Chapter 41
I nodded.
The Guise family had once been among Silverlight City's elite, their growth trajectory rivaling even the Percy Group.
But poor management, combined with disastrous decisions by Sophia's father, forced them to declare bankruptcy.
Everyone said it would take years for the Guise family to recover—but three years ago, they unexpectedly gained the Percy Group's backing. Within a single year, they'd rebuilt themselves.
Though not yet restored to their former glory, with the Percy Group as their foundation, it was only a matter of time.
I just hadn't expected Sophia to be on my celebration guest list.
"The Percy family values loyalty. Mr. Donovan Percy is probably honoring their families' past connection by offering support."
Fanny reached the same conclusion, worried I might be upset. She deliberately tried to comfort me.
I shook my head dismissively. "Mom, I understand."
"Still, that Guise girl has too many tricks up her sleeve. Stay away from her going forward." Fanny was still fuming over the earlier incident.
"I don't like her. I won't be getting friendly."
"Good. But if she bullies you, tell your father and me. We'll handle her."
Fanny's fierce protectiveness made me laugh. I took her hand playfully.
"Deal! When the time comes, you two can beat her up for me!"
Though Sophia had soured the mood, Fanny's shopping enthusiasm remained undimmed. She immediately pulled me back to browsing.
After trying on several options, I settled on a light lavender cake dress.
Both the color and cut were notoriously difficult to pull off.
But on me, the effect was unexpectedly stunning.
Fanny chose an emerald green gown that looked incredibly elegant on her.
"We'll take these two. Please charge the card."
I handed the manager James's bank card.
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
The manager took the card and left.
She returned shortly, but her expression looked troubled.
Fanny and I exchanged glances.
Fanny spoke up first. "What's wrong? Is someone else causing problems?"
The manager finally explained. "It's Ms. Guise from earlier. She tried to purchase both pieces, but her card had insufficient funds. She insisted there was nothing wrong with her card—claimed our payment system was malfunctioning."
"We tried three different machines, but none went through. She seemed embarrassed, so she changed her request to just one dress. That still wouldn't process. When our staff kindly informed her that the gown was in the tens of millions, she completely lost it and nearly got physical."
"She accused us of price gouging, saying no dress should cost that much. If I hadn't threatened to call security, she might've trashed the store. Compared to her, Mrs. Wipere and Ms. Wipere are absolute angel clients..."
Fanny shook her head repeatedly. "Don't let people like that in anymore. Otherwise, who'll dare shop here?"
The manager took the warning to heart, promising it wouldn't happen again.
I'd suspected Sophia couldn't afford the gowns, but I hadn't expected such a scene.
This outburst would definitely land her on luxury boutiques' blacklists. Purchasing haute couture going forward would be nearly impossible.
...
Before I knew it, the celebration evening arrived.
Since this was a private event, the entire Golden Hall had been closed off—entry by invitation only.
Arriving at the entrance, I spotted Donovan greeting guests while scanning the crowd expectantly.
Seeing my parents and me, he immediately abandoned his current conversation and rushed over.
"Mr. Donovan Percy."
My parents quickly greeted him.
Donovan acknowledged them briefly before pulling me along. "Cindy, come. Let me introduce you to some old friends."
Just then, someone recognized my parents and came over to chat.
They urged me to go ahead with Donovan.
I followed silently.
"Everyone, this is Cindy—meet three of my oldest friends."
After Donovan made the introductions:
"These are friends I've had for decades. None of them have granddaughters, so when they saw what a wonderful granddaugh—ahem!."
Realizing his slip, he quickly corrected himself.
"—What a wonderful granddaughter I have, they were incredibly envious."
I greeted each of them according to his introductions.
"Donovan, what kind of luck do you have? Finding such a beautiful, well-mannered granddaughter!"
"I told you girls who dance are the prettiest! Didn't you believe me? With looks like that, Donovan's great-grandchildren will be stunning too!"
"Donovan, you sly devil! It's not enough that you were handsome in your youth—your whole family line has to be gorgeous!"
As their conversation spiraled increasingly off-track, my face burned hotter by the second. I quickly found an excuse to escape.
"Grandfather, I'm a bit thirsty. I'd like some water."
Fortunately, Donovan didn't suspect anything. He waved someone over to escort me to the refreshment area.
After drinking a glass of water, the heat in my cheeks finally subsided somewhat.
"I think Mr. Percy just arrived."
"Really? We should go say hello."
"Let's go, let's go. Mr. Percy rarely attends events—tonight's a perfect opportunity to network."
Seeing the crowd migrating toward the entrance, my gaze followed.
It was indeed Leopold.
His tall, commanding figure stood out prominently among the guests.
As if sensing my stare, he turned his head in my direction.
I quickly looked away, taking another nervous sip of water.
Leopold disliked social functions. Apart from Donovan's birthday celebrations, he rarely appeared at gatherings.
If attendance was mandatory, he'd typically show up for the second half.
I'd planned to stay for an hour before making an excuse to leave, thus avoiding him entirely.
I hadn't expected him to arrive early.
"Tonight's your celebration. I brought you a gift."
While I was lost in thought, a deep, magnetic voice spoke from above my head.
I looked up.
Leopold's devastatingly handsome face suddenly filled my vision.
My heartbeat stuttered violently before racing out of control.
"Thank you."
I quickly set down my glass and accepted the gift.
"Aren't you going to open it?"
I'd assumed this was just a formality, but he actually wanted me to open it here.
Several guests were already watching us.
Even Donovan came over, curious.
"Cindy, I'm dying to know what Leo got you. Open it so we can all see!"
"Open the gift! Open the gift!"
Someone started chanting, and soon everyone joined in.
Trapped, I had no choice but to unwrap it.
The moment I opened the box, I froze.
I held it up disbelievingly. "This is..."
Leopold looked down at me, his deep eyes flowing with long-absent tenderness.
"You're not mistaken. It's exactly that."
My hands trembled as I lifted it out.
This was the silver bracelet my grandmother had given me for my eighteenth birthday. The surface was engraved with cloud patterns in a delicate band.
The entire piece was twisted rope-style—several thin silver strands wound together, each section inscribed with tiny characters: "peace," "health," "happiness."
These were my grandmother's blessings for me.
Perhaps she'd given me all her fortune, because the following year, she passed away.
Later, while organizing my jewelry box, I'd accidentally dropped the bracelet on the hardwood floor. It shattered into several pieces on impact.
I'd been devastated for weeks, clutching the fragments as I ran to every local jewelry repair shop and artisan workshop. Not one would take the job—the craftsmanship was too delicate to solder, or they couldn't risk damaging it further.
Seeing my distress, Leopold had volunteered to handle it, promising he'd get it fixed.
All these years, I'd assumed he'd forgotten.
But the silver bracelet had been restored long ago.
"Here, let me put it on you."
Leopold took the bracelet, gently grasping my hand as he slipped it onto my wrist.
The cool metal slid into place.
Overwhelmed with emotion, I started to thank him.
Suddenly, my peripheral vision caught someone bursting into the hall.
I instinctively turned.
Sophia came charging toward us—hair disheveled, clothes in disarray.