Chapter 39
Chapter 39
As Quinlyn stood there with calm and clear eyes, several of the more perceptive adults began to rethink their initial judgments of her. They exchanged looks and subtly signaled to their sons.
“Go ask Quinlyn to dance later,” one mother whispered, nudging her son.
Unfortunately, most of the kids were already drawn to Harriet. With her poised and regal appearance, she had clearly caught their attention. The boy had picked up on his mom’s carlier signals, and so he resisted her subtle nudge.
“I don’t want to dance with that ugly duckling. If I’m going to dance, it should be with Harriet. She’s the real princess!” the boy scoffed.
The adults exchanged surprised glances.
What nonsense. Harriet’s the adopted daughter. She’s not even on Edward’s radar. they thought.
But before they could try to talk some sense into the kids, Quinlyn spoke up again.
“We’re about to start the opening dance, but my dress got dirty. I want to change into a new one. So, if anyone can go out and buy a new dress that I like. I’ll dance with them.”
The room fell silent instantly.
No one had ever heard such a request at a banquet before. She was asking someone to go out, find a dress, and bring it back. If she hadn’t been the Anderson family’s precious young lady on stage, everyone would’ve laughed at her boldness.
But since Quinlyn was Edward’s precious girl, the guests, though battled, didn’t immediately protest.
Maurice and Tina stood frozen, stunned by her request. As they processed what was happening, they were about to rush up to the stage to stop Quinlyn before she embarrassed herself further.
Before they could make a move, a cheerful voice cut through the tension.
“Does that mean anyone, regardless of gender, can join in?” Claude asked, stepping forward with Mandy’s hand in his, his grin wide. “If I bring back a dress you like, does that mean Mandy could dance with you, too!”
“Godfather,” Quinlyn muttered under her breath.
Her eyes lit up. Without a second thought, she nodded. “Yes, whether they’re a boy or girl, old or young.”
“That sounds great!” Claude laughed again. He wasn’t sure what Quinlyn was up to, but since she had made up her mind, he figured he’d help her out. He lifted Mandy and said happily. “Let’s go find the dress and invite Hailey to dance.
Mandy wrapped her arms around Claude’s neck, smiling sweetly as she glanced back at Quinlyn on stage. It was clear she really wanted to dance with her.
Then, a group of spoiled rich kids rushed forward.
“Hailey, let me sign up first! I’ll bring you the most beautiful dress in the city. Even if we don’t dance, I’d be honored just to be your friend,” one boy declared eagerly.
“Me too! If I can be your friend, my life will be complete, another boy chimed in, his excitement clear.
One by one, they made their promises and dashed out of the banquet hall. Among them were a few well–off young heirs. No one knew exactly when they had met Quinlyn, but now, all of them were fired up, eager to be her friend.
With these two groups rushing into action, what had once seemed like a ridiculous situation suddenly took a bizarre turn
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Tue, 18 Mar
Chapter 39
After a while, had exchanged pleasantries with Quinlyn and made their way out of the banquet hall, all in search of the perfect dress.
“Wait, you guys…” Maurice stared at the half–empty banquet hall, his eyes wide with shock. He was completely stunned, not knowing what to say.
On stage. Quinlyn looked satisfied with herself. After glancing at the few remaining guests, she turned toward the family of three and casually asked. “Aren’t you going to see Grandpa?”
Her words snapped the three Andersons out of their daze. They suddenly remembered that Edward was still with the doctor, and the doctor had been in there for quite a while,
Maurice was about to leave when Tina grabbed his arm.
She shook her head, her eyes narrowing. This girl is up to something. If we leave now and she causes trouble, what are we going to do?”
Maurice thought it over for a moment and then nodded. He agreed with Tina. Plus, if they left now, Harriet would definitely have to face Edward alone.
Seeing that the three had decided not to leave just yet, Quinlyn seemed to sense defeat. She sighed and pulled out her phone from her pocket, speaking into it calmly. “You can take action now.”
“Action? What action!‘ the three of them thought, confused.
Before they could react, a loud voice rang out from the entrance of the hall.
“Don’t move! Police!” an officer shouted.
The next moment, a group of uniformed officers stormed into the venue, addressing the remaining guests. “Someone reported you for gambling in a group. We’re here for a routine check. Hand over your phones. Don’t panic. If we find nothing, you’ll be free to go.”
Tina snapped back to reality and immediately fired back at the officers. “Are you blind? Can’t you see this is a formal event? The Anderson family is hosting a banquet today, not a gambling game.”
Maurice’s face darkened too, but he stepped forward to clear things up. “This must be a misunderstanding, probably caused by my daughter’s little prank earlier. I’ll make sure she apologizes right away. Quinlyn! What are you doing just standing there? Come over here!”
Maurice was sure that the earlier commotion had caused the mix–up.
Surprisingly, Quinlyn obeyed without hesitation. She carefully lifted the heavy fabric of her dress, jumped down from the stage, and walked toward the officers.
Bennett, one of the officers, glanced down at her briefly before continuing with his work. “Whether this is a misunderstanding or not, we need to check to be sure. Mr. Anderson, we’re only checking phones. Please don’t make this. difficult for us.”
When Maurice realized he couldn’t talk his way out of it, his expression grew even darker. He could only apologize to the remaining guests.
Meanwhile, some unfamiliar faces in the crowd began to relax. Their tense bodies slowly loosened up, and they lowered. their hands, which had been hovering over their backs.
The routine check began. Everyone was asked to hand over their phones.
Quinlyn was acting strangely, sticking close to the family of three. It was really starting to annoy Tina.
20:35 Tue, 18 Mar
Chapter 39
“Go play somewhere else. Why are you sticking to us?” gotten yourself into trouble, you’re scared, huh? All you do is hide behind us. We’re unlucky to end up with a kid like you”
king down at her with disdain, Tina sneered, “Now that you’ve
Several police officers, who were passing by, frowned as they overheard Tina’s harsh words, But since it wasn’t a matter they wanted to get involved in, they just kept walking.
Looking upset, Maurice glanced at the scene. “Look at what you’ve done,” he scolded, shaking his head. “This is a mess. If no one comes back for the dance, what am I supposed to do…”
Before he could finish, a loud crashing sound interrupted him. It came from behind them like something heavy hitting the ground.
Maurice quickly spun around and saw a few police officers wrestling with several men in suits, pinning them to the ground.
“What’s going on here?” Maurice asked, startled, as he rushed toward them. “These men are rushing my guests!” he added.
“Mr. Anderson, stay back! It’s dangerous, Bennett shouted, his voice serious. He held one of the men down with one hand and blocked Maurice with the other, explaining. “They’re not your guests. They’re foreign criminals who snuck in.”
Maurice froze. His eyes widened as he saw the criminals pull out guns. His heart skipped a beat as he took a few steps back. and his face drained of color.
Once the criminals were cuffed, Bennett stood up, extending his hand toward Maurice. “You should thank your daughter,” Bennett said, his tone softer but still serious. “If she hadn’t helped us by leading the guests away earlier, catching these criminals would’ve been a lot harder.
