4.
Avalon’s POV
Before I could say a word, Bowden sighed heavily, his voice falling like a hammer.
“Tonight is your brother’s moment. No matter what, Avalon was like half a mother to you all. She ought to be here.”
“What a curse!” Shawna snapped, turning her head away. Her voice was so sharp it scraped like nails on glass. “Why bring her here now and ruin everything?!”
Rufus’s gaze swept over me like a scanner, his eyes brushing across the deep navy dress I wore—elegant, understated but unmistakably expensive. His brows furrowed slightly, as if confirming something that displeased him.
“Avalon rarely comes back to visit. Shawna, don’t be so harsh,” Sharice cut in gently, looping her arm around Rufus’s tense one. Her smile was soft, serene—the perfect guest welcomer. Yet the way she looked at me brimmed with smug superiority.
Nearby, the guests whispered among themselves.
“Sharice really is something else—an Ivy League artist with such poise. She deserves being the matriarch of the family.”
“Exactly! Remember how Avalon tried to win affection back then? She even went so far as to kidnap one of the twins…”
“Now those two kids are incredible. The boy runs the Raltrex Prime, and the girl’s a famous influencer with millions of fans! Avalon was really a fool back then.”
Someone nearby tugged urgently at the speaker’s sleeve, eyes darting toward Rufus with visible panic.
His expression had darkened completely. He stepped up to me, his voice low and menacing.
“You’ve got the nerve to show your face? You ignored the kids for over a decade, and now that you’ve run out of options, you crawl back to us like we’re your golden ticket?”
Shawna folded her arms and sneered at my modest appearance. “Now you know how miserable it is to be on your own, don’t you? Too late! There’s no place for you in this family anymore!”
I met their gazes calmly and said clearly, “I have two children. They’re busy with work, but they’ll be arriving later.”
“What?!”
Rufus’s rage froze into stunned disbelief. A flicker of something complicated passed through his eyes.
“You remarried? When did that happen? And the kids are already working? Avalon, did you go and have illegitimate children behind my back?!”
“Enough! You disgraceful brat! Do you even know where you are?” Bowden’s face turned thunderous. He slammed his redwood cane against the polished marble floor with a thunderous crack.
Rufus flinched, clearly holding back more words. But before he could say anything else, a stir rippled through the entrance of the party hall.
Several young men in crisp black tailcoats entered, carrying a massive gift box.
The box was wrapped in thick, matte black velvet, luxurious to the eye. At the center, a subtle yet unmistakably commanding logo gleamed: a silver crown.
“Oh my God! That’s Crown! The legendary brand that only serves the world’s elite!”
“I heard only royalty and top-tier financial giants can get on their client list. Even if you’re rich, it doesn’t mean you’ll ever get close!”
“Excuse me,” one of the men stepped forward. “Which of you is Sir Radnor’s mother? This is your child’s engagement gift. Please sign to receive it.”
Sharice’s smile bloomed like a flower. She clicked toward them in her stilettos, her shoulder ramming into mine with force as she pushed past.
I stumbled slightly, frowning as I regained my balance.
She had already stepped in front of the attendants, voice raised slightly with excitement. “That’s me!”
“Wow, Sharice, what a gift you have! Your child must be truly remarkable. What an honor!”
A wave of gasps and compliments swept through the room like a rising tide.
Just then, Elyse Quinlan—Radnor’s fiancée—arrived with her family.
Seeing the scene before them, her parents beamed with pride, basking in the spotlight.
Luodan threw her arms around Radnor, showering kisses on his cheek. “Baby, I can’t wait to see what it is!”
Sharice was practically floating with pride, her face flushed with delight. She grabbed the pen—its barrel encrusted with tiny diamonds—and eagerly signed the delivery slip.
But just as she finished, the lead attendant, his gloved hand poised and calm, stopped her from opening the box.
He looked at her with a complicated expression, then spoke clearly, his voice echoing across the hall.
“I’m sorry. The recipient on our list is Miss Avalon Delamar.”
