Chapter 259: Who is the Goddess (Part 1)

Chapter 259: Chapter 259: Who is the Goddess (Part 1)

The bustling banquet hall fell silent in an instant. Most people already considered Seraphina Sterling to be uncultured and ill-mannered, so their eyes were already fixed on her. The moment she spoke, her soft voice drew even more attention, capturing the interest of guests who hadn’t been paying attention at all.

Seraphina Sterling glanced coolly at Faye Sterling. "Of course one brings a gift to a birthday party. I grew up with my grandfather; I’m well aware of that much."

Upon hearing this, the guests’ expressions shifted slightly. Grew up with her grandfather? Wasn’t he Walter Sterling, the head of the Sterling family? But hadn’t Faye Sterling just claimed Seraphina had been living in the countryside and only recently returned? It sounded like that wasn’t the truth at all.

Faye Sterling’s expression faltered. Being exposed like this would look very bad. The kind-hearted image she had painstakingly crafted just moments before vanished in an instant. She was about to offer an explanation, but Seraphina didn’t give her the chance.

"Miss Chapman, happy birthday. Congratulations on coming of age." With that, Seraphina produced a flat, square box of a rather ancient design. It was carved with ancient totemic patterns, and even an untrained eye could tell at a glance that it was an object of considerable value.

Fiona Chapman had a particular passion for jewelry, and the Chapman family had built its fortune on it. Although she wasn’t an expert herself, she was already captivated by the box alone.

Faye Sterling stared at her, astonished. ’I never told Seraphina that today was Fiona’s birthday party. How could she have had time to prepare a gift? Impossible!’ Seeing how things were unfolding, she shot Kellan Sutton a meaningful glance.

Kellan Sutton took the hint and immediately chimed in, "Fiona, go on, open it. The box is certainly exquisite, but let’s hope it’s not all style and no substance. Some people, worried they’ll make a fool of themselves, will just stuff any old thing into a fancy box. People will do anything to save face!"

Kellan Sutton’s insinuation was clear. Hearing the conviction in his voice, the guests, whose opinions of Seraphina had just begun to soften, reverted to their initial skepticism and adopted a wait-and-see attitude.

Seraphina wasn’t angered or unnerved. She simply gave Kellan Sutton a placid smile. "My gift may not be particularly valuable, but I believe it’s more suitable for Miss Chapman than your watch."

Kellan Sutton’s expression darkened, and he suppressed his rage. "Then I simply must see it. My watch might not be from a world-famous brand, but it was custom-made and cost me a hundred thousand of my bonus money! I wonder, just what is the value of your gift?"

Most of the adults in the room were older than these youngsters and immediately sensed the verbal sparring between them. Kellan Sutton was clearly setting a trap for Seraphina, and his misdirection was perfectly timed.

Seraphina had said her gift was more *suitable* for Fiona, but in Kellan’s hands, the conversation had become about which gift was more *valuable*. It just went to show that you could never underestimate people from wealthy families, not even the seventeen and eighteen-year-olds. These kids were full of schemes.

However, Seraphina paid his petty schemes and maneuvers no mind. The first lesson Terrence Grant had taught her was that in the face of absolute power, all schemes are useless.

Fiona Chapman opened the gift box and was stunned by the unique pair of earrings nestled inside. They were teardrop-shaped, made from two pieces of blue and white porcelain. The porcelain pieces had been selected with incredible skill; delicate, swirling blue vines floated across the fine white ceramic. The earrings were framed in platinum—classic yet fashionable, exquisite and distinctive. They were truly one-of-a-kind!

Most importantly, however, was the material itself. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell the age of the blue and white porcelain at a glance. That was what made the pair of earrings truly valuable.