Chapter 93 The Arrival of the Lawson Family
Every eye in the room was drawn magnetically to the entrance. Framed in the doorway of the grand banquet hall, a young man slowly advanced, guiding a wheelchair before him. The occupant of the wheelchair, a man of striking handsomeness and profound countenance, was clad in a black suit. His visage radiated an aura of nobility that commanded the attention of all present.
In the buffet area, Natalie paused mid-bite, her fork suspended in mid-air. A sense of recognition flickered in her eyes. 'Isn't this the person I saw at the Imperial Nightclub the other day?' she mused internally. 'The one who had shared a private room with Adrian. His name...Jamie, was it?' Her gaze instinctively darted from Jamie to Adrian.
Adrian, however, had already retreated to Ruben's side. His thin lips were drawn into a tight line, his face a mask of cold sternness, betraying no emotion.
Upon entering the banquet hall, Jamie's assistant, a man named Kenwin Cooper, offered him a cane and assisted him to his feet. Together, they navigated the room, their destination clear - Ruben. Despite his towering height and a noticeable limp in his left leg, Jamie's noble demeanor remained undiminished. His handsome features distracted from his limp, rendering it almost invisible.
Approaching Ruben, Jamie leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper, "Mr. Howard Senior, my apologies for the tardiness. The traffic was uncooperative." Ruben's eyes twinkled with pleasure as he dismissed the apology with a wave of his hand, "As long as you're here, that's all that matters."
Jamie inclined his head slightly towards Kenwin, who promptly produced a high-end wooden gift box. "Today is your birthday, and I hope you like this painting," Jamie announced, his voice echoing through the room.
Alice, standing next to Adrian, bristled at the mention of another painting. 'Who is this guy?' she fumed silently, 'Is he trying to upstage me?' As Jamie unveiled the painting, Alice's irritation evaporated. It was just an ordinary painting, not the work of any renowned artist.
However, the sight of the painting seemed to strike a chord in Ruben. His usually dignified face crumpled, a touch of desolation creeping into his features. He reached out tentatively, his hand trembling as if he were afraid of sullying the painting. His reverence suggested he was handling a priceless artifact.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ruben finally accepted the painting. His eyes welled up with tears as he murmured, "Jamie, you know me well."
His unexpected reaction sparked a flurry of speculation among the onlookers about the identity of the artist, Lucy Lawson, whose name was signed on the painting.
Melissa, standing next to Ruben, took the painting from him and sighed almost imperceptibly, "Dad, I'll keep it for you." While the others were left in the dark about Lucy's identity, Melissa was well aware.
Lucy was Ruben's first wife and the eldest daughter of the Lawson family. Health issues had prevented her from conceiving, leading her and Ruben to adopt a child, Henry Howard, two years into their marriage. Despite not having biological children, their bond was unbreakable.
Sadly, their happiness was short-lived. Lucy was tragically killed in a car accident, leaving Ruben heartbroken. He treated their adopted son as his own, until he remarried his second wife, Clarise Grey, and fathered two sons and a daughter.
The painting was Lucy's work. It had been lost for years, and no one expected it to resurface, especially not after more than fifty years. The memory of his first wife stirred emotions in Ruben that he struggled to contain.
Ruben rubbed his forehead wearily and turned to Adrian, "You two brothers haven't seen each other for a long time. Catch up. Melissa, help me to rest." Melissa nodded and supported Ruben as they retreated to the resting room.
The guests were left buzzing with curiosity about Jamie's identity. Natalie was no exception. Her encounter at the Imperial Nightclub had led her to believe that Jamie was merely a friend of Adrian's. Now, it seemed, his ties with the Howard family ran much deeper.
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