Chapter 184
Ethan didn’t stay with them long. Since his family was hosting the event, he barely had a moment to spare.
As noon got closer and the hall got more crowded, Zinnia and Maisie once again followed Yvette, making another round to meet the guests.
It was time for everyone to have lunch. The seating plan wasn’t random; each seat was carefully assigned based on status.
Zinnia sat in the second row. The first row was for important and powerful people, the second was for those with strong family roots or close ties to the host family, and the third row was for people with high social standing.
Henry and Raymond sat in the first row, where even a quick chat could change Jinston’s future.
Jackson had taken over the Lynn family when he was young, so his status was clear. With him in the first row were Devin Perkins, Vaughn Bacon, and Finnian Knox. There was one seat left.
Yvette sat in the second row with her close friend, Selene, while Charlie joined Perry and Hugo.
As for Isaac, Ethan, and other young members of the powerful families, they sat in the second row too. Zinnia, Maisie, and their friends sat together, talking happily, making their group lively.
As the lunch was about to start, Zinnia looked around for Yannis, but she didn’t see him. Instead, her eyes landed on the Shaws sitting several rows back, a sight that made her stop for a moment.
Howard and Timothy sat with Maelis. Donald was not there, and neither was Yannis. There was also Giselle with her beautiful daughter at their table.
There were five people at their table. The back rows were open seating because they were less important. In the past, with the Lynns‘ help, the Shaws could have easily sat in the first three rows.
But now that the Lynns withdrew their support, the Shaws could only rely on their own status, so they ended up in the back rows.
When Zinnia looked over, her eyes unexpectedly met Maelis’s. Surprised, Maelis quickly looked away. A flash of panic in her eyes before she lowered her head, hiding her embarrassment.
Maelis couldn’t believe it. Her family was stuck in the back, while that girl they always looked down on was sitting right up front. The thought made her grimace with anger and shame.
She thought, ‘Who would have thought that small–town girl we looked down on would be doing so well without our family?‘ Maelis clenched her fists under the table, barely holding back her feelings.
Shame, anger, resentment, and even some regret hit Maelis at once, so strong that her carefully done makeup couldn’t hide her ugly expression.
Their eyes met for a moment–Maelis’s eyes full of resentment, like she wanted to drown Zinnia in it. But unlike Maelis’s burning hate, Zinnia didn’t even think about her.
‘Life’s been good since the Shaw family stopped bothering me,‘ Zinnia thought happily.
Zinnia looked at the Shaws. Gone was the proud confidence they had when she first came back to the Shaw family.
Zinnia calmly looked away. ‘Their family has nothing to do with me anymore. Whether they’re doing well or not, it’s none of my business,‘ she thought, Giselle, sitting next to Maelis, watched every little change in her face. Following Maelis’s gaze, she looked toward Zinnia, who was sitting at the front. Giselle looked at her daughter, whose eyes were fixed on Timothy, and coolly said to Maelis, “Mrs. Shaw, Athena and I need to excuse ourselves.” With that, she quickly got up and led her daughter away.
Pulled by her mother, Athena didn’t want to go, but under her mother’s strict look, she followed obediently. Before leaving, she looked longingly at Timothy and said, “Timothy, see you tomorrow at the firm.”
08:17 Sat 14 Jun
Chapter 184
Timothy stayed calm and answered indifferently. Seeing his cold attitude, Giselle felt a little annoyed. ‘My daughter’s feelings aren’t being returned, sh thought. Without saying a word, she took Athena away.
Giselle thought, ‘The Shaw family isn’t worth hanging around. They can’t tell right from wrong. Getting involved with people like them would only caus trouble, especially with that clueless Maelis.
‘The Shaws might seem decent, but with Maelis as a mother–in–law, marrying into that family would just bring trouble. She even treats her own daughter like an enemy. How could I expect her to be kind to Athena?
‘Athena is my only daughter. I won’t let her jump into that fire.‘
“Giselle, won’t you stay longer? Athena is such a bright girl. She really makes me happy,” Maelis said quickly, trying to keep them from leaving and forgetting about Zinnia for a moment.
In these fancy circles, everyone is a fair–weather friend. When the Lynns pulled their support from the Shaws, many other partners left too, hurting the Shaw family’s reputation.
Even making business deals had become hard–lately, Donald and Yosef were very tired, and at their wit’s end.
Maelis thought, ‘We have to do everything just to get the Bacon family’s invite today. Back when we had the Lynn family’s backing, it was all easy. Now! have to butter people up just to get in.
‘All this trouble is because of Zinnia. I shouldn’t have brought her back in the first place.‘
Giselle politely said, “No, Mrs. Shaw. My friend just arrived with her son. He and Athena grew up together, so they need to catch up.”
Giselle led her daughter toward the fifth row ahead.
“Giselle-” Maelis called, trying to get her to stay. Even though the Martinez family wasn’t from Jinston, they were big in Gioriham. Since the Lynns stopped supporting them, people started ignoring them.
Donald had gotten angry at home, scolding Maelis for being useless. She felt very wronged. Before coming, Donald heard that Giselle’s daughter worked at Timothy’s law firm and said she must connect with the Martinez family.
‘Who would’ve thought that after talking nicely just now, Giselle would suddenly leave?‘ Maelis thought and panicked. She already felt stare burning into her.
Maelis thought, ‘Why is Donald, who used to be so kind and caring, starting to come home later and later? He doesn’t talk nicely anymore. ‘Now he just snaps at me, calls me useless, calls me an idiot. Sometimes, he doesn’t even come home for days.
i’s angry
‘When he did come home, she could smell a strange perfume on him. When she asked, he just brushed her off, saying it was from a business dinner. Sometimes, she wondered if he had become a stranger overnight.‘
Maelis’s words died in her throat as Giselle and her daughter settled into the fifth–row seats.
“Timothy.” Maelis looked at him helplessly, her eyes showing a little guilt.
Timothy kept a straight face. He didn’t say anything and showed no reaction as Giselle and her daughter left.
With the Shaw family in trouble, Donald wanted to fix things by making a marriage alliance. Yosef couldn’t be quickly matched. His marriage needed careful planning. Howard was still too young, so only Timothy was right for the alliance.
