Ellinor, following Byranâs lead, glanced in the direction of the man who had just stepped out of his car.
He was dressed in a dark suit, had neatly combed hair, and his handsome features were as prominent as ever He radiated a mature and dangerous allure She knew she would encounter him here today, but she didnât expect to see him right off the bat.
Enthusiastically. Byran hopped out of the car. âTheo, youâre early tool âHmmâ Theo responded coldly, his gaze seemingly sweeping over Ellinor, who was just getting out of the car Ellinor didnât meet his gaze, instead, she looked around the Bagley familyâs grand courtyard.
Byran said, âMr. Blanchet my sister is already here, she must be waiting for you! Come on, letâs go in together!â
The Bagley familyâs place was buzzing. Guests trickled in, gathering around the sofa to present gifts and their birthday wishes to old Mr. Bagley Byran handed over his own present, âHappy birthday, Grandpa. This is my gift for you!â
Old Mr. Bagley took a look at the gift Byran presented with a stern yet tender expression, âYouâre still a student, why did you spend so much on a gift for me?
Byran emphasized, âGrandpa, Iâm not a kid anymore; Iâm an adult now!â
Old Mr. Bagley frowned, âBut youâre still in high school, stop trying to be a grownâup!â
Everyone in the family knew about Byranâs failure to get into college, so he felt both embarrassed and ashamed, not knowing how to respond.
At this moment, Collin stepped forward, presenting a rectangular gift box, âOld Mr. Bagley, this is a token of appreciation from Mr. Blanchet. Happy birthdayâ
Old Mr. Bagley smiled, nodding for a servant to accept the gift, âThank you, Mr. Blanchet.â
Old Mr. Bagley looked at Theo Blanchet as his eyes filled with admiration for the younger man.
âTheo, howâs your grandpa doing lately? He must be recovering well after the surgery, right?â
Theo nodded. âThank you for your concern, heâs recovering well. When he returns, Iâll have him come over for a chat.â
Old Mr. Bagley chuckled, âGood, that old coot must be bored out of his mind lying in bed all this time.
When he gets back, we old geezers should go play some golfâ
Theo politely agreed and chatted with old Mr. Bagley for a bit.
âTheo, youâre here!â
Patricia Howardâs voice rang out like silver bells.
Dressed in a sparkling diamond gown, Patricia emerged from the crowd, looking incredibly gorgeous and sweet.
She walked up to Theo, looking up at him with longing in her eyes, âI thought youâd be busy with work and come later.â
âI donât have much work todayâ He replied indifferently Patricia flashed a sweet smile, then turned towards old Mr. Bagley on the sofa, saying softly.
âGrandpa, I have prepared a special birthday gift for you. I think youâll really like it!
However, old Mr. Bagley didnât respond to Patriciaâs words, instead turning to chat with his wife.
Patricia felt a bit awkward and forced herself to maintain a smile She was the center of attention in the Howard family. But in the Bagley family, her status was pretty low and nobody paid her much mind.
In reality, the old folks of the Bagley family were not her grandparents.
The Bagley family was the family of her fatherâs exâwife. Patricia was the daughter of her father and his second wife and had no blood relation to the Bagley family It made sense that the Bagley family would treat her coldly. However, old Mr. Bagley treated Byran exceptionally well, much like his own beloved grandson, even though Byran, just like her, had no blood relation to the Bagley family Yet for her, they always turned a blind eye. She couldnât understand why there was such a disparity in their treatment of them.