Chapter 102 He is Not Worthy of Evelyn
Landon's eyes narrowed as he quickly stood up to greet his dad.
"Dad, what are you doing here?"
He glanced nervously toward the stage where Evelyn was.
"If you can come, why can't I? Landon, you should've told me. We could've come together."
Charlie complained, then smiled at Byron. "Byron, long time no see! You look great!"
"Oh, Charlie! You're always welcome here!" Byron stood up, shaking Charlie's hand warmly.
Patrick, his wife, and the younger folks stood up too.
Edward was puzzled, his brows furrowing. He'd checked the guest list many times before the banquet, without Charlie and Landon on it. Byron's surprise showed he didn't know either.
'Patrick must've invited them. But why?' Edward thought.
"I just got off the plane and rushed over, but I'm still late!" Charlie said politely.
Edward was momentarily distracted. In this noble man, he saw both Landon and Lily.
He took a deep breath, feeling like he was losing it.
Charlie and Byron chatted warmly, showing no signs of their families' old feud.
But Charlie and Patrick's relationship was more complicated.
With important guests around, the younger folks couldn't stay seated. Edward and Eric moved to the back, leaving the main seats for Charlie.
"Byron, Eric and I will head down for now." Edward bowed gracefully.
"Oh, Edward and Eric, I haven't seen you in years! You've both grown into fine young men!"
Charlie quickly sized up Edward. "Byron, I heard Edward is getting married?"
Byron's expression changed slightly at the mention of Edward's marriage.
"Mr. Taylor, Edward has already set a wedding date with Nicole from the Adams Group. It's next month, and we hope you can attend." Patrick jumped in.
"The Adams Group? Never heard of it." Charlie's casual remark embarrassed Patrick and Tiffany.
"Nicole is my niece, she grew up with Edward." Tiffany didn't want to dig deeper. The previous incident with the poor-quality furniture had already strained relations between the Taylor and Adams families, and bringing it up would only make things worse.
But she didn't like being looked down upon by Charlie, especially since Nicole was her niece. If Nicole lost face, so did she.
"Oh. Byron, let me toast to you!"
Patrick and Tiffany stayed silent.
In the end, Charlie didn't care about the Adams family or who Edward married. It was just small talk.
'Anyone would do, as long as it wasn't Evelyn. My precious Evelyn, Edward wasn't good enough for her!'
On stage, Evelyn forced herself to finish her performance and was about to bow when Charlie's gaze casually fell on her!
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest!
Luckily, her heavy stage makeup and the distance kept Charlie from recognizing her immediately, and he quickly looked away.
Evelyn slipped off the stage as fast as she could, her clothes soaked with cold sweat.
At the same time, she got a message from Landon:
[Evelyn, Dad's here. Try not to show your face in the second half. I'll keep an eye on things up front. Stay in touch.]
[Yes, sir!]
Meanwhile, Charlie asked Byron, "That young lady who sang opera was pretty good. Where'd you find her?"
"She's my god-granddaughter!" Byron said proudly.
"Oh! Not bad! If you recognize her as your granddaughter, she must be exceptional."
Edward glanced back but saw Evelyn was no longer on stage.
'Lily must've left already,' he thought, his expression complicated.
Near the kitchen, servants were bustling about. A maid, bribed by Debra, sneaked in, looking around cautiously. She avoided the cameras and poured two bottles of sedatives into two glasses, then filled them with champagne.
"One glass for Landon, and the other for Mr. Clark. Got it?" Debra instructed.
'Debra's strict orders. My fortune depends on this!'
Nervous, the maid suddenly needed to pee and ran to the restroom.
At that moment, a girl in a white cotton dress tiptoed in. It was Molly, who hadn't shown up at the banquet. Her bright eyes darted around, and she quickly gulped down a glass of champagne.
Molly had a habit of sneaking drinks, often stealing alcohol when her family was asleep. This time was no different.
"So good!" Molly hiccuped, licking her lips in satisfaction. She filled another glass and scurried away like a little squirrel.
Since Charlie's sudden arrival, Evelyn hadn't dared to show herself to Byron again. The table was laden with food, but Edward had no appetite. He scanned the banquet hall, his eyes filled with melancholy.
"Come on, Landon, let me toast to you!" Eric raised his glass to Landon, his eyes filled with a meaningful emotion. "It's a great fortune to be with someone as outstanding as Lily. Treat her well, don't let her get hurt, cherish her, and love her."
Landon's eyes narrowed slightly as he clinked glasses with Eric. "I will."
Eric's throat tightened, then he handed Landon a business card. "This is my card, with my phone number on it."
Landon raised an eyebrow. "Eric, I know you. No need for introductions."
"But there's one thing you probably don't know: I also like Lily." Eric confessed openly.
Edward gripped his glass tightly in silence.
Landon remained calm. "So?"
"There are plenty of people lining up to pursue Lily. If you ever get tired of her, don't like her anymore, don't force yourself out of pride. Just call me, and I'll take Lily away immediately." Eric's gaze was intense, showing he wasn't joking.
"Thanks for the head-up, but what you're worried about will never happen." Landon chuckled.
Edward couldn't listen any longer and left with a cold expression.
As soon as Edward stepped out of the banquet hall, Nicole rushed over and hugged him tightly. "Edward!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure walking by. 'It was Lily!'
Edward's jaw tightened. While he was distracted, Nicole seized the opportunity to kiss the corner of his lips!
Evelyn happened to look their way. Seeing this, her pupils darkened, and she walked away briskly as if she hadn't seen anything.
"Ah!" Edward felt a sharp pain in his chest and roughly pushed Nicole away, causing her to stumble!
"Edward, how could you push me?!"
Edward frowned deeply, wiping the lipstick off his lips with his thumb. "I hate being forced."
