Entering the hotel restaurant, the opulent decor immediately caught the eye, resembling a noble palace. And this was just the mid-tier level.
Charlotte and her companions couldn’t help but marvel at the grandeur of the restaurant.
The restaurant was almost full. Besides the Pittman and Parry families, most attendees were representatives from second- and third-tier companies collaborating with Stresall and the two families.
Charlotte felt envious. How wonderful it would be if her engagement party with Quentin could be as grand.
“Ugh! A bunch of bumpkins who’ve never seen the world.”
“Go sit over there.”
“No choice, all the seats are taken. Be grateful you have a place to sit.”
Georgia sneered, pointing to a table at the back of the restaurant.
Despite being direct relatives of the Pittman family, Charlotte’s family was not given front-row seats but was instead placed at the back, clearly showing they were not welcome.
Charlotte’s family said nothing and took their seats.
Seeing that most guests had arrived, Russell stepped onto the stage and picked up the microphone. The audience erupted in applause, and Russell felt delighted.
“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!”
“Thank you for attending the engagement party of the Pittman and Parry families. Mr. Parry and I are deeply honored.”
The applause was enthusiastic as various families took turns presenting gifts to Russell. The gifts were diverse and valuable, and Russell accepted them with a smile, feigning gratitude.
Emery also presented a platinum necklace worth several thousand dollars, bought casually from a jewelry store on the way. After all, Russell was still his father, despite always making things difficult for their family. Emery couldn’t afford to make things look too bad.
“Is this it? A cheap necklace worth a few thousand dollars? Emery, you disappoint me. Is this what you give your niece on her wedding day? What kind of uncle are you?”
Russell accepted Emery’s necklace with disdain. Compared to the Eternal Love necklace from last time, this one was worth millions less.
Emery felt deeply embarrassed.
“Now, let’s invite the golden couple of this engagement to give a speech.”
Russell said as Georgia and Brian took the stage. Brian took the microphone.
“Thank you all for coming.”
“Today is a joyous day for Georgia and me. Please enjoy yourselves, and forgive us if we miss anything.”
Brian handed the microphone to Georgia, and they exchanged a sly smile.
“Today is not only our engagement day.”
“There is another piece of good news to share with everyone.”
The crowd was puzzled, wondering what other good news there could be. Was someone else from the Pittman or Parry families also getting engaged today?
“You might not know what this good news is.”
“Today is also the birthday of a young lady from the Pittman family.”
Georgia smirked and looked towards Charlotte at the back.
“The same Charlotte who once had an affair with Mr. Holland.”
The crowd was shocked and turned to look at Charlotte’s table with disdainful eyes.
“I’m sure everyone remembers the scandal between Charlotte and Mr. Holland five years ago.”
The room burst into laughter.
“I heard Charlotte and Mr. Holland did those things when they were just high school students.”
“Yes, they even had two illegitimate children. Mr. Holland went to jail, the Holland family went bankrupt, and Charlotte’s family was kicked out by the Pittman family.”
“Shameless! And now they’re back together again.”
The whispers in the restaurant reached Charlotte’s ears.
Charlotte was furious. These were painful memories she never wanted to revisit.
“Georgia, that’s enough! If you say one more word about my sister, I’ll kill you,” Rashad couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted at Georgia.
“Who do you think you are? Do you have any right to speak here?”
“I see your family is so poor you can’t even afford a birthday party. I was kind enough to help you celebrate together.”
“Instead of thanking me, you criticize me. Isn’t that ungrateful?”
Georgia feigned innocence, and the crowd joined in criticizing Charlotte’s family.
“No need to trouble yourselves for my sake.”
“We won’t be attending this party any longer. Goodbye.”
Charlotte’s family stood up to leave.
At that moment, Quentin strode towards the stage.
Charlotte’s family didn’t understand what he was doing, and Georgia and Brian were a bit scared, having witnessed Quentin’s fierceness before.
Both sides thought Quentin was about to start a fight again.
“Quentin, what are you doing? Come back; we’re leaving.” Charlotte tried to stop him.
“Don’t worry, silly. I just want to say a few words. It won’t take long.”
Quentin pulled Charlotte onto the stage and grabbed the microphone from Georgia’s hand. Georgia didn’t dare resist.
Though Quentin was furious, he had promised Charlotte not to cause trouble.
He looked solemn, his eyes cold as ice, making everyone who met his gaze shiver.
“Today, my wife’s birthday party is also being held at Royal Hotel.”
“It’s on the top floor of Royal Hotel. Any guests who wish to join us will be warmly welcomed.”