Freya sat beside Nolan, but he was still engaged in conversation with Old Madam Miller, so he hadn’t yet paid attention to her. She turned to Johnny and said softly, “Thanks.” She could feel the difference in Old Madam Miller’s demeanor since Nolan’s arrival. Her grandmother was visibly happier.
Johnny shrugged. “No need to thank me. Teacher gave me his response after seeing your project proposal a while ago, so I told him about tonight’s banquet. He decided to come because of that. If anyone should be thanked, it should be you.”
Before Freya could respond, someone called out, “Matteo Wilson?” Freya hesitated, then turned to see Matteo walking toward them at the door. In the quiet room, he made his way toward Old Madam Miller with steady steps. “Happy Birthday,” he said, presenting her with a gift box, holding it with both hands. “I wasn’t sure whether you’d like the previous gift, so I brought another one. I hope you like it.”
Old Madam Miller was surprised to see him. The coldness in her expression didn’t change much. While the Green family had been shameless in their actions tonight, it was clear that without Matteo’s backing, they wouldn’t have been so bold. But, since there were so many eyes on them, she politely accepted the gift with a distant, courteous smile. “Thank you. You’re very thoughtful,” she said, then turned to a nearby server. “Please add another chair and place another set of utensils.”
Matteo didn’t seem bothered by her cool reception. He spotted Nolan, and after giving a calm greeting, “Mr. Nolan,” the two exchanged a brief nod. Seeing Freya glance at him, Nolan looked back at her and then instructed a waiter to set a chair between him and Freya. Matteo sat down.
The moment Nolan appeared, word spread quickly among the Miller family guests. The news of his arrival at Old Madam Miller’s birthday banquet traveled like wildfire. In less than two minutes, the news reached the Green family’s table. The guests at the Green table were stunned.
“The Miller family has such powerful connections?”
“I didn’t know that. Oh, is that Johnny in the photo? The beautiful woman beside him is actually Freya’s niece? I hadn’t heard that from Freya before. But if the woman next to Johnny is really Freya’s niece, then it all makes sense.”
“How so?”
“Don’t you remember? She attended the tech expo with Johnny recently. The two of them have a pretty good relationship, and it seems like things might be getting serious. The Gray family is also a strong force, and from what I hear, Nolan holds high expectations for Johnny.”
“The Miller family’s power just increased by a lot if they’re now connected to Johnny’s circle. Looks like we shouldn’t underestimate them anymore.”
The Brown family and other guests had not expected Nolan to attend, and now, with the Green family’s guests re-evaluating their relationship with the Miller family, things began to feel awkward. Sphia Green, who didn’t follow national news much, was confused when she saw the reactions around her. She asked, “Who is Nolan? Why is everyone so shocked by his arrival?”
Raven replied with a neutral expression, “He’s a world-renowned figure in AI, a national-level talent, and could even speak on behalf of the country. He’s also my ideal mentor.”
Sophia was taken aback. “He’s that impressive?” She then added, “So, the reason Uncle was upset with Freya earlier was because she missed the opportunity to meet such an influential person?”
“Exactly,” Raven said coldly.
Sophia let out a scoff. “She’s really shameless, then!” Her tone turned even more displeased. “But such a powerful person is here to wish that old woman a happy birthday? Does that mean they’re close?”
“No,” Raven replied with an icy tone. “They only know each other casually.” In her opinion, Freya had only met Nolan through Johnny, and it was most likely Johnny’s influence that led to Nolan attending tonight.
Sophia’s expression softened. “Oh, I see.”
At a nearby table, Harry and Levi were seated behind Raven. Harry had been quietly eating when he overheard someone mention Nolan attending the Miller family’s birthday banquet.
He paused for a moment and asked, “The Miller family’s birthday banquet?”
Levi explained, “Yes, today is also Freya’s grandmother’s birthday. The banquet at their place and the one here are on the same day, so the guest lists overlap a lot. Because of the connection between Matteo and Raven, most of the overlapping guests are here.” He had no idea about this arrangement before, only learning about it when he overheard the conversation in the banquet hall.
Harry immediately grasped the implications. “So, the Miller family is practically empty now?”
Levi shrugged. “Yep, I heard about three-quarters of their seats are empty.” A wicked grin spread across Levi’s face. “It’s so pitiful. They watch so many guests leave but can’t hold on to anyone.” He spoke with unmistakable glee, his tone dripping with schadenfreude.
Harry’s expression darkened. He suddenly stood up. Levi froze. “What’s wrong?”
“I need to make a call,” Harry said, cutting him off. Without waiting for a response, he quickly walked away. As Harry hurried off, Raven and Sophia both turned their heads to look at him.
Raven asked, “Where’s Harry going?”
“He’s got an urgent call to make,” Sophia replied.
Raven didn’t ask any more questions. The empty seat beside her remained, and the atmosphere shifted.