Friday, at the Morgans' banquet.
Looking at the repainted gate of the Morgan Residence, Athena's heart was filled with mixed emotions.
She had left this place for six years.
Today, she donned the dress that Sheryl had bought for her. She put on some light makeup and let her long, silky hair fall loose behind her.
Being intellectual while still as beautifully sexy as ever, it is as though Athena had become another person.
At this moment, the banquet had not officially begun, but their guests were already flowing in endlessly.
From the looks of the situation, the Morgan family's status had leveled up in the short span of six years.
Because of Anne's invitation card, Athena was able to get through the security with ease.
Upon entering the main hall of the banquet, Athena noticed that the decorations in the house had changed. It was no longer the Chinese- styled decoration that her mother had arranged herself.
Other than that, she could no longer recognize any of the servants that were scurrying in and out of the banquet hall.
Athena couldn't help but smile bitterly. After she left, the Morgan family had undergone major changes from the inside out.
'Are they that afraid of my return?' she thought.
While Athena was lost in her thoughts, Susan quickly spotted her from the center of the crowd surrounding her.
The bright smile on her face froze.
"I'm sorry. Excuse me for a while" Susan said to the people around her.
"How did she get in?" Susan quickly found the butler and asked, while pointing at Athena.
"Madam, she is the second daughter of the Jane family. She has an invitation." The butler did not recognize Athena.
Upon hearing this, Susan frowned. It seemed that she had really underestimated Athena's methods.
However, it would not be easy returning to the Morgan family.
An idea immediately popped into Susan's mind.
On the other side, Athena's attention was focused on the huge poster that was placed in the center of the banquet.
On the poster, there was a little boy with a cute smile, along with a blessing posted on the side.
It read, "Happy Birthday, Alistair."
'Is this George and Susan's child?' Athena thought.
'My younger brother?'
Athena was a little absent-minded. Looking at her little brother who was the same age as Sheryl, she did not have the heart to hate him.
"Ah!"
"Miss, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
Just as Athena turned around, she bumped into a servant holding a wine tray. The few glasses of red wine splashed unforgivingly onto her dress.
The small commotion was quite loud that it caught the attention of the people around.
"It's fine, it's fine." Athena lowered her head while trying to leave the crowd.
The only reason she came to the Morgan residence was to retrieve her mother's belongings. It was not at all her intention to bump into any of the Morgans.
However, the servant wouldn't stop apologizing profusely and blocking her exit.
"As I said, it is okay. Would you please step aside?"
It was unlikely for the staff to make such a silly mistake at a grand event. Something was off.
Athena was frustrated and couldn't help but raise her voice at the servant.
But just as she finished her sentence, with a microphone in her hand, Susan filled the banquet hall with her voice. Everyone looked up.
"Dear all, I'm very sorry, but we may have to put today's banquet on hold."
"Why, you may ask? It's because there is a thief among us. Just now, my red agate necklace was stolen."
Susan caressed her fair neck with a sorrowful look on her face.
It was common knowledge that her agate necklace was auctioned off at 2 million dollars by George last month
The banquet hall was then filled with sighs of distress from the thought that a thief had infiltrated this place of nobility.
Immediately, guards took their positions in front of the exits to the banquet hall.
Athena couldn't help but feel a shiver running down her spine. She raised her head and looked toward the center of the banquet, only to see Susan staring back at her with a smirk.
'Oh no!'
Athena was quick to realize that something was not right, but she no longer had a chance to flee.
Soon, a burly security guard stood in front of her and looked down at her.
"Miss, hello. Do you have an invitation?"
No one else was asked the same question. Only she was interrogated. Susan's intention couldn't be clearer.
Thus, everyone started to look at Athena suspiciously.
At that moment, there was nothing else Athena could do, so she kept a smile on her face and opened her bag calmly.
"Found it!"
Before Athena could completely open her bag, the guards around her snatched the bag from her grasp aggressively and pulled out Susan's necklace.
Susan barged her way through the crowd of people hurriedly and got the necklace back in her possession. The expression on her face was a mixture of disappointment and relief, the exact portrayal of a victim of the situation.
"Miss, you don't dress nor look like a poor person, so why did you steal the necklace?" Susan said while looking at Athena with teary eyes.
Susan looked at her with unfamiliarity, as though she has never met Athena before.
Every guest present was deceived by Susan's skillful acting. However, Athena was well aware of what truly happened.
Only Susan would be able to pull off such a despicable, self- directed act to frame
Athena.
The servant from earlier who was apologizing profusely had now disappeared from the scene.
Athena sneered. It seemed that today was not her day and she was bound to be humiliated by Susan.
"If you don't say anything, I'll call the police." Susan pretended to give Athena a chance. However, she had already secretly instructed her butler to call the police.
Now that Athena was labeled a thief in front of influential families of Sunset City, it would be difficult for her to turn over a new leaf if she wanted to in the future.
'Athena, you're still too tender to be playing tricks with me.'
"Hold on."
Just as Susan was ecstatic from her incoming victory, a cold voice interrupted her.
"It's Julian!"
When the slender figure appeared in the banquet hall, everyone broke into commotion. Julian Graham was not just anyone. To be able to meet him on such an occasion made people feel like they struck gold.
The aura emanating from him was noble and indifferent, the image he portrayed was pretty much too intimidating for people to approach him.
He walked towards Athena with no obstructions as if he was a king.
The muscular security guard that was before Athena also became nothing but a speck of dust with Julian's appearance.
Julian looked around as if he didn't care about anyone else. In the end, his cold gaze fell upon Athena.
"Did you steal it?" he asked in a calm tone.
"Huh?" Athena immediately recognized the man as the higher-up that had approved her job application.
'Could he have recognized me?' she thought.
'What would he do to me? Fire me? Ban me from the industry?'
For a moment, Athena's mind was in a state of chaos.
"I'm asking you a question." Julian frowned slightly. He had never encountered someone bold enough to zone out in front of him.
Worse still, she did that in such a tense situation.
'This woman must have sh*t for brains,' he
thought.