Chapter 119: Remember to Take Me Home
Hayley’s POV:
When Irving was mentioned, the conversation fell silent. At that moment, someone spoke up. “The Southwells must have more than just four sons! There’s another one who’s a designer—what is his name? Oh, right, Tanner Southwell. I heard his designs have won awards internationally. That’s impressive.”
“Old Mr. Southwell is blessed. Every one of the Southwell descendants is successful.”
Beside me, George couldn’t hide his smile at those words. “We owe it all to everyone’s support for the younger generation. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone.”
“Old Mr. Southwell, you’re too polite!”
I noticed Madeline at the entrance, gracefully walking in with her brother, Jacob Kilmer. Dressed in a striking red evening gown, she radiated elegance, making her an eye-catching presence in the crowd.
As Jacob entered and took in the women in the room, his eyes lit up with delight. “Maddie, have fun at the party. I’m going to catch up with some friends.”
Madeline met my gaze and shot me an annoyed look before replying to her brother, “Don’t forget to take me home later!”
Jacob readily agreed, “Don’t worry, I won’t forget.” Then he made his way through the crowd. Madeline adjusted her hair before walking gracefully over to Benjamin. “Ben!” Realizing her mistake, she quickly shifted to a more respectful tone, greeting him with a slight bow. “Alpha.”
As soon as she spoke, Henry and Christopher called out to her, “Maddie!”
Madeline smiled warmly and replied, “Hello, Henry, Christopher!”
I noticed that Benjamin ignored her. Noticing his lack of response, Madeline didn’t take offense. Instead, she took out the birthday gift she had brought and offered it to Benjamin. “Alpha, this is a birthday gift I prepared for you. I hope you like it.”
Madeline presented him with a gift, the kind most men would jump at, but Benjamin’s response was quite cold. He simply said, “Thank you.”
Benjamin showed no interest in accepting the gift. Noticing the awkward atmosphere, Henry stepped in to break the tension. “Maddie, what kind of mysterious gift did you bring for Ben?”
Madeline’s expression faltered a bit, but she maintained her composure for the sake of harmony. “It’s something I carefully selected. Please just accept it, okay?”
Christopher and Henry exchanged a glance, and I realized that in the past, Christopher would have stood up for Madeline. But today, he pretended not to notice and turned his head away.
At that moment, Henry spotted me and came over with enthusiasm. “Hey, Boss! Are you here to bring a gift for your big brother too?”
I felt a bit awkward. At first, I planned to wait until the party ended to present my gift to Benjamin. However, with Henry mentioning it, I couldn’t refuse. I nodded and replied, “Yeah, that’s right.”
I pulled out the gift box I had prepared earlier. “Here you go, Benjamin. Happy birthday!”
Benjamin glanced at me and then at the gift box in my hand before turning to Henry. “Why don’t you help me put the gifts away?”
Upon hearing this, Henry quickly took my gift. After a few seconds, he also took Madeline’s gift. Seeing her present being collected, Madeline visibly relaxed.
“Hayley, what did you get for Ben? Why don’t you show us?” Christopher asked, looking at me with curiosity. “That box looks pretty nice. I didn’t know you were so generous with him.”
Just as I was about to speak, Madeline jumped in first. “I picked out a new Longines watch for Alpha. It’s a limited edition with only three pieces in the world.”
At this, Henry looked at her in admiration. “Maddie, that’s so generous of you! You really went all out for Ben.”
To my surprise, Christopher scoffed and turned his attention to me, his tone carrying the authority and pressure of an alpha. “I was asking Hayley!”