Chapter 322
Honestly, Hannah didn’t care whether Lionel came or not. But now that Sandra had prepared such a spectacular gift for her, it only seemed right that the guest of honor should be present to enjoy it.
Hannah picked up her phone and called Samuel.
“Tell him I specifically asked you to invite him, but that I’m too busy to call myself.
If he still refuses to come after that, then forget it p>
Sitting nearby, Yves had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud.
All the pieces were in place. All they needed now was Lionel.
As the minutes ticked by, Hannah, holding the hem of her gown, descended the grand staircase.
Cherry stood off to the side, her eyes fixed on Hannah’s custom-designed dress. A fresh wave of resentment washed over her, and she tugged petulantly at her mother’s arm.
“We’re both their granddaughters, so why does she get to wear such a beautiful dress and I don’t? Grandpa and Grandma are playing favorites! It’s so unfair p>
“You foolish girl, keep your voice down! Do you want everyone to hear you?” her mother, Judy, hissed, gripping her daughter’s arm tightly. “You know your grandparents always favored your Aunt Cheryl, so of course they’re going to favor her daughter now. This isn’t new. I’m warning you, you’d better behave yourself. Don’t give her any reason to go tattling to them p>
She leaned in closer. “If they decide to punish your father for your behavior, you can forget about living in this house. How many of your cousins get to live here? Be smart, suck up to your grandparents, and maybe you’ll get a bigger share of the stocks, property, and jewelry next year p>
Hearing her mother’s words, Cherry yanked her arm away in disgust. She didn’t care about those vulgar things! It was because her parents were so crass and materialistic that her grandparents disliked them in the first place.
“Today, having found my youngest daughter’s child, Hannah, I can die with no regrets!” her grandfather announced from the stage, beckoning for Hannah to join him.
Hannah gathered her skirts and walked to his side, offering him her arm for support.
“Let me make this clear to everyone,” he continued, his voice booming. “Everything my daughter Cheryl left behind now belongs to Hannah. If anyone has an objection, you may speak now p>
Down below, not a single member of the Temple family dared to make a sound. Even those seething with resentment kept their faces carefully blank.
Her grandmother then joined them on stage and presented Hannah with a treasured imperial jade bangle. A wave of stunned gasps rippled through the crowd.
The moment Cherry saw the bangle, her eyes practically popped out of her head She had begged her grandmother for that piece, but she had refused, fobbing her off with bracelet worth a couple of million instead. And now she was giving it to Hannah, a girl she’d met only days ago!
“Control yourself! Do you want to make a fool of us in front of all these people p>
Judy was just as jealous. That bangle was supposed to have been Cheryl’s, but she had coyly refused it. Later, after Cheryl disappeared, Judy had used the excuse of tidying her room to search for it finding tucked away in a drawer. Just as she was about to claim it for herself, the old woman had walked in and taken it away.
If only Cheryl had adopted a daughter back then! Not just the bangle, but everything in Cheryl’s name would have belonged to her own daughter now. For twenty years, her mother-in-law had managed Cheryl’s estate, refusing to release any of it. Judy had hoped
that when the old woman finally died, the assets would be divided up. But now, a real daughter had appeared out of thin air.
This… this was ruining their financial future!