Chapter 241
The two walked in side by side, and every gaze in the hall subtly drifted in their direction.
"Is that…" Gemma's breath hitched. "The Douglas family?"
Preston saw them too.
Wesley and Valencia.
Behind them followed a young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, refined in demeanor, walking unhurriedly beside his parents.
Milton.
"They really came." Preston's voice was dry.
Gemma's gaze tracked those three figures as a receptionist personally escorted them to the center seats in the first row, bowing and smiling with a deference that bordered on reverence.
"The richest family in the country is actually here…" she murmured, a mix of bitterness and excitement tangling in her throat.
And that wasn't all. The venue was now erupting into an even bigger commotion.
"Did you hear? Not only did the Douglas family show up, but the global billionaire—the head of the Lancaster Group empire—personally sent representatives. Some say that living devil himself might be here!"
"My God, the Lancaster family too? How valuable is this land?"
Listening to the chatter around him, Preston's body trembled violently.
He didn't know which person represented the world's richest Lancaster family, but his eyes blazed with greed.
"This is too important… This project is absolutely critical!" Preston stared at the screen on stage, eyes bloodshot. "Even the Douglas family and the global tycoon Lancaster family are personally involved! Ms. Boleyn didn't lie to me! This Plot 03—it's definitely going to be the most insane core development zone in Starlight City's future!"
He whipped around and seized Gemma and Allegra's hands with terrifying force. "Listen! No matter what it costs, no matter the price, the Wipere family must win this project today!"
"If we can swallow this land, the Wipere family will skyrocket overnight! We'll not only clear our debts—we'll become a top-tier family on par with the Douglas and Lancaster families! The Wipere family will absolutely rise again!"
Hearing Preston's frenzied declaration, Allegra's humiliated heart skipped a beat.
She turned her head toward those socialites who'd been mocking her moments ago.
Top-tier family…
Rise again…
Allegra bit her lip hard and nodded fiercely.
Her eyes flickered with twisted fervor as she fantasized wildly about the Wipere family's return to wealth.
When that day came, she'd be the most prestigious heiress in all of Starlight City!
Everyone who laughed at her, who looked down on her—they'd all grovel at her feet!
And that bitch Lucinda… she'd crush her underfoot soon enough.
Outside the venue, the rain intensified.
Just then, a Maybach glided to a stop at the end of the red carpet.
The door opened, and a long, perfectly tailored leg stepped out first.
Reginald emerged in a deep black suit, radiating an aura that warned people to keep their distance.
As he stepped out, a hand reached from inside the car.
Slender. A delicate platinum bracelet at the wrist.
Lucinda emerged wearing a smoky gray gown.
Her hair was loosely swept back, a small pearl at her earlobe—no other adornment.
Yet the moment she stood under the lights, every gaze at the entrance unconsciously drifted her way.
Reginald naturally raised his arm. She lightly took it, and they walked in side by side.
Their pace was measured—one cold and commanding, the other cool and composed. Like two mountains standing side by side, occupying their own space yet naturally forming an impenetrable aura no one could breach.
Hand in hand, they walked the red carpet against countless flashing lights, expressions calm as they entered the hall together.
True talent and beauty. Stunning beyond compare.
In an instant, the entire noisy venue seemed to hit mute.
"Damn it… Why is it her again?"
Allegra, seated in the corner of the last row, felt like she'd been struck by lightning the moment she saw Lucinda enter on Reginald's arm.
Her hands clenched into fists, her face nearly twisting with jealousy!
That man…
He was the one from that night at the club steps—the one who doted on Lucinda, and who'd been aggressively kissed by Lucinda outside the restroom!
Now, up close, Allegra could see him more clearly.
That globally limited-edition watch on his wrist. That unmistakable aura of power. Everything about him screamed wealth and status!
"Blind… That man must be blind!"
Allegra screamed internally.
How could someone so handsome, so rich, so high-status be with that country bumpkin Lucinda?
Only someone like herself—a well-educated heiress from a prestigious family—deserved to stand beside him!
She fumed, chest heaving violently, venom practically spilling from her eyes.
"Enough. Keep it down." Preston, however, didn't care about his daughter's rage.
Ever since learning Lucinda's true identity at the nursing home gates, he'd been numb.
If Lucinda had such terrifying connections and power, it was perfectly normal for several top-tier men to surround her.
Right now, he had only one thing on his mind: how to get close to the Douglas family.
Lucinda glanced at the Wipere family, a smirk playing at her lips as she deliberately passed through the aisle beside them.
When the Douglas family saw Lucinda arrive, they immediately came over to greet her.
"Look! The Douglas family is coming over!"
Seeing the Douglas family heading in his direction, Preston's eyes lit up. His breath caught. He practically bounced out of his seat like he'd been injected with adrenaline.
Allegra followed her father's gaze.
The Douglas family's first-row seats had been too far away earlier. She hadn't gotten a clear look at them.
Now that they were closer, she could finally see their faces.
But among the approaching figures, one man looked strangely familiar.
Allegra squinted. Then she froze completely.
Her brain exploded with a deafening roar.
The son of the Douglas family, the richest in the nation…
Was the refined, handsome man who'd hugged Lucinda outside the club that night?
How was this possible!
"He… he's the billionaire's son? He's actually into trash like Lucinda too?"