Chapter 115: The Birthday Banquet

The Royal Pavilion shimmered beneath thousands of crystal chandeliers, their golden light reflecting against polished marble floors and towering glass walls that overlooked Greendale’s glittering skyline. Every influential family, renowned business leader, politician, and socialite had gathered for one occasion—

Matthew Knight’s seventy-fifth birthday banquet.

At the Royal Estate, Mindy slowly descended the grand staircase. She wore a crimson evening gown that embraced her figure elegantly, the flowing fabric cascading behind her with every graceful step.

Her long dark hair rested loosely over her shoulders. The subtle diamond earrings Emma had once gifted her sparkled beneath the lights.

As she reached the last step, she noticed an unusual sight. Layla and Matthias were completely absorbed in the television.

"...Catch her! Catch her!"

A woman on the screen jumped from a suspended rope while her boyfriend stood below. Instead of catching her, he ran toward a pile of cash. The woman crashed into a mud pit.

Matthias frowned. "...She trusted him enough to jump?"

Layla nodded seriously. "Yes."

"And he let her fall?"

"He chose the bonus money."

Matthias stared at the television in disbelief. "...People voluntarily watch this?"

Mindy couldn’t help laughing. "Maybe we should invest in this show. If it captured the attention of two CEOs, it must be worth something."

Layla nodded thoughtfully. "It clearly has a loyal audience."

Only then did Matthias turn around. His words stopped. For a brief moment, he simply stared. The crimson dress suited her perfectly. Elegant. Confident. Beautiful. He forgot what he had been about to say.

Finally, a small smile appeared on his face. "You look... beautiful."

A faint blush appeared across Mindy’s cheeks. "Thank you."

Layla sighed dramatically. "I want your curves."

"Layla!"

"I’m serious!"

"You have no shame."

Layla folded her arms. "And you’re lucky."

Matthias chuckled quietly. "Shall we?"

Mindy nodded. "Let’s go."

As the two left together, Layla looked back at the television. "...We really should invest."

The Royal Pavilion

Luxury cars arrived one after another. The Hawthorne family stepped out. Raymond Hawthorne adjusted his suit while Drake walked beside him. Emily gracefully descended behind them. Missy followed last.

She was wearing a crimson gown. Her hair flowed down her shoulders in soft curls. She had spent nearly four hours preparing tonight. She intended to become the center of attention.

Inside, the banquet hall buzzed with conversation. Layton Knight stood near the entrance, welcoming arriving guests. He shook hands with Raymond.

"Mr. Hawthorne."

"President Knight."

Drake exchanged greetings before moving inside. Emily smiled politely. Missy approached with practiced elegance.

"Layton."

He simply nodded. Nothing more. For a split second, disappointment flashed through her eyes.

They walked toward the center of the ballroom. Matthew and Hannah Knight stood surrounded by businessmen, politicians, and old friends.

"Happy Birthday, Grandpa Matthew."

Missy smiled sweetly. Matthew returned a polite smile. "Thank you."

Hannah nodded courteously. Emily immediately began flattering Hannah while Raymond congratulated Matthew.

Across the room, Sonia Knight—Layton’s mother—walked over. She embraced Emily warmly before smiling at Missy. "My dear... you look absolutely stunning."

Missy smiled modestly. "You always know how to make me smile, Mrs. Knight."

Hannah silently rolled her eyes.

A fresh wave of whispers spread across the ballroom. "The Ashridge’s are here."

William Ashridge entered with Lucian beside him. Their arrival naturally attracted attention. William walked directly toward Matthew.

"You old fox. You’ve gotten even older."

Matthew glared. "You’re older than me."

William laughed loudly. "Hannah, you really should’ve married someone else. He looks like your older brother."

Hannah gave a short laugh. Matthew glared at him. Lucian sighed.

The ballroom doors opened once more. Conversation slowly faded. A young couple entered together.

Mindy Wilson. And Matthias King.

Unlike Missy, Mindy didn’t try to attract attention. Yet every eye turned toward her anyway.

Several guests whispered.

"Isn’t that Mindy Wilson?"

"The chief designer?"

"President of LUXT."

"She’s gorgeous..."

Others looked toward Matthias.

"Matthias King?"

"He actually attended?"

"They’re together? He looks scary with his mask."

The whispers spread rapidly. Across the room, Missy’s smile slowly stiffened.

Before anyone else could react, William Ashridge suddenly laughed loudly. "There’s my favorite granddaughter!"

The entire ballroom looked toward him. Mindy sighed helplessly. "Grandfather William..."

William completely ignored everyone else and walked straight toward her. "I knew you’d come! So I dragged Lucian all the way here."

Matthew then said, "I thought you were here for my birthday."

William happily patted Mindy’s shoulder. "You’ve become prettier."

Lucian smiled warmly. "It’s good seeing you again."

Mindy introduced Matthias. "Grandfather William, this is Matthias King."

William immediately extended his hand. "I knew your grandfather well. He was the only man who could actually shut me up."

Matthias smiled faintly. "He often spoke about your adventures together."

William laughed. "Those were good days."

Together, Mindy and Matthias approached Matthew and Hannah.

"Happy Birthday, Grandpa."

Matthew’s face lit up. "You’re finally here."

Hannah didn’t care about etiquette. She pulled Mindy into a warm hug. "You’ve lost weight. Are you eating properly?"

Mindy smiled. "I’m fine, Grandma."

Hannah held her hands. "I’m so happy you came."

This smile wasn’t polite. It was genuine.

Missy watched everything. Her fingernails dug into her palm.

Layton finally stepped forward. "Welcome." His voice remained calm. His eyes went toward her hand holding Matthias’s arm.

Mindy simply nodded. "President Knight."

That single title made Matthew’s smile disappear.

Missy quickly moved beside Layton. Without hesitation, she wrapped her hand around his arm. "We’re so happy, Mindy, that you could make it. And Mr. King... you look very handsome tonight."

Matthias didn’t even glance at her. He simply ignored her existence.

Nearby, Sonia muttered quietly. "A married woman attending with another man... does she have no shame?"

Hannah’s expression instantly darkened. "Enough."

Sonia frowned. "I was only—"

"I said enough. Why don’t you look at your son before pointing fingers at her?"

Sonia fell silent.

Mindy smiled faintly before looking at Missy’s hand still resting around Layton’s arm. "You’re acting like Mrs. Knight. I suppose we’ll be hearing wedding bells soon."

Several nearby guests looked at them. Missy’s smile became flushed. She forced a laugh. "Oh, Mindy... we’re just friends." She turned toward Hannah. "Grandma, she’s joking."

Before Hannah could answer, Layton quietly removed Missy’s hand from his arm. Not roughly. Not angrily. Simply—he took her hand away. Stepped aside. And left space between them.

Missy’s heart sank.

Sonia immediately spoke. "Missy, you don’t need to explain yourself to outsiders. I would be very happy to have you as my daughter-in-law."

Missy’s face flushed. Emily smiled proudly.

Layton frowned. "Mother. Enough."

Sonia ignored him. "She sees me after all this time and doesn’t even greet me."

Mindy looked at her calmly. "Why should I?"

Sonia’s face darkened. "Mindy!"

Matthias finally spoke. His tone remained perfectly polite. "Mrs. Knight. Do you usually speak to all your guests this way?"

Silence. Several businessmen quietly exchanged glances. Sonia couldn’t answer.

Matthew suddenly struck his cane against the marble floor. Bang!

Sonia looked at him. He was glaring at her.

"Today is my birthday, and I will not tolerate any arguments." William’s sharp gaze swept across the room. "No one—do you hear me? No one—will disrespect my granddaughter tonight."

The word echoed in everyone’s minds.

Granddaughter.

Not guest. Not even Mindy Wilson.

Granddaughter.

Several guests turned toward Mindy in surprise. Even Raymond frowned thoughtfully as he watched the attention gather around her.

Why was Mindy receiving so much consideration?

William Ashridge had openly claimed her as his granddaughter, and Matthias had treated her with the same affection. How had she managed to earn the favor of two men whom everyone else struggled to approach?

Whispers quickly spread through the room.

"Could Mr. Ashridge be planning to make Mindy Wilson his granddaughter-in-law?"

"Isn’t Mr. Knight already involved with Missy Hawthorne? "Then why did he call Mindy his granddaughter?"

Layton’s expression darkened as the whispers reached him. He turned toward Lucian and glared.

Lucian glanced back at him, clearly puzzled, as if asking, What did I do?

Across the room, Raymond watched Mindy surrounded by people who valued and protected her. A bitter realization settled over him.

He had made the worst mistake of his life when he severed ties with her.

He had believed Mindy would become insignificant without the Wilson family. Instead, she had grown into someone powerful—someone everyone wanted to know, impress, and associate with.

His regret came far too late.

Nearby, Missy’s fists tightened at her sides. She watched as the attention she had once believed belonged to her shifted entirely toward Mindy.

Why was Mindy receiving everything?

The admiration. The protection. The respect.

It should have been hers.

Just then, the massive ballroom doors opened once again. A cheerful voice echoed through the hall.

"Grandpa! Happy Birthday!"

Every conversation stopped. Matthew slowly looked toward the entrance. Hannah’s smile disappeared. Layton’s expression instantly turned cold. Sonia’s wine glass nearly slipped from her hand.

Standing beneath the chandelier was a tall young man with handsome features remarkably similar to Layton’s. A confident smile rested on his face.

Behind him, a lone figure followed quietly, their face partially hidden beneath the shadow of the entrance lights.

The atmosphere inside the ballroom instantly changed.