Chapter 65 She Heard Andrew's Voice
While everyone else was busy speculating, Bianca stayed calm amidst the chaos around her.
Her eyes were glued to Lightning.
Even though it had been days since she'd last seen him, she remembered Lightning's commands perfectly.
Whatever she asked him to do, he responded immediately.
The bond between the girl and her dog was so heartwarming that it nearly melted the hearts of some female guests present.
Not far away, Aiden watched with intense jealousy.
He didn't quite understand what a military dog was, but he liked this dog a lot.
Bianca had received so many great gifts tonight; if he snatched the dog, Michael surely wouldn't mind.
With that thought, Aiden began to slowly inch closer, his eyes filled with greed.
Sensing the malice, Lightning's previously friendly gaze turned sharp and wary.
His little legs took a defensive stance as he stood in front of Bianca, baring his teeth and barking fiercely at Aiden.
Unfazed, Aiden calmly asked, "Daddy Michael, can I play with Bianca's dog too? I really like pets…"
Before Michael could respond, Amelia chimed in with a loving smile, "Aiden likes it too? Of course, he can join in. Bianca, let Aiden play with your dog."
Bianca immediately frowned.
Emboldened by Michael's approval, Aiden ran over to grab Lightning.
But Lightning wasn't having it and swiftly dodged, barking even more aggressively.
Aiden, now frustrated, shouted angrily, "Why are you barking? Come play with me now, or I'll hit you!"
As if understanding his words, Lightning barked several times, a fierce look in his eyes.
When Lightning still didn't come over, Aiden raised his hand to strike him.
Sensing the danger, Lightning pounced on Aiden, knocking him down and scratching his face with sharp claws.
Terrified, Aiden screamed, "Mommy, Daddy Michael, help me!"
Bianca, afraid Lightning would get hurt, quickly called out, "Lightning, come back…"
Hearing Bianca's voice, Lightning immediately retracted his claws and quickly retreated, positioning himself protectively in front of her.
Aiden lay on the ground, crying bitterly.
Michael and Sophia rushed over to check on him.
When they saw the two red scratches on Aiden's face, Sophia gasped, "What…"
Michael frowned and looked at Olivia, his voice stern, "This dog is too aggressive and dangerous. Even if it's a military dog, it's not suitable for Bianca. Now it's hurt someone. Are you just going to let this slide?"
Olivia scoffed, "This military dog is professionally trained. It only attacks when there's a threat. Didn't you see that brat started it? Getting scratched is completely normal."
Evelyn added sarcastically, "Trying to take something that's not yours? Serves him right! Besides… didn't you see how affectionate the dog is with Bianca? Even a dog can tell right from wrong. Why can't some people?"
"How can you say that?" Sophia was fuming. "My child is hurt, and you have no sympathy? He's a human being, not comparable to an animal!"
Tonight, Sophia had already been seething with anger due to Olivia stealing the spotlight.
Now, seeing the military dog, her fury only grew.
If she couldn't deal with Olivia, she could certainly deal with the dog.
Sophia grabbed a gift box nearby and aimed to hit Lightning.
Benjamin immediately warned, "Harming a military dog is a serious offense! Your son threatened Lightning first. Its reaction was justified, and it even gave a warning before attacking. If you don't teach your son a lesson, don't take it out on the dog."
Sophia's anger flared, "My son is more valuable than a dog. I refuse to believe I can't deal with a dog."
With that, Sophia threw the box at Lightning.
Olivia was startled.
Lightning was right next to Bianca. If the box hit, both of them could get hurt.
Instinctively, she moved to protect them.
But Daniel was quicker, scooping up Bianca and dodging the attack.
As for Lightning, he was agile enough to avoid it on his own.
Benjamin frowned deeply, "I advise you not to anger it further. Otherwise, it will remember you for life and bite you every time it sees you!"
Amelia was furious, "Why keep such a dangerous animal around? Get rid of it!"
Olivia retorted, "Dangerous? Didn't you see it protecting Bianca? And with so many people here, why did it only attack him? Didn't you see his nasty behavior?"
The other guests nodded in agreement.
The little military dog had been playing nicely with Bianca.
Aiden had provoked it, so he had no one to blame but himself.
The guests' gazes turned curious.
Michael, sensing the shift, knew it was best to drop the matter. He took a deep breath and said to Sophia, "Let's take Aiden to the hospital to get those scratches looked at."
Though seething, Sophia knew she couldn't make a scene now and left with Aiden.
The guests were left murmuring.
Tonight's events were quite the spectacle.
The prestigious Johnson family had been exposed by their own daughter-in-law, Olivia.
Hayden and Amelia felt the sting of the guests' mocking eyes.
Olivia, too, had no desire to stay longer. She turned to her group, "Let's get out of here."
Daniel and the others agreed.
Outside the hotel, Benjamin was the first to say goodbye, "I've delivered the gift. I need to report back."
Olivia smiled, "Thanks for coming all this way, Mr. White."
Benjamin waved it off. Andrew had personally asked him to come. How could he refuse?
Besides, it was a chance to get off Andrew's blacklist! But he didn't mention that and quickly left.
Daniel drove Olivia, Evelyn, and Bianca home.
In the backseat, Lightning cuddled in Bianca's arms, behaving adorably.
Evelyn, charmed by them, wanted to pet Lightning but hesitated.
Bianca noticed and took her hand, "Lightning is very gentle. Let me help you pet him. Once he gets used to you, he'll be fine…"
Evelyn agreed, and soon she was petting Lightning's soft fur, falling in love with him.
Once they were comfortable with Lightning, Evelyn commented on the evening, "Mr. Wilson, Mr. Miller, and Ms. Miller, along with this little military dog, really stood up for Bianca. Did you see the Johnsons' faces when we left? Priceless…"
Olivia, busy messaging a detective to keep an eye on Michael's whereabouts, looked up and replied, "It was pretty satisfying."
Later, Olivia and Evelyn took Bianca to cut a cake, making up for the missed celebration at the banquet.
Finally, Olivia took Bianca home.
It was late, but with Lightning around, Bianca wasn't sleepy.
Olivia helped her set up a cozy bed for Lightning beside Bianca's.
This way, Bianca would be happy, and Lightning wouldn't be disturbed.
After the evening's drama, Olivia expected Michael to come home for a confrontation.
But to her surprise, he didn't return.
Thinking it over, she realized it made sense. With Aiden hurt and Sophia crying, he'd stay with them.
What Olivia didn't know was that after she left, the banquet ended early.
With the guest of honor gone and Daniel and the Miller family overshadowing the Johnsons, the event lost its luster.
The Johnsons' behavior had been disgraceful, and the guests left with a bad impression.
After the guests left, Amelia called Sophia to check on Aiden.
Sophia, tearful and upset, said, "He got his shots, cried a lot, but he's finally asleep…"
Amelia comforted her and promised to visit later.
Sophia, still seething with anger towards Olivia, vowed not to let this go.
After hanging up, Amelia found Michael, "Let's go to the hospital to see Sophia and Aiden."
Michael, having drunk a lot, wasn't enthusiastic.
Chase frowned, "Sophia and Aiden were humiliated tonight, and you're just going to ignore it? Look at Olivia, so smug, bringing people to ruin our event! You should kick her out! Without you, she's nothing. Those connections she has? Probably built using the Johnson family. Otherwise, why would Daniel and the Miller family care about her? We know her capabilities."
Amelia added, "Olivia's shameless, using our family's connections against us. She's heartless! And did you see her with those men, first Daniel, then Mr. White? Acting so familiar with them!"
Michael didn't respond, but his eyes were cold and dark.
Olivia was unaware of the gossip about her.
The next morning, she had breakfast with Bianca and prepared to take her to school.
But Bianca didn't want to be separated from Lightning, insisting on bringing him along.
After much coaxing, Olivia finally convinced her to leave Lightning at home.
Their farewell was filled with reluctance.
Later, after dropping Bianca off, Olivia called David to thank him for the gift of Lightning.
To her surprise, a deep, magnetic voice answered, "Hello?"
Stunned, she checked the number. It was correct, but the voice wasn't David's. She had a sudden realization. Could it be Andrew?
As if confirming her suspicion, David's voice came through, "Dr. Garcia, you're speaking to Mr. Hamilton ."
Olivia's heart skipped a beat. It really was him! She felt unexpectedly flustered. Though they knew of each other, this was their first conversation.
Andrew's voice was cold and distant, yet it had an inherent nobility. Despite its chill, its pleasant tone made it hard to feel the distance, drawing people in without realizing it.