Soft music began to play. The party resumed its normal order, with guests clinking glasses and savoring the exquisite red wine provided on–site. Each bottle was incredibly expensive
Wallace continued, “shari, we’ve prepared birthday gifts for you, from your first year all the way to your twentieth. We’re making up for all those missed birthdays.”
Each of the eight brothers held several exquisitely wrapped gift boxes, totaling twenty in all.
These were gifts carefully selected by the brothers over the past few weeks. They weren’t particularly expensive, but they were all handmade. Each box contained something meaningful from the brothers‘ own lives.
They were twenty years late. Sharon could have grown up like a princess, but instead, she spent twenty lonely years, always living at the mercy of others and constantly having to navigate the moods of those around her.
Richard stood at the front, his gaze soft. “Shari, we’re sorry we’re late. These are the gifts we’ve chosen for you. We hope to be by your side for the rest of your life.”
Sharon had expected her brothers to give her gifts, and Richard’s words moved her. Her eyes filled with tears despite her best efforts to hold them back.
Sharon wasn’t an emotionally expressive person and wasn’t good at showing her feelings. She pursed her lips and simply said, “Okay.”
She suddenly reached out and hugged Richard, lowering her eyelids as she thought, ‘So this is what a brother’s embrace feels like. It’s so warm.
“So touching,” Edward said, taking a tissue to wipe his eyes. The next second, he looked at Nicholas. “What about your gift?”
‘All eight of her brothers had put so much thought into their gifts. What about you?‘ Edward thought, feeling a bit annoyed.
Nicholas casually put his hand in his pocket and replied indifferently, “It’s not the right time yet.”
Edward almost popped his eyes out. ‘This is the perfect time, silly boy,’ he thought, growing a bit anxious.
But after a sigh, Edward smiled at Sharon. “Shari, I’ve also prepared a gift for you.”
Edward handed over the box and personally placed it in Sharon’s hands. The small box immediately attracted the attention of everyone around. They were all curious about what Edward had given her.
Sharon noticed the box was a bit light and couldn’t guess what was inside.
“Go ahead, Shari, and open it,” Edward said.
Sharon lifted the lid and found a black–and–white invitation inside, addressed to Oriston Academy.
‘Is this an academy invitation?‘ she thought, her eyes flashing with surprise.
Everyone around was stunned, which was to be expected. After all, the eight brothers had been expelled from the Vance family and couldn’t possibly have obtained an invitation in the Vance family’s name.
‘It really does pay to have a good fiancé,‘ everyone thought.
Richard smiled and said, “Thank you, Mr. Baxter
“You’re welcome. Shari is Nick’s fiancée. Naturally, I’ll treat her well,” Edward replied.
Richard’s mouth twitched, thinking to himself, ‘I might as well pretend I didn’t say anything earlier.‘
When Sharon saw the invitation, she shook her head with a helpless smile. She noticed her brothers‘ expressions had changed and realized they must
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have risked everything for this very thing. She wondered why this invitation was so important.
“Excuse me, but that invitation might be invalid now,” a woman’s voice suddenly interjected from the side. She was dressed in a black suit and trousers, her heels clicking loudly as she strode in with an air of confidence.
“Hey, Margaret, what brings you to the party? You’re a rare sight,” Caesar teased, swirling his wine glass and whistling.
Margaret Childe didn’t even glance at him. She looked straight at Nicholas. “Mr. Baxter, there’s a new notice from the academy. The eligibility for the invitations needs to be reviewed again. Having an invitation doesn’t automatically grant you access to Oriston Academy.”
“Why?” Nicholas frowned. In the past, an invitation had always guaranteed entry to Oriston Academy.
“There’s been a lot of confusion regarding the distribution of invitations in recent years, with some even being bought and sold. The people selected haven’t been up to standard.
“The principal Mr. White, has issued a direct order that all invitations are now void and must be reviewed and approved before anyone can be admitted,” Margaret explained.
Margaret glanced at Sharon subconsciously, her gaze lingering on the dress Sharon was wearing.
‘So this is Mr. Baxter’s fiancée, Ms. Vance? She looks so delicate, like a greenhouse flower that could break with just a touch. She’s not worthy of being Mr. Baxter’s fiancée,‘ Margaret thought.
Sharon keenly sensed Margaret’s hostility.
Nicholas’s mood soured. He had gone out of his way to get that invitation from the school, and now it was being invalidated.
“She daydreamed for so long, but in the end, she still won’t have the chance to step through the gates of Oriston Academy,” Ashley sneered as she came out in fresh clothes, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
‘Even if the Baxter family intervenes, the academy is still canceling her admission. That poor girl will never amount to anything,’ Ashley thought to herself.
The primary condition for becoming Nicholas’s wife was being a graduate of Oriston Academy. Now that Sharon didn’t even have the admission, her future seemed much more challenging.
Marvin spoke up. “There’s nothing to be proud of. Shari is incredibly talented; no assessment would be a problem for her. You’re the one who got in through connections. Where do you get off showing superiority here?”
“So rude. I got in legitimately,” Ashley stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment, feeling that Marvin’s words were too harsh.
‘I should have called Brent over today: It’s too hard to fight alone,‘ Ashley thought to herself.
Wallace chimed in, “Besides, this year’s invitations are all voided, not just Shari’s. Everyone has to go through assessments.”
Richard added, “Exactly. If last year’s invitations had been voided, too, she probably wouldn’t have gotten in either. She didn’t even have a bloodline reaction. What’s there to be proud of?”
Ashley was cornered into tears. She hadn’t expected them to know about that.
Janelle quickly pulled Ashley aside, saying resentfully, “Don’t gloat. You’re all the same. Who here can really claim to be superior?”
Among the current heirs of the four great families, aside from Nicholas being A–level, none of the others had a high bloodline grade.
Seeing her brothers stand up for her, Sharon félt a warm glow in her heart. In fact, the invitation she had received probably wouldn’t be vr
She slowly began to speak. “Richie, actually, I already—”
“Wow, what a lively scene. No wonder it’s the legendary Queen’s Hall, classy and upscale. But finding a parking spot outside the hotel is a bit of a hassle,”
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Chapter 60
a middle–aged man dressed very plainly and with a large belly suddenly appeared.
He was out of place among the upper–class attendees, carrying a briefcase under his arm.
Richard spoke up. “Who are you? You must have the wrong place.”
