Chapter 39
When he saw the picture, he was surprised as he recalled that the lady had dark skin, but now her skin was so white and fair. He stared at the name below ‘Scarlet Jenkins’, and he chuckled when he saw the familiarity with someone’s image that was about to disappear from his mind.
‘So she is Aunt Shanaya Singh’s daughter. ’
Though he was young at that time, he still recalled the woman. She had just come to the country and was new to everything around. She had been on the same plane with his parents, who had gone to America for a vacation. As they talked on the airplane, they got familiar with each other.
One could say that his family was the first people to know Shanaya after coming to the country. She had even stayed at their house for two weeks before she left.
When he reached fifteen, he heard from his grandfather that America was more developed than their country. He had even mentioned the prestigious and affluent families in that country. When he heard the surname Singh, he was surprised and asked his father, who was also stunned.
They had never thought too much of Shanaya’s surname till then. They were surprised, but they didn’t mention it, but that at least assured them, and they understood that Shanaya had hidden her whereabouts.
He wondered what his family’s reactions would be when he told them that he had met Aunt Shanaya’s daughter. But when he recalled Angela’s words, he frowned and dialed his assistant’s number.
“Sir,” the assistant said.
“I want everything on the Jenkins family,” he said and hung up the call. He felt that there must be something that he didn’t know. Since he had never been so interested in the city, and also came when he was hiding from those people, he never tried to understand the affluent families within.
Still, he was really bothered as he stared at her picture. After turning eighteen, he had entered the international market and become familiar with families in America. He had once seen a portrait of Shanaya in a business partner’s office. When the man saw him staring at it, he asked him whether he knew her, but he said that he didn’t know.
However, the man never believed him and started investigating in every country he had been cause he believed that Lennox had lied to him and had met the woman. As he thought of all these, he shook his head, convincing himself that it was none of his business what would happen. He switched off his phone and walked out.
“We are here,” Brooke said as she looked at their family’s ancestral house.
Seeing the mansion, Scarlet had different feelings about it. Cause she was with the group, she knew that they didn’t need an invitation to get in, thus she and her aunt were lucky as they didn’t have to use the fake invitation card. At the same time, she felt disappointed cause she had wanted it to cause some chaos so that she could ask Ann and her mother who exchanged her aunt’s invitation. She had planned everything but forgot that she won’t use it.
“Let’s go in. Mom has been calling me, and I have been ignoring her. If we don’t go soon, I'm afraid that I will be punished later on,” Brooke said as she walked out of the limousine that Lennox had sent.
The others walked out soon when they heard her words. Sophia and Mrs Davis were in the car behind them, as they had claimed that they wanted to give the girls time for themselves. Sophia was so happy with the three girls being with Scarlet, as she wanted her niece to have friends and a normal life.
“You can just shove my aunt to her. You know, she is your mother’s idol. State that you had gone to bring her a surprise.”
“Aaah, Scarlet, you are the best,” Brooke said as she took Scarlet's arm. Angela and Samantha looked at her and shook their heads.
The four girls walked in, making everyone gaze to turn to them. Soon, there were murmurs; they recognized the three girls, but not the prettiest. They started guessing their identity.
When Mr Jenkins saw Scarlet with them, he was stunned and found it unbelievable. Ann was also staring at Scarlet with jealousy. She couldn’t recognize the latter but was jealous cause she had been trying hard to get into that group, but they all disdained her. Now she wondered what identity the girl had to get into that group.
“Girls, let’s go and wish the birthday man a happy birthday,” Mrs Davis said when she saw where they were walking.
They all walked to where the Nelson family was seated. Mrs Nelson looked at her daughter calmly, but Brooke felt a hint of danger when her mother stared at her.
“Mother, guess who I brought?” she said, laughing nervously, but her words made everyone look at her. Her mother didn’t talk, just raised her eyebrow.
Getting her mother’s hint, Brooke stepped aside for her mother to see Sophia. As Sophia’s fan club admits, how could Mrs Nelson not recognize Sophia even if she had not seen her for more than ten years?
“Sophia, my idol,” she said happily as a grin appeared on her face. She didn’t care and immediately stood up and hurriedly walked to Sophia.
“When everyone heard her words, they were stunned. Almost everyone knew who Sophia was, and those who didn’t felt that the name was familiar.
The Jenkins were stunned. Ann’s eyes darkened; she didn’t need to be told, if the lady who had been walking with Mrs Davis was Sophia, didn’t that mean that the young lady who had been walking with the three was Scarlet? She then recalled Scarlet’s words in the morning, but still found it unbelievable to believe, as her skin had been so dark.
“The young lady with Miss Davis and Miss Cole is the young miss of the Jenkins who had been thrown out after her mother’s death,” someone told the people who had yet to recognize the two.
“Sophia is the sister of Jenkins' late madam,” another said. “She had been a famous designer. She was twelve then. She has a lot of fans.”
“Yes, though she had disappeared for more than ten years, her fans have been waiting for her patiently,” someone else said.
“It seemed that Mr Jenkins had made a wrong move by throwing them out. With just the three families with those two are enough to make the Jenkins stay at the top where the late Mrs Jenkins had taken it,” someone else said.
“It seemed that she had left connections for the two. Maybe she had been afraid that they would be mistreated,” another said.
“Weren’t they mistreated? There is a rumor that Jenkins called them back cause Scarlet is about to turn eighteen, qualifying to get her mother’s inheritance.”
Hearing the rumors around them, Mr Jenkins' eyes darkened as he felt that the two had done it for a purpose. They wanted to make him the city’s laughingstock.
Sophia was stunned when she saw Mrs Davis. At her sister’s burial, some of her fan club admits had attended it representing her fans. She remembered that the woman had been one of them. She glanced at her niece, who had told her, but she had refused to believe it.
“Long time no see,” Sophia said with a smile on her face.
“You are beautiful as ever. It’s good you are back. Come sit with me,” Mrs Nelson said as she wiped her eyes. She then took Sophia’s hand and dragged her to her seat. The empty seat had been left for Brooke.
Seeing her mother’s actions, Brooke was stunned, making the three girls laugh at her.
“You are going to sit with us today,” Angela said.
“Happy birthday, Grandpa Nelson,” Samantha said as she presented her gift to the old man who had been watching the commotion silently.
“As always, Sam is the only one who remembers me and the first to give me a gift,” the man said with a smile on his face, making Samantha giggle.
“Then I will be the one closing the gifting moments,” Angela said as she pouted, making the man laugh loudly.
They had always been like this during his birthday, competing over who would give him a gift first and whose gift was valuable. He had thought that this year would be different with a new friend with them, but never expected Samantha to take advantage of the other two while they weren’t paying attention.
“Oh. Look at me, I almost forgot,” Mrs Nelson said as she face slapped her forehead.
“Dad, this is Sophie, my idol,” she introduced Sophia to her father-in-law.
“Happy Old Mr Nelson,” Sophia said as she handed a gift to him.
“Grandpa, shouldn’t you open the gifts?” Brooke said as she ran to the old man.
The old man turned to her and raised his eyebrows.
“Thank you, Miss Singh. Is this Shanaya’s daughter?” he asked as he stared at Scarlet, though he already knew.
“Yes, she is my mother. Happy birthday, Old Mr Nelson,” Scarlet said.
“Call me Grandpa Nelson, just like the three,” he said as he took Scarlet’s gift.
“Grandpa, you aren’t fun at all. Open the gift,” Angela said as she also ran to the old man.
The old man shook his head, but he had a smile on his face.
“Okay, okay. I will open the gifts according to how they were presented,” he said as he placed Scarlet’s gift on the table and took Samantha’s gift.
He opened it and chuckled. “I see you stole your grandpa’s treasure once more,” he said as he immediately recognized it.
“I didn’t steal it. I just pretended to be pitiful in front of him before taking it and running away,” Samantha said as she stuck her tongue out to her grandfather, who was seated at the next table. The man shook his head helplessly.
“Well, doesn’t Brooke also steal your treasure to gift me during my birthday?” the man retorted as he knew that his friend was bragging.
Old Mr Nelson immediately glared at his friend.
“Angela, I hope you didn’t steal my treasure,” Old Mr Cole immediately said, making everyone laugh loudly.
Angela ran to her grandpa and whispered something to him.
“Lennox, this brat…”
“Grandpa, you can’t snitch till I give the gift,” Angela said in a panic, but Lennox, who was upstairs already, heard his name and looked at what was happening downstairs.
His gaze landed on Angela’s hands, but Angela, who had always been sensitive to her little uncle, felt his stare and trembled.
“You can only blame yourself for not gifting me the car,” she said stubbornly before walking hurriedly to Old Mr Nelson.
“You are becoming bold,” Old Mr Davis said, making Old Mr Nelson nod his head, though he was curious at what had been stolen from that brat.
“Bring it, let me see,” Old Mr Nelson said, making Lennox glare at the old man, but he didn’t care.
“Blame your niece. I was just gifted. I didn’t steal it,” he said as he opened Angela’s gift.
Both Brooke and Samantha looked at Angela worriedly before turning their eyes to the gift.
I had some keys. “What is this?”
“A yacht keys,” both Brooke and Samantha said as they recognized the keys.
“You gifted me your yacht?” Old Mr Nelson said as he stared at Angela, who shook her head.
“When uncle bought me the yacht, he bought three. Those keys are for his yacht,” Angela said as she giggled. How could she gift her things?
Lennox chuckled darkly.
“Angela Cole,” Lennox said coldly, but where he was seated, no one could see him.
Angela trembled when she heard her name. “Why steal if you are afraid of him?” Scarlet asked as she didn’t understand it.
“He was the one who provoked me first. Initially, I planned to take grandpa’s treasure, but when he provoked me yesterday, I changed my targets,” Angela said, making her parents shake their heads.
“Sister, you owe me two hundred million,” Lennox said with a smirk.