Mr. and Mrs. Graham came down just as Odelia sat down and the party began. The MC gave the opening remarks, and Mrs. Graham went up to the stage to welcome the guests and give a speech. Her speech was very heartfelt, as she talked about the many good things that had happened in her life.
She thanked her loving husband for always being by her side and thanked Anna for being the most gentle and perfect daughter, leaving Odelia out of her speech. People noticed how Odelia's name had been omitted but decided it wasn't the time to talk about the inner tension within the Graham family.
Don Gardner stayed longer in the car because he had received a call and should have returned to Grandeur Corporation for an emergency meeting, but he had assigned the responsibility to John, his secretary.
He had initially planned not to accept the invitation, but for some reason, after he received news from Thomas, his friend and partner who had been heading over his business in Atlanta, that Roxanne's boyfriend had proposed and that she accepted his proposal, he just felt like doing something to distract himself before he sent his men to kill the man.
But he knew Roxanne would never forgive him if he did that; she had wanted space because he was too controlling and overbearing, and he had thought that maybe if he gave her enough freedom, she would miss him and come back to him, but it seemed he was mistaken.
He had come here to distract himself from all the numerous thoughts running through his mind and had seen that woman. Something about her gave him a feeling of deja vu; it was as if he had seen her before. Just like that woman from the train station before. Looking at Julian, who sat in the passenger seat beside the driver through the rearview mirror, he asked,
"Do you have any leads on the woman from the train station?" He wanted to find her and give her just rewards. He didn't like owing anyone.
"No, sir, it seems the name she used was a fake name. There's no Odeta Williams that fits her description in New York," Julian answered. Don Gardner's eyes narrowed; the woman looked like someone in her late twenties and wore simple clothes with no brand name. Could it be that she was sent by some of his enemies to get close to him? But that seems far-fetched; she didn't have the aura of someone with ill intentions.
"Keep searching," he instructed, and Julian nodded.
If only he knew the cheque he left on the floor had Odelia's real name and details, he would not have left it on the floor. Even though the account was empty, with his power and connections, he would have tracked Odelia from the information on the cheque.
That day at the train station, to avoid unnecessary trouble, Odelia used her previous identity, Odeta Williams, which was the name Mr. and Mrs. Williams, her adoptive parents had given her but was later changed after her birth parents came for her. Mr. and Mrs. Graham changed her name and made sure all her previous records were locked away and removed from the information database.
When Don Gardner entered the banquet hall, he was fashionably late wearing a black tailored suit with an inner black shirt. Even though he was dressed in all black with a cold and dark aura surrounding him, he looked so tall, handsome, and perfect that when Mrs. Graham, who was on the stage and had her glass lifted in the air, greeted him over the mic, his presence alone nearly stole the show.
"I'm very glad you made it in time, Mr. Gardner," Mrs. Graham said when he spotted the man who didn't like to grace people with his presence enter through the gates. All the people present were holding onto their glasses in the air and were about to toast, but upon hearing the greeting, they all turned to look at the person whom even Mrs. Graham addressed with such respect.
Seeing how all eyes were trained on him, he picked a glass from the waiter who was close to him and lifted his glass. Seeing his gesture, everyone, including the birthday woman, lifted their glass for the toast.
After the toast, everyone returned to their seats, and some of the guests began to mingle, and there was an announcement for the opening dance. Don Gardner was led to his table, which was in the front row where the words VVIP had been written boldly.
Odelia also stood up from her seat and made her way to where the sweets were. She would peek around nonchalantly, and when no one was watching, she would stuff a piece of cake into her mouth. She went at it, taking several little cuts, not knowing the eyes that were trained on her, especially the two eyes that seemed like sharp knives that were about to dissect her body and peel her skin layer by layer to see what was underneath such a beautiful exterior.
Don Gardner and Adam Gray seemed to have fallen into a dilemma; they both couldn't explain it, but their attention kept moving toward the woman in red. They had seen all her little actions and felt as if they were in a trance. Why was she so cute?
Adam, who couldn't understand what was happening to him, could only blame it on his curious nature. 'Yes, he was only curious to know what had been happening to her ever since he left her. Yes, that was the only reason.'
Don Gardner, on the other hand, also felt intrigued; he didn't know why he felt she looked familiar, but he realized she was a woman with many hidden talents. He had watched the expressions on her face whenever someone approached her, and he could tell that, whether it was concern, sorrow, pity, happiness, or excitement, it was all fake. The only true emotion was the hatred that occasionally flashed past her eyes when she thought no one was watching.
When Odelia saw the future mother-and-daughter-in-law pair walking towards her, she smiled wickedly and acted as if she had not seen them.
"What stunt are you trying to pull by putting on such an eye-catching dress and making such a grand entrance?" Mrs. Gray asked Odelia with a tone full of disapproval. Odelia looked at the older woman with a placid look on her face; it was as if she was clueless about what she was talking about.
"Can you elaborate further? I don't think I understand what you are talking about," Odelia answered in a polite voice, except that her politeness was fake.
"I'm telling you not to have any designs on my son. If he's the reason you put in so much effort, then I have to tell you that you wasted your time."
Odelia nearly burst out in laughter. Her son? She turned to look at Adam uninterestedly and said,
"I'm sorry, but even if you give him to me for free, I wouldn't want him."
Adam, who had walked over because, for some reason, the thought that his mother and Anna were going to give Odelia a hard time didn't sit well with him, had not expected to hear those words as soon as he stopped in front of the women.
Odelia looked at him with no emotion on her face; it was as if she didn't even see him, and the words "you had better not set your sights on me; I don't have time for yesterday's news" were written all over her face. Adam did not want to admit it, but he felt something stab his chest. 'Didn't she love him anymore?' The thought made him furious without any reason.
Mrs. Gray, on the other hand, was livid; what did the slut just say? 'She didn't even want her son for free? Was she looking down on her son? How dare a country bumpkin such as herself think her son was not good enough for her?
"I don't care what your purpose is for doing what you did, but keep in mind that I will never let you reconcile with my son. It's just not going to happen!" The older woman said in a high-pitched voice, failing to keep her composure. After saying her piece, the woman bumped shoulders with her, making Odelia, who had not expected her move, sway unsteadily on her feet.
Anna, who saw Odelia's predicament, purposefully extended her hand, pretending to grab her unsteady sister, but also deliberately stumbled over her feet, pushing Odelia further away, all while making it appear like an awkward mistake in the heat of the moment.
Odelia's eyes widened in horror as she braced herself from the pain of hitting her body on the marble-hard floors.