Filed to story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Just then, a voice called out.
Eugene looked up to see a young woman, arm in arm with Martin, walking towards him with a poised and friendly smile.
Martin was his invitee, that he knew, but who was this girl? She looked vaguely familiar. And why was she latched onto Martin’s arm??
“Happy birthday,” Martin said with a smile that carried the humility and politeness of a younger generation. As he finished speaking, he turned his gaze affectionately toward the girl beside him and introduced her with ease, “This is my girlfriend, Serena.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Eugene’s eyes shifted to Serena. The name seemed oddly familiar. Where had he heard it before?
“Mr. Albright, today marks another milestone in your life – an occasion that shines as brightly as the sun and the moon. I wish you happiness in all things. Here’s a little something for you. It’s not much, but I hope you’ll accept it with my best wishes,” Serena said, her smile radiant as she presented a gift box.
“You’re too kind. Your presence is gift enough; you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble of bringing anything.”
Previously, Eugene had taken a spill while out for his morning jog. It was Martin who happened to see and took him to the hospital.
At the time, Eugene didn’t know who the kind young man was, only that he was someone who did good deeds without expecting recognition. Later, when Eugene saw him on the news, he learned that Martin was a child of the well-respected Cooper family.
Afterwards, Eugene made a point of thanking Martin in person. They had stayed in contact since then.
Eugene found Martin to be genuine and kind-hearted – not like some rich kids who flaunted their wealth and squandered money carelessly.
For his birthday celebration, Eugene felt it was important to invite Martin. After all, who knew when the next birthday party would be, especially if it weren’t for Martin’s timely assistance back then, who knew what lingering issues Eugene might have had.”I can’t accept this gift,” Eugene demurred, considering that he still owed Martin a favor, how could he accept a gift?
But Martin insisted gently, “Mr. Albright, Serena has always admired you. This gift is a token of her respect. Please accept it.”
“It’s from both of us. You’re one of the people we admire most,” Serena added gracefully.
“Well, if you insist, I’d be remiss to refuse such generous intentions. You both are thoughtful. Please, go inside and relax for a bit. Once everyone’s here, I’ll invite you to join in blowing out the candles and having some cake.”
“Thank you, Mr. Albright,” Serena replied instantly, her smile sweetening.
Eugene simply nodded, “I have some things to tend to. Please excuse me for a moment.”
“You go ahead. Martin and I will take a stroll around,” Serena said, her smile unwavering as she linked arms with Martin.
Eugene had only walked a few steps away when it suddenly hit him – Serena Collins!!
Could it be Kenneth and Louisa’s daughter without blood tie, the nominal sister Bella had –
Serena?!
Ever since the family reunion, everyone she had mentioned except Serena.
He’d heard from Beck that this Serena was trouble. Could this girl be her?
If so, what a shame it would be for Martin, such a good kid!
Serena, still arm in arm with Martin, had just reached the garden when someone called out to her.”Serena!!”
Turning around, Serena saw Lindsay looking at her with surprise and joy, exclaiming, “Is it really you?”
“Lindsay? Is that you?? When did you get back? Why didn’t you come to see me!” Serena exclaimed, hugging her friend tightly.
After embracing for a long moment, Lindsay said, “I’ve been back since last month. My parents decided to bring their business back home.”
Her words trailed off as she looked at the young man behind Serena, asking with a hint of surprise, “Serena, who’s this?”
“Martin,” Serena introduced him confidently, “my boyfriend.”
“Are you two together?” Lindsay asked with a tinge of astonishment, clutching Serena’s hand and whispering, “I thought you were engaged? Wasn’t his name Romeo? How come it’s Martin now?”
Romeo was a man who stood atop the social pyramid, a figure everyone looked up to, and yet Serena had chosen a nobody that no one had even heard of. What on earth was going on?
“It’s a long story. Let me just introduce you, Martin and I have been dating for a few months now.”
Serena turned to give Martin a tender look, “Martin, this is Lindsay, my old middle school desk-mate.
We got along best in class and could talk for hours. Then she moved abroad with her parents, and it’s been ages since we last saw each other. I didn’t expect to bump into her today.”
The two had only kept in touch via social media, liking each other’s life updates and leaving the occasional comment.
It had been years since they’d actually met face to face.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Martin said politely with a nod.
“Hello, hello, I’m Serena’s good friend. Pleasure to meet you, too.” Lindsay responded, then whispered to Serena, “Wow, your boyfriend is quite the gentleman. His vibe, his upbringing, they’re not a bit less impressive than Romeo’s.”
Serena knew she was just being nice, but she graciously smiled and said, “I think so. He’s nice to me.”
As she said this, she gave Martin a sweet glance.
Martin’s gaze softened even more, as if touched by her words.
“Lindsay, are you here for Mr. Albright’s birthday bash too?” Serena took the opportunity to inquire.Lindsay, without any guile, laid it all out, “Yeah, my dad wants me to learn chess from Mr. Albright. It sounds prestigious, you know? Originally, Mr. Albright invited my granddad, but he couldn’t make it, so he passed the opportunity to my dad and me. What about you? Are you here with Mr. Collins?”
“I came with him,” Serena gave Martin another affectionate look.
Lindsay appeared surprised, “Mr. Albright’s invited him? That means your boyfriend must be quite something to catch his eye. That’s so impressive!”
Just moments ago, she had thought of Martin as a non-entity, but now she looked at him with newfound respect.
Serena said with a smile, “Martin, Lindsay and I haven’t caught up in a long time. We’re going to chat for a bit.”
“Of course,” Martin nodded at her and tipped his head to Lindsay before excusing himself.
“Your boyfriend is so attentive and kind to you. What’s the situation? Why aren’t you with Romeo anymore? There’s been no news about you two.”
The Collins family and the McMillian family’s engagement had been arranged long ago.
Serena’s eyes fell slightly, “I’ll tell you the truth, but you mustn’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”
Seeing Serena’s hesitation, Lindsay nodded and whispered, “Don’t worry. I can keep a secret.”
“It’s just that.”
Before Serena could finish her story, they saw a girl enter through the main door.
Even without makeup, her striking beauty was undeniable – her face was extraordinary, almost unfairly beautiful under the lighting.Damn it!
She had actually come!!
The butler at the door couldn’t hide his delight at the sight of Mirabella.
His excitement was palpable as he said, “Ms. Mirabella, you finally made it! Mr. Albright was waiting by the door, craning his neck to anticipate your arrival. Eventually, he got overwhelmed by all the guests cozying up to him and ducked out to his room. You just missed him by a whisker.”
“Let him have his moment of peace. We’ll call him out once all the other seniors have arrived,” Mirabella replied, understanding that such events could be exhausting for the elderly. She figured it would do him some good to have a breather.
The butler noticed the rectangular box in Mirabella’s hands, about the size of two smartphones, and said with a smile, “Is that a birthday present for Mr. Albright? He’ll be thrilled to see it!”
Mirabella was about to hand over the gift to the butler when he added, “Better you give it to him personally. Nothing would make him happier than receiving it straight from your hands, Ms. Mirabella.”
Mirabella nodded, “Alright, I’ll do that in a bit.”
She walked in with the gift.
Serena eyed her, biting her lip in frustration. Damn it, she thought, Mirabella was dressed so simply, and yet she managed to draw the attention of many the moment she entered the room.
“She’s so pretty!” Lindsay couldn’t help but exclaim, “Why is she here alone? How could Mr. Albright invite such a young lady? What’s her story?”
Despite Serena’s meticulous effort to make herself look best, fragrant and polished from head to toe, she couldn’t outshine Mirabella’s radiant beauty.
Her face was cool and noble, and those clear, piercing eyes were impossible to look away from.
“She’s Romeo’s latest girlfriend,” Serena suddenly revealed.“What?” Lindsay gasped, covering her mouth in disbelief, glancing between Mirabella and Serena, stuttering in shock, “You mean?”
Serena nodded, confirming the unspoken.
Lindsay was utterly astounded, unable to believe that such an aloof-looking girl would be involved with someone else’s fiancé.
Pure wickedness!
Other ladies started gossiping as they noticed Mirabella.
“Who’s that girl? Why is she here alone?”
“And her outfit is so casual.”
Everyone at the birthday party was dressed to the nines, hoping to catch the eye of the influential attendees, having spent considerable time on their attire.
Some flaunted limited-edition jewelry, others had their eyebrows meticulously crafted.
But Mirabella wore a simple, casual ensemble, effortlessly chic with her beauty and fair skin.
