The Cardinal trio spent the next five days immersed in a delicately balanced cycle of work and music. The adults and the youngster were both preparing for the performances that at the engagement party.

Cherry even made time to come home and check upon them. Leo found it amusing and asked, "Little Cherry, aren't you exaggerating this a bit too much?"

Little Cherry shook her head and replied, "One of my cousins has boasted that her fiance knew someone called Angelo Garcia. They wanted to invite him over to perform and I felt so left out from my own party that I told them about you guys and that your skills are not inferior in comparison to Angelo Garcia at all. So, I apologize but I made a bet to save my face."

Leo raised his brow and said, "Well, if this is not a coincidence, I don't know what is."

Lily mumbled while looking to the side, 'Author, you are so cunning. Calling such things a coincidence, you sure know how to 'act' humble.'

Little Cherry was surprised and asked, "Leo, what do you mean by this?"

Leo replied, "What else, a certain someone has taken liberty to make a similar bet with her school friends."

Snow and Little Cherry turned their heads to look at Lily who was giving them a sheepish smile. The little girl replied, "I am sorry, but they were boasting about Angelo Garcia so much that it ticked me off."

Snow replied, "Is that why you were practicing the guitar all this while?"

Leo nodded and then said, "Well, that aside, Little Cherry, what are the stakes?"

The young lady replied, "If you guys win, then my cousins would have to sponsor my honeymoon with a premium upgrade to the location I select."

Lily asked curiously, "What if you lose?"

Little Cherry sighed and replied, "Then I would have to go for the honeymoon to a place they select. Come on, is this even fair, why do I have to decide my honeymoon spot by their choice?"

Leo shrugged and replied, "You should have thought about that before you made the bet."

Lily said softly, "Baba, this is not right. Aunty Cherry is so nice, her cousins bullied her so she had no choice but to retaliate. I support her, why must she listen to other people when it is her happiness? You have to win."

Leo smiled and Little Cherry scooped up the little goblin as she said, "Only my darling loves me."

Lily giggled and Leo said, "Fine, I will try my best."

That said, they waited for the next day. In the evening, Snow wore a silver champagne gown and paired it with white pearl jewelry. Leo was dressed in a Moonlight Blue three-piece suit. While Lily wore a Silver Blue skirt. The family had dressed in a manner where they compliment each other while standing together.

Anastasia sighed looking at them and clicked a few pictures. This had become a ritual before they go to any party. Fragrance was also invited but she had gone out of city for a pro bono case work.

...

The arrival of the Cardinal family at the venue attracted a lot of attention because they had come over with a security detail. Kyle and Jock were akin to hounds from hell, they commanded the rest of the guards to search the entire garden for any suspicious person. Then they posted the people around in a circle. They were aware that with Leo himself present next to Snow and Lily no harm would come to the two, but for their sakes they were extra vigilant.

The memory of a bloodied Zeenat being rushed to the hospital, and an unconscious Lily tied in a desolate place were quite fresh in their minds.

Little Cherry came over to greet the trio with Elvin, who was walking around with a faint smile on his face. The young man stood next to Leo as he asked while facing the camera of a professional photographer, "Bro, are you sure that you can win this event?"

Leo nodded with a faint smile as he placed his hand around Snow's waist while posing and replied, "Elvin, when have you ever seen me agree for something that I am not confident about?"

Elvin sighed and replied, "You have no idea how terrifying this bet has become for me. Sometimes I wish to cry as I go to bed. Cherry is that stressed and I empathize with her, but I am unable to help her."

Lily, who had been smiling at the camera, suddenly, looked at Elvin with indifference that made the young man shiver and replied, "You could have told us all about this bet, and that way we would have put in much more effort. However, once again, you fail to sense the gravity of the situation, Uncle Rao. I wonder how you are so cunning when it comes to making profit in business. So smart, yet so dumb. You adult people confuse my little brain."

Leo smiled and Elvin blushed, he almost wanted to run away. At this moment, a sonorous voice sounded from the side, "Cherry, are these the friends that you talked about?"

Everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice, and found a dashing couple walking over. Although they looked good together, but they lacked the elegance that Leo and Snow had together. Little Cherry smiled and replied, "Yes, Vienna, this is my best friend, Snow Cardinal. This gent is her husband, Leo Cardinal, and this little one is my goddaughter Lily Cardinal."

Snow and Leo nodded to the couple while Lily bowed slightly as she said, "Good evening."

Her voice was like a note of a lark flying through the sky. Before the couple could say anything, a surprised voice sounded from behind the group, "I thought, Lily was my goddaughter."

Cherry chuckled and said, "Marian, she is goddaughter to both of us."

Marian Grisha had arrived dressed in one of her signature gowns. Many men were looking her way, even Vienna's fiancee was captivated for a second before he looked away from the valley of profound joy that Marian was exposing with her deep cut neck.

Leo and Elvin pretended that they didn't even acknowledge her presence, which caused the lady to sneer and then she greeted Lily before bringing out a small box from her clutch bag and she said, "See, I got you the moon pearl earrings that you liked. They match my own set."

Lily exclaimed and looked at her parents before accepting the box, and Leo said, "No need to hesitate and save money from this Auntie, she is filthy rich."

The Little Goblin accepted the box and replied, "Auntie Marian is the best. I love you so much."

Her words were akin to a lake of honey that drowned the lady. At this moment, Vienna cleared her throat and said, "Hello, everyone, this is my Fiancee, Jack Trevola. He has invited the famous guitarist and singer, Mister Angelo Garcia. I wonder if you are still up for your performances, after all, we have already told the guests about the performances tonight. I hope you all don't change the itinerary."

Snow replied calmly with a faint smile, "We are here to celebrate the happiness of our friends, how can we just back off now? Sister Cherry looks very polite but once she is wronged, she grows dragon horns."

The people chuckled and Lily curiously asked, "Why was I not told that Aunty had such a skill?"

Then she looked at Little Cherry and asked with a serious gaze, "Aunty, can you teach me how to grow horns when angry? Please?"

Leo picked up the little trouble maker and said, "No, you already have your fangs deep in my heart, no more dragon horns for you, Little Goblin."

Then he took her away to eat something while the group of people laughed at her antics. The introductions were made and after that the performances began. The first was a speech by Little Cherry's parents. Followed by that, Elvin's butler, the old man came up for the speech.

Elvin had always respected the old Steward as his grandfather, and now that his family was gone, he invited the old man to say a few words. The gesture meant so much for the old butler that he couldn't help himself and got emotional on the stage.

Then came the turn of the Cardinal Couple. Leo and Snow were asked to step up and play their duet. Angelo Garcia had arrived but since he was a big star, he was waiting in the vanity van parked outside the garden.

Leo and Snow didn't bother with that person, they came to the stage where a grand piano was placed and Snow was given a violin. The two people looked at each other and then they began to play the notes.

The sound of the music travelled through the void and even Angelo Garcia couldn't help but step out of the van after listening to the first note of the duet.