Chapter 34 The Invitation

Lauren pondered for a moment, then looked toward Matthew, who was about to get up. "This whole thing is Riley's fault after all. Why don't we host a banquet tomorrow and invite Ms. Edwards? It'll be a way to settle things with her."

The Scott family had always valued their reputation.

If Riley just left like this, Clara might come after them, and that would be equally troublesome.

Hosting a farewell party could compensate Clara in some way.

Matthew understood Lauren's implication. He couldn't shake Clara's cold, stern expression from his mind. "I'll ask her and get back to you."

Lauren breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Okay, we'll wait for her response."

After Matthew left, Lauren's gentle demeanor vanished instantly.

Turning around, she fixed Riley with a stern gaze. Her expression was severe.

Seeing her like this, Riley felt a pang of fear. "Mom, I..."

Slap!

A resounding slap left Riley's cheek swollen.

Tears welled up in Riley's eyes, but she held them back. "Mom, I really didn't mean to harm her. I just didn't want Clara to steal the spotlight. Remember how she didn't respect you in the first place."

Remembering the past, Lauren snorted coldly. "That incident was entirely your aunt's fault, and it got me blamed too. Clara and I have no major conflicts. You're just rushing to make trouble for yourself."

"How did I end up with such a foolish daughter?"

Joshua frowned, expressing his exasperation. "Silly girl, you've been manipulated in this matter from the start. We're holding this banquet tomorrow. You and your mother should privately apologize to Clara. The Scott Group is preparing to go public. Don't mess things up because of you."

Under the sway of interests, children of great families always had to yield.

However, Riley furrowed her brows, not understanding. "Who manipulated me?"

Lauren shot her a look of exasperation, analyzing the situation and sighing in resignation at Riley's surprised expression.

"I've already sent someone to investigate. We'll have answers by tomorrow."

Leaving those words behind, Joshua and Lauren ignored their daughter sitting dazed on the sofa.

They walked upstairs, giving her time to think things through.

Riley remained silent for a while, recalling Lillian's behavior since the incident. Everything was beginning to make sense.

Just as she hesitated whether to talk to Lillian to clear things up, her phone chimed with a text message from Lillian, showing concern.

She opened her phone and read it.

Riley's eyes flickered, and she quickly swiped across the screen, sending a message.

When she saw Lillian's ambiguous reply, her eyes filled with immense anger. "Even though I said I was being sent abroad, she still wants me to blame Clara and cause trouble for her."

If it weren't for Lauren's reminder, Riley would have rushed to the hospital to confront Clara.

[Forget it. I'm having a farewell banquet tomorrow. As my good friend, you'll come to see me off, right?]

On the other end, Lillian frowned slightly at Riley's response.

"Why is Riley acting so differently all of a sudden?" Lillian mumbled under her breath.

She thought it might be due to Joshua and Lauren and didn't pay much attention.

After sending her message, she didn't bother checking Riley's reply.

Instead, she swirled the wine in her glass, gazing out at the bustling city through the floor-to-ceiling window. Seeing her reflection in the glass, she elegantly raised her glass to herself.

"Anyway, I have plenty of ways to make sure Matthew gives up the idea of reconciling with Clara." Lillian's face was full of confidence as she spoke as if the position of Matthew's wife was already within her grasp.

The next morning, Clara was sipping the soup Daniel had brought her when she heard about Riley's farewell party and her plans to study abroad.

She looked at the gilded invitation in her hand, raised an eyebrow, and casually set it aside.

"Are you going?"

Daniel saw her lack of interest and picked up the invitation. "Joshua and Lauren hope you'll attend so they can apologize in person and probably offer some compensation."

"I think since they're offering compensation, you might as well take it."

Clara didn't answer him immediately. Instead, she finished her soup, then slowly asked, "How's the project progressing?"

Mentioning the project made Daniel's carefree demeanor vanish instantly, replaced by a serious expression. "Not very well. Some of the materials we need are only available through Matthew, and he probably won't give them to us."

"What materials?" Clara's brows furrowed in concern.

When they initially set up the project, they deliberately chose alternative materials to avoid conflicts with Matthew.

So why were the needed materials still in his hands now?

Daniel shrugged helplessly. "That factory had some issues recently and urgently needed funds. By the time I got the news, Matthew had already acquired it. Now he's controlling the material sales."

The drone project had stringent material requirements, and Clara knew it was impossible to find substitutes.

In this information age, technology changed rapidly, and wasting time meant wasting market opportunities.

"Mia and you shouldn't rush to deal with it... Procure other project materials first, and I'll think of something," Clara said, feeling a headache coming on as she set this issue aside for now.

She glanced at the invitation in Daniel's hand out of the corner of her eye. "Tell Matthew I'll be there."

"Got it. Do you need me to accompany you?"

Daniel asked with a smile, preparing to dial a number on his phone.

The hospital room door swung open, and Matthew walked in with a stern expression. "I'll come to pick you up this afternoon."

A subtle gleam flashed in Clara's eyes. "Mr. Garcia, when did you arrive?"

Clara wasn't sure if Matthew had overheard their conversation just now.

Daniel slowly stood up, a cautious look in his eyes, ready to act at any moment.

Matthew squinted, his gaze flickering between the two of them, his face suddenly darkening. "What, do you two have something to hide?"

Relieved by his response, both Clara and Daniel visibly relaxed.

Clara's tense expression eased, though this change made Matthew feel as if they were covering something up.

The thought of Clara and Daniel alone in a room stirred a storm of emotions in Matthew. "Clara, our divorce hasn't been officially announced yet. You should be mindful of public perception and avoid doing anything inappropriate."

Clara tilted her head, ignoring the anger in Matthew's eyes. "And what exactly is considered inappropriate?"

Matthew's eyes grew colder, his gaze briefly sweeping over Daniel. "Mr. Lewis, when do you plan to marry your fiancée?"

The implication was clear.

Daniel raised an eyebrow and gave Clara a helpless shrug.

Daniel replied, "Mr. Garcia, instead of worrying about others, perhaps you should focus on your relationship with Ms. Baker."

Clara propped her chin on her hand and smiled lightly. "I'm waiting for an invitation to your wedding party."