“Isn’t it obvious from the price that the Zieglers are settling things peacefully with Bryson? Perhaps this gift can resolve the conflict between both families.”
“This was completely out of my expectations. Here we were, waiting to see that woman make a fool out of herself, but it looks like she came prepared.”
“True. If she didn’t, the company she established on her own would be crushed. Since she publicly presented the bead as a birthday gift, there’s no way Bryson can reject it. It seems like he won’t be able to get his revenge anymore.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Thora Ziegler is really something. After swindling him out of two hundred million, she’s compensating him with a measly amount of fifty million. Remind me not to get on her bad side…”
Most of the discussions were about the same, with many of the guests aiming hostile and mocking remarks at her, but at the end of the day, they were just envious of how well she played her cards and wished they could master the ability of defeating someone without lifting a finger as well.
Amid the animated discussions, the strain in Bryson’s smile as he stood on stage was evident, but like everyone expected, a son would never make a scene at his own father’s birthday banquet. Very soon, he regained his composure. Gracefully accepting the bead from the emcee, he studied it casually before nodding, making sure to plaster a satisfied look on his face.
Just when everyone thought that Bryson was going to begrudgingly accept Thora’s indirect apology, he closed the wooden box, took the microphone and walked off the stage. Stopping at the nearest table, he picked up a bottle of whiskey and poured three glasses full before facing the crowd with a broad smile.
“Ms. Ziegler.” Bryson easily found Thora among the crowd. Subsequently, the spotlight fell on her and the people around her. “I really don’t know how to thank you for such an extravagant gift. Why don’t I offer you three toasts as an expression of my gratitude? I wonder if you’ll accept, Ms. Ziegler?”
“Wow, I never expected Bryson to pull such a trick. At least he’s doing right by us men.”
“The glasses are filled to the brim. Wouldn’t drinking all three burn a hole right through the stomach? Isn’t he a little bit too savage?”
“What do you know? Let this serve as a lesson for that conniving woman!”
“Hmp! You guys don’t know yet, do you? To kickstart her business when she first established her company, she’d already damaged her stomach from too much social drinking. She won’t merely suffer from drinking these three glasses of whiskey, she’d probably lose her life! I never expected Bryson Queen to be such a ruthless man!”
I was bewildered by all the gossip, wondering which part was true and which was false. However, when I noticed Thora remaining motionless after a long time, I surmised that the larger part of it was true.
Just like when Bryson received the gift on stage, Thora was caught between a rock and a hard place, hesitating to agree to drink the glasses of whiskey.
In a world where power and money were supreme, both sides would never be able to truly end their dispute if they didn’t put down their egos and apologize.
At that moment, everyone’s eyes were focused on Thora as they waited for her response with bated breaths. The air seemed to freeze and except for the faint static sound coming from the microphone, the entire hall was quiet.
Finally, after a good ten seconds, Thora’s expression changed subtly and she walked toward Bryson. Without a word, she polished off all three glasses of whiskey.
The guests couldn’t help from gasping aloud. Even Bryson was taken aback, probably not expecting her to be so cooperative.
After downing three glasses of whiskey, Thora didn’t look too good, but things didn’t seem to be as exaggerated as the gossiping crowd made it sound. Under the hollers of the emcee and the guests, she even shook hands to make peace with Bryson.
Everyone was naturally happy to see their harmonious interaction. Soon after, Thora and Bryson returned to enjoying the banquet.
I kept my attention on Thora the whole time, but the crowd was too thick and I lost sight of her in the blink of an eye. Later on, Emma informed me that she had already left through the back door.
Not long after Thora left, Bryson brought a cheque over to me, his body reeking of alcohol.
“Ms. Stanhope, today’s a day of celebration. This is my reward to you and Brooklyn. Take it.”
With that, he stuffed the cheque into my hand.
Looking down, I saw one hundred and fifty million written on it. Although I knew Bryson was loaded, this still came as a shock.
The lawsuit was mainly to demand for a compensation. According to the law, up to thirty percent of the compensation could be collected as the attorney fees. Even if Bryson paid us the hundred million as promised, it would already be considered excessively generous. Hence, adding another fifty million was really unsettling.
“Mr. Queen, isn’t this a bit too much?” I protested.
“Nah, it’s not. The two of you have helped me so much, Ms. Stanhope. You both deserve this. Besides, we already agreed on this. The extra amount belongs to you. Please accept it.”
Since Bryson insisted, I had no choice but to temporarily accept it and get Brooklyn to handle it later.
Nothing worthwhile came easily. Since I accepted something that didn’t belong to me, I would indefinitely have to pay a price. Although Bryson didn’t look like he was laying out a trap for me, there was no way to be completely certain. Hence, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to keep my guard up for the time being.
Right then, John interjected, “Mr. Queen, well-played just now. That woman is probably hooked up to an IV drip at the hospital now, huh?”
“Huh? What do you mean, Mr. Stanhope?” Bryson asked in confusion.
“Didn’t you know that Thora’s stomach can’t handle alcohol?” John squinted with suspicion.
“What? Is that true?” Bryson’s face instantly fell. “I had no idea!”
He was momentarily stunned before slapping a hand on his forehead and saying dismally, “Jesus! I simply wanted to do things the way we do it at home. To the Queens, an apology isn’t an apology until alcohol is involved. If I knew about this earlier, I would never have asked her to drink!”
John smirked and patted him on the shoulder. “It’s fine. Serves her right anyway. There’s no need to feel guilty about it.
“That’s not right. Okay, you all enjoy the party and I’ll make a trip to the hospital. Sorry for leaving so soon. I hope you understand.”
Bryson apologized while hurrying toward the doors. His flustered behavior was actually comical and genuinely adorable at the same time.
It seemed like what happened earlier was indeed a misunderstanding, which surprised me quite a bit. The moment Bryson heard that Thora might be hospitalized, he became so nervous and even left his guests unattended to head to the hospital. It seems like he wasn’t all that cruel after all.
Even so, he was currently at loggerheads with her. I couldn’t help but feel suspicious when he abruptly showed such concern for her.
Hence, it remained to be seen whether or not Bryson was trustworthy.
“Hey, Letty. Since the host has already left, should we leave too?” Emma was probably tired. We had an excuse to leave since Bryson was gone.
Glancing at the remaining guests, I affirmed that I had already greeted most of them, so there was really no need to stay. Hence, I nodded to Emma’s suggestion.
That night, the search term for the Queen family’s birthday banquet ranked first on social media, with the happenings and guests at the banquet becoming the hottest topic of discussion.
After showering, I lay in bed while scrolling through social media, but inadvertently caught a glimpse of a headline that was soaring in popularity.
Anthony Featherstone Thoughtfully Chaperones Thora Ziegler To Hospital And Bryson Queen Abandons Guests To Visit.
Damn. For those who didn’t know any better, they’d think they’re in a love triangle after reading this headline.
When I tapped into the headline, blurry photos taken by paparazzi appeared. Among them were photos of the three of them entering the same hospital at different times. Not once did they appear in the same photo and neither of their faces were shown clearly.
Currently, it was three hours after Thora disappeared. The anonymous account who started this topic kept posting the latest information. At present, only photos of Bryson leaving the hospital were taken. Hence, it was safe to assume that Thora was hospitalized for the night.
It looked like her condition was quite severe.
I subconsciously refreshed the site several times, hoping to see some news about Anthony, but the situation remained the same after twenty minutes. There was no news about him whatsoever.
Some nosy netizens begun speculating that Anthony was guarding Thora at the hospital that night.
Despite having complete trust in Anthony, my heart still felt uneasy when I saw such comments.
After all, which woman would willingly allow her lover to look after another woman?
Anthony’s too much. It’s already been so long, but he hasn’t even called to update me. I understand that he wants to gain Thora’s trust, but he doesn’t have to try so hard, right? Can he even sleep well in the hospital? It’s not like Thora can’t afford to hire a personal caretaker!
The more I thought about it, the angrier I got. In the end, I called him directly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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