CHAPTER 122: CHAPTER 122: THE OLD MASTER’S BIRTHDAY BANQUET BEGINS!

"Sophie said she doesn’t want to play with Annelise, and Annelise doesn’t want to play with her either. These two kids might not get along well."

Damien Lancaster frowned.

He usually wasn’t at home because of work. But when he was home, he noticed that Annelise was quite nice to Sophie, while it seemed that Sophie was the one ignoring Annelise.

Annelise once told him that Sophie doesn’t like to play with her because Sophie knows she’s from an orphanage and looks down on her a bit.

But Damien didn’t believe it. Sophie was a kind and generous child who would share even a single piece of candy, so how could she look down on Annelise?

"I understand. I’ll pay more attention to Sophie’s emotions."

"Damien Lancaster, if you don’t entrust Sophie to my care, then please take what I just said seriously."

"Alright."

Damien Lancaster opened the car door, signaling Ivy Summers to get in.

Ivy wasn’t sure if he really listened, and she felt uneasy.

Returning home, Sophie went upstairs immediately. Remembering Ivy’s words, Damien got up and went to Sophie’s room.

The maid had just helped Sophie with her bath, changed her into cartoon pajamas, and put her to bed.

Damien walked quietly over, and the maid slightly bowed. "Sir."

"Okay, you can leave now."

Damien pulled up a chair and sat beside Sophie. She clutched her little bunny doll, quiet and obedient.

Damien remembered when Sophie first stayed here, she wasn’t this quiet; she’d still be energetic and asking him to sing her to sleep even at eleven or twelve at night.

A lively and cheerful child suddenly being this quiet wasn’t a good sign.

"Can’t sleep, Sophie?"

Sophie nodded. "I miss Mommy."

"You can’t see Mommy now. How about Uncle sings you a lullaby? Will that help you sleep?"

Sophie replied obediently, "Okay."

Damien searched for the nursery rhymes Sophie mentioned last time on his phone.

Sophie closed her eyes and listened to Damien’s voice.

But since Damien didn’t know the melody at all, he ended up singing more like he was reciting an essay.

Sophie definitely couldn’t sleep after that.

One song finished.

Sophie raised her little hand and clapped politely. "Uncle, you sang really well. Maybe don’t sing next time."

Damien was speechless, "..."

"Uncle, how about reading a storybook?" Sophie handed a storybook to Damien.

Damien took the storybook and skimmed through a few pages. Sophie’s storybook, much like the nursery rhymes she liked, was full of little bunnies and squirrels, very childish.

Still, Damien took it. "Alright, close your eyes."

Just as Damien finished speaking, the door was gently pushed open, and Annelise stood at the doorway. "Uncle, Annelise wants to hear a story too."

Damien looked back at Annelise.

The air suddenly became silent for a moment.

Annelise looked down in disappointment, "Okay, sorry for disturbing you. I’ll go to sleep now."

Seeing Annelise like this, Damien felt a pang of sympathy. The Lancaster Family had adopted her, and he allowed her to live here, so he shouldn’t appear too biased towards either child.

Ivy also said they should care about the children’s emotions.

"You can come over and lie next to Sophie."

Annelise immediately ran in.

But Sophie, with a "whoosh," sat up. "If Annelise sleeps here, Sophie won’t. Uncle, you tell Annelise the story."

Even though Sophie didn’t directly complain, she also didn’t want to be with Annelise anymore.

Though Mommy said that if a friend realizes their mistake, they can be forgiven.

But Mommy also mentioned that one should always be on guard against someone who has hurt you.

Sophie was about to run out without even putting on her shoes, but Damien caught her and lifted her back.

Damien picked Sophie up and placed her on his lap. "Where are you going to sleep?"

Sophie turned her head away and just refused to sleep with Annelise.

Damien frowned, not knowing why this little girl’s emotions were so hard to manage.

"You don’t want to sleep with Annelise?"

"Never mind, Uncle Lancaster. Annelise will just go," Annelise said, pouting in disappointment, and ran out directly.

Damien looked at the two children with a bit of a headache. He put Sophie back on the bed and said, "Alright, Sophie, stop being cranky. You sleep first, and I’ll go check on Annelise."

"Uncle, you can go, and you don’t have to come back. Sophie can sleep by herself."

As she spoke, Sophie pulled the blanket over herself, hiding completely underneath it.

The little one may be small, but she was quite stubborn.

In her anger, she looked a bit like Ivy Summers.

Damien sighed, got up, and went out.

After coming out of Sophie’s room, I went to comfort Annelise Lancaster, but she burst into tears, as if she had been holding a great grievance in her heart.

In the middle of the night, Damien Lancaster sat alone in the living room smoking.

After smoking half a pack, he still couldn’t figure out why these two kids were acting so temperamental when he hadn’t done anything to wrong them.

In the following days, Damien Lancaster was busy shuttling between his company and home, caught up in a whirlwind of tasks.

Old Master Lancaster’s birthday banquet was the day after tomorrow, and recently, Old Master Lancaster’s condition in the hospital had improved slightly. The doctors agreed he could be temporarily discharged for the event.

Ivy Summers was anxious as she prepared a birthday gift for Old Master Lancaster and had attended several auctions, both big and small, yet hadn’t found anything suitable.

It was at this moment that a "Pine Crane Painting" was delivered into Ivy Summers’ hands.

Pine cranes are an auspicious symbol for birthdays. Ivy Summers turned to Yanis Stone and asked, "How did you know I’ve been looking for something like this lately?"

Although this "Pine Crane Painting" wasn’t an antique, it was a work by a renowned modern artist, Clinton Vaughn, and a rare collectible of considerable value.

"The boss bought it at auction. He knew you were looking for one and asked me to bring it over."

Noah Scott?

Ivy Summers felt a wave of emotion.

"Then please tell him I’ll transfer the money to him later."

"The boss said it’s a gift for you."

"If I gift it to Old Master Lancaster for his birthday, it essentially means it’s from him. That won’t do. I’ll speak to him personally later. Thanks for bringing the painting over."

Yanis Stone nodded and left, knowing there was nothing more to say.

Later, Ivy checked, and the final auction price was 8.8 million, even the numbers carried a good omen.

...

Soon it was the day of Old Master Lancaster’s birthday banquet.

The banquet was held at the old residence.

Ivy Summers applied a simple makeup, styled her long hair, and changed into her evening gown, ready to head out.

But as she opened the door, the scene in front of her made her instinctively step back.

Julian Jacobs stood at her doorstep with a group of people. Ivy Summers was baffled, "Special Assistant Jacobs, what’s the meaning of this?"

Julian Jacobs immediately explained, "Madam, this is the gown the gentleman prepared for you to attend the birthday banquet."

With that, Julian Jacobs turned to the people behind him and said, "Move everything inside."

Ivy Summers frowned as she watched people file into her home. "Wait, what do you mean? Isn’t what I’m wearing suitable?"

Ivy Summers had specially picked out a gown. Though not a high-end designer piece, it was attractive and appropriate.

"Today is important. You’re my wife, Damien Lancaster’s wife, so you need to be more formal." Damien Lancaster stepped forward and pulled Ivy Summers inside by the hand.

In just that brief moment, the people who had entered had already hung up all the gowns they brought, occupying most of her living room, which was quite an exaggeration.

"Go try one on."

"Damien Lancaster, what I’m wearing is enough."

"This might be Grandfather’s last big birthday, and you plan to dress like this?"

Ivy Summers felt a pang in her chest as she listened. Even though the words were harsh, they were true; this might be Grandfather’s last big birthday.

"Madam, this gown was specially custom-made for you by the gentleman, please try it on." Julian Jacobs urged from the side.

"Stop dawdling; you have an hour. Hurry up if you don’t want to be late."

Ivy Summers, urged by Damien Lancaster, randomly picked a gown and went upstairs to change.

Damien Lancaster hadn’t lied; the gown truly seemed custom-made. She fit perfectly into the first one she picked.

Several makeup artists and stylists followed her upstairs.

Half an hour later, Ivy Summers descended in a golden cheongsam, its mandarin collar design and the golden frog buttons below adorned with pearl tassels gently swayed with her movements. The fabric was embroidered with vivid cranes, and the embroidery of the feathers was distinct, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship.

The waist was tailored to perfectly accentuate Ivy Summers’ figure, and the slit below was delicately redesigned to be a few inches lower, appearing more appropriate.

The stylist pinned up her long hair and made slight adjustments to her makeup. Ivy Summers was already a beauty with a cool demeanor, and the cheongsam enhanced her elegance and softness, exuding an oriental charm that was stunning beyond words.

When Damien Lancaster heard the movement, he looked up, and his deep eyes couldn’t help but flash with surprise at the woman walking down.

Even Julian Jacobs beside him couldn’t help but part his mouth.

Ivy Summers usually dressed simply; though beautiful, seeing it often inevitably felt plain.

Today, even standing beside Damien Lancaster, her appearance would probably outshine him.

Ivy Summers walked up to Damien Lancaster and saw him staring at her motionless. She snapped her fingers lightly to remind him, "Aren’t we almost late? Aren’t we leaving?"

Just as Ivy Summers was about to walk past him, Damien Lancaster pulled her back by the wrist.

Ivy Summers frowned, "What? Still not good enough?"

"Why did you choose that one?"

"Isn’t it beautiful?"

"It’s not beautiful!"

Ivy Summers, "..."

Julian Jacobs, "..."

Some people’s wives leaving them is justified, considering how blind they are.