."
That simple line made Clifford's expression shift just a bit.
There was once a girl like Agnes, with a bright smile and a clear voice, who said, "Hey, Mr. Hayes, I'm Heidi Torres, your new neighbor. Hope we can help each other in the future."
Looking closer, Clifford noticed Agnes's smile was a lot like Heidi's.
But after some playful teasing, Heidi got engaged to someone else.
Agnes, not being a soldier, couldn't hold the salute for long before her arm started to ache, while Clifford stood there, straight as an arrow, staring at her without a word.
The vibe got a bit awkward. Agnes felt something was off but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Just then, Leopold pulled her into his arms, blocking Clifford's gaze, and whispered with a serious look, "She's not Heidi."
That snapped Clifford out of his trance.
He calmly dropped his salute, took a step back, and adjusted his suit. Leroy quickly tried to lighten the mood, throwing an arm around Clifford's shoulder. "Let's head inside. Lydia's probably getting impatient."
Clifford shot Leroy a look. "Don't touch me. Why should two guys be so close?"
Leroy looked all innocent.
Agnes couldn't help but giggle, hiding behind Leopold.
Leopold gave her a side-eye. "Is it that funny?"
Agnes nodded. "Yeah, they're really funny."
Hearing this, Leroy took the chance to come over to Agnes. "See how sad my life is, always getting the cold shoulder from Clifford. With so many women out there, do you think I'd be into him? I think Clifford's been in the military too long; he looks at everyone weird."
Leroy and Justin were definitely cut from the same cloth, and their similar personalities made Agnes feel a special bond with him. She nodded honestly. "Of course, you wouldn't like him. I know you're just like Justin, a ladies' man."
Leroy ran a hand through his short blond hair. "Well."
As the conversation picked up, a girl in a light blue princess dress showed up.
With a bright smile and matching crystal heels, she ran over, her skirt flying and her long hair streaming in the wind.
Up close, Lydia's blue eyes and lightly tinted lips gave off a lively vibe.
Agnes admired her silently, ‘what a spirited little beauty!’
Lydia, catching her breath, first hugged the nearest person, Leroy. "Mr. Smith!"
Leroy ruffled her hair. "Happy birthday, Lydia." With a wave of his hand, his assistant handed over the gift.
Lydia beamed. "Thanks, Mr. Smith."
"Lydia, happy birthday! This is from Ethan and me," Kelly said, handing over their gift.
Lydia's face lit up. "Thanks, Mr. Perez." She stood on her tiptoes and gave Ethan a quick kiss on the cheek.
Then she turned to Kelly. "Thank you, Ms. Sanchez."
Agnes was a bit surprised by how close Lydia seemed to be with Ethan, especially in front of Kelly.
But that wasn't all. After greeting Clifford, Lydia walked right up to Leopold, took his arm, and said in a playful tone, "Mr. Neville, I love the island you gave me. I'm so thrilled!"
Agnes was stunned and took another look at the island.
This island had to be worth tens of millions, and Leopold had just given it away as a gift.
Leopold seemed pretty pleased, smiling and nodding. He then introduced the two women. "Lydia, this is Agnes Tudor, my wife. Agnes, meet Lydia Fisher."
Lydia looked at Agnes like she was seeing her for the first time. "Mr. Neville, when did you get married? I had no idea!"
Leopold replied, "We've been married for three years."
Agnes smiled and extended her hand. "Hi, Lydia, I'm Agnes. Happy birthday!"
"Hello, Mrs. Neville! Why haven't I seen you with Mr. Neville before?" Lydia, naturally friendly, let go of Leopold and took Agnes's arm, her face full of curiosity.
Agnes bit her lip, feeling a bit shy, but answered honestly. "I'm still in school, and Leopold is really busy with work, so we don't go out together much."
"Mr. Neville, that's not right! Mrs. Neville has been married to you for three years, and you're only now introducing her to us?" Lydia playfully scolded Leopold.
Leopold wasn't bothered at all. He just smiled and held Agnes's hand tighter. "You're right, Lydia. I'll do better from now on."
Agnes's cheeks turned a bit pink. She noticed that Leopold loved to tease her, making her feel shy.
The group moved into the party venue, which was already buzzing with young, lively people, enjoying food and laughter.
Their arrival caused quite a stir among the women. "Oh my God, Leopold and the others are really here!"
"They're all so handsome! I can't choose just one!"
"Lydia wasn't kidding. Her relationship with Mr. Neville is really something! But who's the lady with Mr. Neville?"
"Yeah, we've never seen her before, but she definitely stands out."
Two girls quickly pulled Leroy away. Ethan took Kelly to another side, and Lydia left with Clifford, leaving Agnes and Leopold standing there.
A waiter came by with a tray of drinks, and Leopold grabbed a glass of red wine. Agnes thought it was for her, but Leopold told the waiter, "Can you get her a glass of lemonade?"
"Yes, Mr. Neville," the waiter replied.
Leopold took a sip of his wine and asked Agnes, "There's a buffet over there. Want to grab a bite before we get it started?"
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