Chapter 531
Chapter 531:
The love that once clung to him like a safety net had all but evaporated. His parents now doted on Rosanna without restraint, while Maia… Maia barely looked at him anymore. The quiet girl who used to follow him with wide eyes and soft smiles now treated him like a stranger. She wouldn’t even accept his gift.
His lips twitched into a broken smile. Staying any longer would only deepen the wound. He turned and walked away, shoulders caved inward, every step heavy with humiliation.
Sandra opened her mouth, ready to lash out at Maia on Jarrod’s behalf, but before the words could leave her lips, Richard’s sharp gaze cut through her like a blade. Her jaw snapped shut.
Richard gave a strained smile and faced the room. “Just a minor misunderstanding, everyone. Please, don’t let it spoil the evening. Let’s continue with the celebration p>
Sandra, seeing her husband trying to smooth things over, realized that now was not the time to fall out with Maia.
Otherwise, this joint birthday celebration for two daughters would be hard to wrap up. She quickly added with a smile, “Yes, let’s not let something so trivial dampen the mood p>
But their guests were not fooled. It was plain to everyone — the Morgan family had tried to pull Maia back into their circle, but she had made her stance crystal clear. She wanted nothing to do with them.
Most likely, she hadn’t even wanted to attend this joint birthday affair. No one could tell what tactics the Morgan family had used to drag her here, but whatever they were, Maia was not playing along. This, the guests knew for sure: Richard had miscalculated badly. Yet he remained composed, too proud to let his fury crack the mask.
Chuckles rose from the crowd, hushed but telling, as they quietly turned away from the Morgan patriarch and began lining up in front of Maia instead.
“Ms. Watson, the Nelson family from Wront presents you with a jewelry box,” said a well-dressed guest, bowing slightly. “It may not be priceless, but it offers a wide variety of pieces. Perhaps they might inspire your next fashion collection p>
Lɑτєѕτ cнαρτєrs 𝑖n
“The Miller family would like to gift you a luxury vehicle,” another chimed in, handing over a sleek set of keys. “Someone will be in touch shortly to arrange delivery p>
Maia stood stunned as the gifts kept coming, each more extravagant than the last.
Then came thoughtful offers to have everything delivered, in case it proved too cumbersome to carry home.
Behind her poised exterior, Maia’s mind raced. These families from Wront were no small players. If she handled things wisely, they could become useful allies — especially when it came time to deal with the Cooper Group.
Among them, she spotted some rare medicinal herbs — exactly the ones she had intended to purchase. That problem, it seemed, had resolved itself.
She planned to use them to improve the therapeutic meals she was preparing for Chris.
Maia had not anticipated that her birthday would end up benefiting him.
Suddenly, she realized something was odd. Why was Chris the first thought in her mind when she received them?
Still, she accepted the gifts with a gracious poise that only added to her guests’ delight.
Their earlier concern — that she might rebuff them as she had with Jarrod — vanished in relief.
This time, there was no rejection. No cold shoulder.