Chapter 359
The moment Melody walked out, some guests exclaimed, "Wow, Charlie is really lucky! This daughter is so beautiful and outstanding! How amazing!"
Another said, "You're right. But then again, this eldest daughter does look like her mother. As for the other one… beautiful, but I can't tell who she looks like."
Someone else added, "It's normal for girls to change drastically when they grow up. After all, Charlie is very lucky!"
Amidst the discussion, unnoticed, Kenneth stood frozen at the banquet hall entrance. He arrived late, unaware of the preceding events, but overheard Charlie's onstage announcement. He now understood Melody's intimate embrace of Thalia that morning at the mall, and her calling Thalia "Mom." He had assumed Melody was the Kelley family's goddaughter, never expecting her to be their biological daughter. The revelation was shocking. During the Kelley and Harper families' close relationship, he'd never heard of a lost daughter. Watching the smiling girl acknowledge her relatives, Kenneth felt a surge of panic. He frantically searched the banquet hall for Tiffany.
He couldn't find her.
On the cruise ship's second floor, Tiffany examined her poker hand, then threw down two black jokers. "Bomb," she smiled.
"I waive," Eric shook his head, his attention fixed on the wall-mounted LCD screen. It displayed a real-time feed of the downstairs events. Eric and Tiffany could hear everything Charlie said, including the guests' gossip. Eric glanced at her and cautiously asked, "Tiffany, when are we going down?"
"After this round," Tiffany replied.
She laid down several straights, culminating in a pair of bombs, emptying her hand. "Let's go," she said, standing.
The siblings leisurely descended to the first floor. Downstairs, the conversation was lively. Under Charlie and Thalia's guidance, Melody greeted the Kelley family's relatives and friends, her smile sweet, her words kind. She basked in the countless compliments, praised for her well-behaved demeanor, beauty, and intelligence.
"She's so pretty and likable. Mrs. Kelley, you're so lucky!" someone exclaimed.
Another chimed in, "That's right. You were separated for so many years, but you still found her. This means God wanted you to find your daughter, Mrs. Kelley. Congratulations!"
Chapter 359
Amidst the praise, Melody snuggled close to Thalia, a wide grin on her face. The guests' attention suddenly shifted, drawing their gazes in a particular direction. Melody turned, surprised, to see a slender figure approaching from the second-floor observation deck.
The young woman, in a red dress, exuded charm and grace, possessing an air of nonchalance and nobility. Her pace was leisurely, the bright moon behind her casting a halo, making her appear like a fairy from a painting. Her arrival caused a collective gasp.
Tiffany was peerless, her beauty striking, her skin fair and delicate. She was breathtaking, graceful, stunning—beyond stunning. Everyone watched, mesmerized, holding their breath, fearing the scene might vanish like an illusion if they made a sound.
Tiffany walked closer, her entrance silencing the huge banquet hall. Melody's heart skipped a beat; her smug smile faltered. She bit her lip, clenching her fists. Jealousy threatened to overwhelm her. She had meticulously prepared for this banquet—choosing an expensive gown, applying flawless makeup, rehearsing her smile and posture, aiming to be the center of attention. She had succeeded, until Tiffany arrived.
The conversation shifted. The wealthy women who had praised Melody now gushed, "This girl is the most beautiful I've ever seen. From head to toe, flawless."
"She's only eighteen, not fully mature yet, and already so stunning! She'll be the Helen of Troy in a few years!" another exclaimed. Their praise was laced with envy and jealousy. The young men openly expressed their amazement.
"Holy crap, Lovell City's number one beauty lives up to her reputation!" one exclaimed.
Another declared, "My heart is beating for her! I'm doomed! My soul is stolen!"
"Get lost! Do you think she'd like you? She'll only be interested in me!" someone else scoffed.
The silence gave way to restless excitement, the sole topic of conversation being Tiffany. High society had always buzzed with controversy surrounding Tiffany, particularly her pursuit of Kenneth. Some had cruelly misrepresented her actions, labeling her shameless and persistent. She had long been dismissed as vapid eye candy. However, since proposing the annulment earlier in the year, her image had transformed; she'd shed her innocent, sweet, and naive persona, becoming sharp and assertive, winning over many in the process.
Several young men sighed, "Was Kenneth stupid? Back then, when beauty itself wooed him, he rejected her! If it were me, I'd just lie down and let her have me!"
"Haha, in your dreams!" someone retorted.
Only Charlie, both proud and troubled, frowned. Proud to have Tiffany as his daughter, he was also increasingly concerned about the number of men vying for her affection, prompting a paternal urge to beat them all up.
Everyone present harbored their own thoughts. Kenneth, unnoticed behind the guests, tugged at his tie, experiencing an unsettling irritation.
The lively atmosphere returned. Thalia stood with Tiffany on her left and Melody on her right. As Thalia reached for Melody, the girl bolted, disappearing behind the guests, before reappearing before Kenneth.
"Kenneth, you're really here! You're a man of your word!" she said, smiling brightly and affectionately taking his arm, affecting a shy demeanor.
The guests' expressions became knowing. "I see! What a perfect match! They're in love! So compatible!" someone remarked.
Another joked, "The Kelley and Harper families are indeed inseparable!" Laughter filled the hall.
The Kelley family's conflict with the Harpers to break off the engagement was a distant memory. No one could have predicted that the newly acknowledged daughter would fall in love with Kenneth—a marriage seemingly on the horizon.