While everyone was settled in the hall, a luxury car pulled up a distance away from the hall.
Braulia Torres, Avery's grandma, noticed the car as soon as she went out to look out for a guest she was expecting.
Braulia had just been discharged from the hospital two nights before the event after a terrible illness, so she hadn't seen Don all this while.
"What? Isn't this Don Miller, Neil Miller's son?" Braulia muttered quietly.
Braulia Torres used to be very familiar with the Miller family before the death of the Millers. Her and Don's grandmother, Sophia Miller, were friends from childhood until they became enemies because of their children.
Sophia Miller had died after she was pushed down from the 12th floor of a storey building by some hoodlums sent by Hillary Torres.
Hillary was determined to wipe out the entire Torres family by all means! He felt insecure by Neil Miller who was his political run mate.
Since Neil Miller was Hillary Torres' sworn enemy, Hillary poisoned Braulia's mind against the Miller family. This made Sophia become Braulia's enemy overnight.
Despite Don undergoing plastic surgery, adding more flesh since Braulia last saw him, and wearing a veil that obscured his face, she was certain that the person before her was the surviving heir of the Miller family.
She could tell because of her magical powers as a witch.
Braulia was a dreadful witch in the Torres family.
Without wasting any time, Braulia approached Don, and called out his name, "Don Miller."
Don turned around in the direction of the voice, surprised to hear his real name being mentioned by someone within Grand City, let alone at Avery's introduction.
He had done everything possible to conceal his identity before the Torres family, so how come someone knew his real name, especially when he was wearing a veil? He couldn't wait to see who this person was!
As Don turned towards the beckoning voice, his eyes met the gaze of an old woman who was likely in her seventies. She wore a faded floral dress that whispered of another era. Strands of silver hair framed her face which was adorned with lines.
A pair of antique earrings dangled from her lobes.
Almost immediately, Don recognized that the old woman was none other than Braulia Torres, Hillary's mother. Memories surged, transporting him back to the days when Braulia frequented his grandmother's house during his teenage years.
Braulia approached Don. "You have no reason to fear that I know who you are. Trust me, you're safe in my confidence. I won't disclose your identity," Braulia assured.
While she was still speaking, Don could read Braulia's mind through the magical mastery he had just acquired through the golden necklace.
Braulia exuded a subtle wickedness, mirroring the traits of her son!
While Braulia and Sophia were still friends, during those times, Don often pondered how this was possible since Braulia and his grandmother were poles apart in temperament.
While Sophia radiated warmth and kindness, Braulia's demeanour hinted at shadows and hidden motives. She was a formidable witch and her presence carried an air of both dread and reverence.
The subtle machinations of Braulia's character left an indelible mark on those who crossed her path. If not for the fact that Sophia and Braulia were friends from childhood, Don knew that there wouldn't be any connection between these two opposite personalities.
Upon seeing Don, Braulia was devising a plan to inform the family about his presence. She intended to reveal to them that she had finally found Don, the surviving heir of the Millers whom they had been searching for all this while!
Don smirked at Braulia's deceit. As soon as she turned to leave, he pulled her back with her scarf, capturing her into the back seat of his car.
Braulia resisted fiercely as Don forcefully pulled her into the car, however Don overpowered her. Within seconds, he drove off to the cemetery where his parents had been buried.
Amidst ancient willow trees, Don's parents rested in a tranquil cemetery adorned with moss-covered stones. The atmosphere carried a sombre hush, with whispers of wind weaving through gnarled branches.
As Don approached their tomb, memories of his parents' painful departure surfaced, evoking tears in his eyes. He reflected on how he received the news of their demise.
The tombstones which were etched with his parents' names, became a poignant reminder of their tragic end. Overwhelmed with emotion, Don knelt beside their final resting place. The tears streaming down his face mirrored the way they had been unjustly killed!
Without wasting time, he pulled Braulia out of the car and strangled her neck, making Braulia's blood spill everywhere.
"One down, a dozen more to go!" Don gritted his teeth in anger and carried Braulia's head to his parent's grave.
"Dad and Mum, this is the head of one of those who orchestrated your death! I won't stop until I wipe them all out!" He growled.
Within minutes, Don was back to the occasion of the introduction. He had changed his clothes and was still putting on a veil like a cleric. He walked confidently into the hall with a pair of black glasses on his face.
The hall buzzed with merriment, and Avery and Matt were seated in the front. However, Avery maintained a scowl on her face.
Different kinds of exotic drinks rested on the table before Avery, with a cup of wine. Avery was just about to sip the wine before her when Don walked up to her.
"Don't try to drink it. It has been poisoned. If you drink it, you'll vomit blood in less than 30 seconds, and you will die immediately!" Don warned.
Avery and everyone around her couldn't recognise that it was Don speaking. His face was almost all covered and he mimicked another voice.
Avery frowned at the supposed stranger. He looked more like an alien, dressed in a weird costume. She wondered what guts this stranger had to bump in on her and tell her lies just to gain her attention.
"Who are you?" Avery managed to ask.
However, Avina who had been sitting beside Avery and had watched Don speak, snapped immediately, "You are a liar and deceiver! How could you say that the drink is poisoned? I'm sure someone paid you handsomely to cause confusion here!"
"Someone needs to kick out this deceiver!" Matt suddenly spoke up.