Chapter 118
After Chloe finished washing her hands, Evelyn pulled her onto her lap to ask questions.
"Chloe, why did you want to tell stories to that lady in the garden today?"
Chloe nestled in her arms. "I heard Monica say that lady is going away soon. I hoped she could be happy before leaving. When I told her stories, she smiled."
Evelyn looked down at her daughter's bright eyes, warmth flooding her heart.
This child was always like a little sun, warming others with her kindness wherever she went.
"Chloe's wonderful." She pinched Chloe's little cheek.
Chloe's face reddened, but her eyes grew even brighter. "Mommy, since I'm so wonderful, can I have a reward?"
Evelyn was curious.
Both children had rich material and emotional lives. She really didn't know what Chloe could want.
"I want a phone." Chloe said, then added, "That way when I miss Mommy, I can call you."
Evelyn touched her head. "You're only three. No one so young has a phone. At most, Mommy will buy you a communication watch."
"Alright, I need to go out now. You and Caleb be good at home, okay?"
Chloe nodded, a bit disappointed, and said goodbye to her mother.
Caleb held Chloe's little hand, looking at her somewhat suspiciously. "Chloe, you want a phone—is it really to call Mommy?"
Chloe nodded but guiltily looked away.
Seeing this, Caleb guessed she probably wanted to call that person on the business card.
He sighed softly and led Chloe to the playroom.
On the way to the party, Evelyn kept thinking about Monica's words.
Marsha was dying and still thought of her constantly.
When Chloe left, Marsha had still been calling her name.
How could she deserve such concern?
The car drove across the sea bridge, the water sparkling with reflected light.
She gazed out the window, remembering how Marsha used to hold her hand and say "Eve is closer than my own granddaughter." A corner of her heart ached gently.
The party was on a luxury yacht for Susan's friend's eightieth birthday.
When Evelyn stepped onto the deck, the sunset painted the entire sea surface in scattered gold.
Her appearance immediately drew everyone's attention. Though her makeup was light, it couldn't hide her extraordinary grace.
"You must be Adam?" The party host, eighty-year-old Flora Seymour, approached with a face full of smiles. "Susan's praised you for so long. Now that I've met you, you truly are exceptional."
Evelyn smiled and stood before Flora, pulling a gift from her handbag. "This is from my grandmother. The weather prevented her from arriving on time, and she specifically asked me to convey her apologies."
"No matter, we've been friends for so many years. I won't mind." Flora accepted the gift, holding Evelyn's hand and looking her up and down, more and more satisfied. "I never imagined Susan had been hiding you away for over twenty years. If I'd known the Gray family had a child like you, I definitely wouldn't have let my grandson marry so early."
"You're too kind." Evelyn smiled modestly.
If she remembered correctly, the Seymour family's eldest son, Willard Seymour, was a partner in the internationally renowned Vertex Holdings Group.
Before they could chat further, a snide voice came from behind.
"Grandma, don't talk nonsense. Miss Gray is already taken. Her children are grown."
Evelyn looked toward the voice. A woman wearing haute couture with waves of curls walked over.
She'd done some research on the Seymour family before coming and immediately recognized this as the youngest child of this generation, Briar Seymour, Flora's granddaughter.
Flora's face darkened. "What are you saying? Adam, I'm sorry. The children in this family don't know better."
Evelyn was about to shake her head to show she didn't mind when Briar persisted. "I saw photos in the gossip papers! I'd like to know if it's true!"
Evelyn looked at her, her tone light. "Tabloid stories—better not to believe them. Bad for your IQ."
Before Briar could retort, Flora said, "Adam, I'll have the steward take you to the VIP section. The banquet will start soon."
Evelyn nodded and turned to leave.
Behind her, Briar looked indignant. "Grandma, why did you stop me? So many people saw she has children!"
Flora gave her a look of disappointment. "Do you know who she is? How dare you provoke her?"
"The Seymour family has been struggling for years. We're only barely maintaining our position by following the Gray family's coattails."
"When Susan retires, all of the Gray family's assets will be Adam's!"
"Offend her, and you're personally ending decades of cooperation between our two families!"
Briar was still defiant. "My startup project didn't win the gold award because of her! Because she beat me by publishing her proposal first!"
A year ago, Briar had just graduated, full of pride.
She'd started her own company, but unfortunately, her first competitor was the already somewhat famous Evelyn. Evelyn not only had better proposals but was faster, winning the client without question. Briar had hated her ever since.
"That's Adam's ability!" Flora knew exactly what her granddaughter was capable of. Even without Adam, there would have been other competitors.
She didn't want to hear more excuses and signaled for a servant to bring two bottles of fine wine. "Take these to your brother."
"I don't want to. Can't a servant do it?"
Flora glared at her in disappointment. "Can't you think about why I'm asking you to go?"
Briar looked at her grandmother quizzically.
"Your brother has an important guest to entertain today. I want you to make an appearance."
"What important guest requires me personally?"
Flora's husband, Jasper Seymour, appeared behind Flora, smiling. "Matthew, the president of Limbo Inc., hired your brother as a consultant for an acquisition project. He's here today too. Go on, your grandmother means well!"
Briar's face flushed at his words, Matthew's image suddenly appearing in her mind.
She'd seen him in person at a business gala once—truly an incomparable prince among men.
Combined with his CEO status...
If she could catch his attention and then win him over...
For the rest of her life, people like Adam would have to step aside!
She couldn't be bothered saying more to her grandmother. She grabbed the wine and headed straight for her brother's room.
"This child..." Flora rubbed her temples.
Jasper smiled and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about the younger generation. Today's your birthday."
"How can you not worry about your own children?" Flora smiled too.
After thinking, she still wanted to formally apologize to Evelyn.
Briar's words today had been truly offensive.
She walked toward Evelyn but found a woman already chatting with her.
Flora looked more closely—it was someone from the Jennings family. Zeal's mother, Elowen Morgan.