Chapter 449

Melissa nodded, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
Patricia looked up at Dorothy, her expression turning icy. The kindness in her face vanished, replaced by a coldness that made the whole room tense.
“When did I ever need you to tell me how to handle my business?”
“I Dorothy opened her mouth, wanting to argue, but the second she saw Patricia’s frosty stare, she lost her nerve and went quiet.
She just didn’t get it. Melissa was so outstanding. Why didn’t Patricia like her? “Ms. Carter, your things.” Anne took the chance to hand the box back to Melissa.
“Grandma Melissa wasn’t ready to give up. She was about to say something when a servant’s voice came from the doorway. “Roger and Kenneth Gates have arrived.”
The Gates family? They weren’t quite as powerful as the Blairs, but they were still one of the city’s elite families. The two families knew each other, though not very closely.
The fact that Roger and Kenneth had shown up in person today surprised everyone, even Patricia.
“Patricia, happy birthday. Wishing you good health.” Roger and Kenneth stood side by side, both in perfectly tailored suits. They lowered their heads respectfully, their manners flawless.
As they spoke, their eyes swept the room, searching. When they didn’t spot Charlotte, both of them frowned, a little disappointed.
“It’s an honor to have you here.” Patricia smiled warmly, her earlier chill gone. “Please, sit down. Anthony will be here soon.”
“Thank you.” Roger and Kenneth sat down nearby, shooting each other a look. Kenneth leaned closer, muttering under his breath, “Anthony really has some nerve, bringing Charlotte to a party like this without saying a word. What if this stirs up drama and distracts Lottie from her exams?”
Roger’s expression darkened. He stared at the entrance, brow furrowed. “I heard people gossiping about a fiancée as we came in
He glanced at Kenneth, his voice dropping, cold and sharp. “Anthony’s your friend. You didn’t know he had a fiancée?”
“A fiancée?” Kenneth raked a hand through his hair, looking completely lost. “Anthony’s always been single. Where would a fiancée come from?”
“It better just be a rumor. If not Roger’s voice was tight with anger. “If he hurts Lottie, I won’t let him off.”
“Same here,” Kenneth shot back, not backing down at all. His feelings for Charlotte were every bit as strong as Roger’s or Robert’s.
Just then, noise broke out at the entrance. There were hurried footsteps and a ripple of excitement in the crowd.
“Anthony’s here.”
At those words, Roger and Kenneth both turned around. The moment they saw what was happening, they froze.
Anthony walked in, looking handsome and put-together in a sharp suit, his stride confident and easy. Next to him was a girl dressed in plain clothes a cap pulled low over her face making it hard to see her features.
Compared to all the carefully styled, perfectly dressed socialites in the room, this girl stood out in every way. Her style was nothing like theirs, but somehow, she stole the spotlight.
The second the two of them walked in, everyone’s attention snapped to them. It felt like the whole room was holding its breath All eyes were ans their tightly held hands.
That one simple gesture said everything.
“I thought Anthony’s girlfriend was Ms. Carter?” people whispered to each other. “So
who’s that girl he’s holding hands with?”
No one could see her face clearly, but her clothes were plain and humble.