Chapter 26
The Lowe siblings soon arrived at the Regal Hotel. The banquet that day was grand, with several floors reserved for the occasion. Guests were dressed to the nines in branded clothes and accessories; it was almost like a fashion show. In contrast, Roselynn's appearance was dull, and Emmanuel's was even shabbier.
Upon arriving at the entrance, Roselynn handed the guard her invitation. He let her in after a glance, but stopped Emmanuel. "Mister, where is your invitation?"
Emmanuel quickly turned to his sister. "I thought she said she could have a plus-one with her invitation."
Roselynn immediately put her hands on her hips and glared at the guard. "Did you see what kind of invitation this is? This is an invitation from the Lenoir family. Is there any problem with me bringing a relative?"
"Miss, no one other than the host is allowed to invite irrelevant individuals," the guard insisted. However, his coworker gave him a look, gesturing him to drop it. If things escalated, the guard would embarrass the Lenoir family. Furthermore, there were plenty of guests; letting a few more people in wouldn't harm anyone.
"Go on in, then," the guard finally relented.
"Hmph! I'm glad they're smart enough. I would have gone to my boss otherwise."
Roselynn was still angry after entering the building. However, she couldn't help but think about how prestigious the Lenoir family must be for her to receive special treatment simply by mentioning her invitation was from them. Even though Claudette was technically her employer, they worked closely together and were almost best friends, despite their status difference. If Claudette found out Roselynn had a bad time, Roselynn was sure Claudette would stand up for her.
"Calm down, Roselynn. We're in here now, aren't we?" Emmanuel consoled her, and Roselynn finally let go of her anger.
The next second, she spotted the scrumptious dishes on the table and lunged forward like a starving lion. Emmanuel could only shake his head. It was one thing for her to gobble down food like that at home, but quite another to disregard her image in public!
In no time, Roselynn was forcing her brother to take plate after plate of food, which he piled on a table in the corner. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Emmanuel said, "Roselynn, you came here to eat until the end of the event, didn't you?"
"Why else would I be here?" Roselynn shamelessly admitted.
"But Roselynn, aren't you here to check out handsome fellows? Mom even asked me to help you size them up and play wingman if there's someone suitable for you," Emmanuel exclaimed.
Not knowing how to deal with a serious Emmanuel, Roselynn frowned and said, "I can eat and check out handsome guys at the same time."
Left with no choice, Emmanuel took a seat beside his sister and started digging in. It was free, after all, and he'd be a fool to pass up the food.
Not long after they began polishing off the plates, a commotion broke out. Everyone was walking toward the doorway, screaming enthusiastically.
"What's the matter? Who's here?" Roselynn was curious, wondering if a rich, attractive man was making a grand entrance like in those romance shows she watched.
Emmanuel had no idea what was going on and curiously rose to his feet, like his sister, to get a better look. Alas, the crowd was large. Even though Emmanuel and Roselynn were tall, they couldn't see who was in the middle.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie and her cousin, Beatrix, were being escorted by a group of bodyguards as they walked up the stairs, surrounded by banquet guests. Mackenzie radiated beauty; she was tall, slender, and exuded a captivating aura. Every social event appearance turned heads. While Beatrix wasn't as beautiful, her sweet and endearing looks made her the target of many scions' courtships. Furthermore, the star of the night was their aunt, recently promoted to the city's deputy mayor. The cousins were the daughters of Yeringham's wealthiest family and the deputy mayor's nieces; naturally, they were in the spotlight.
"Ms. Quillen! Ms. Quillen!"