Win Back the Heiress 168

Chapter 168 The Lidells Trying to Curry Favor 

“What? Yelena Hawthorne?” Fergus was shocked to hear this. “How did she end 

“I’m not sure,” Andrew said with a complicated expression on his face. 

up here?” 

Yelena’s arrival had made everyone leave, and there was nothing they could do about it. 

If it were up to Andrew, he would have left by now, too. 

At that moment, the banquet officially started, and the host made his way to the stage. He noticed how sparse the room looked, but not daring to waste time, he announced, “Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend Ms. Lidell’s birthday banquet. Please welcome Ms. Lidell to the stage!” 

Raine walked out in a long white gown that trailed on the floor, looking very grand and beautiful. She smiled as the spotlight hit her. 

She was very pleased with how she looked today. She felt like a princess, dazzling and radiant. 

She glanced around, waiting for everyone’s admiring gazes, but instead found the banquet hall almost empty, with only a handful of Lidell family members present. 

What was going on? 

Wasn’t there a crowd just moments ago? Could they be surprising her, waiting for her speech to end before they would suddenly appear and clap? 

She thought that was probably the case, and so, with great flair, she began her speech. As she finished the last sentence, expecting thunderous applause, all she heard was intermittent clapping from the audience. 

She raised her head, only to see the same few people sitting there. Her confusion reached its peak. She quickly descended the stage to Regina’s side. “Mom, what’s going on? Where did everyone go?” 

“Raine…” Regina’s eyes were filled with complexity, but she could only tell the truth. “Ms. Hawthorne is hosting a banquet upstairs, and everyone has gone to her banquet.” 

“Ms. Hawthorne? The one from Boraska?” Raine had heard of her. A big shot like her showing up in Riversdale on the same day as her birthday? What a terrible coincidence! 

She felt dizzy and tightened her grip on her gown, but there was nothing else she could do. 

“It’s alright. We’ll stay with you the whole time today,” Regina reassured her. 

Raine continued to grip her gown. Everyone had already left. What was the point of holding a birthday banquet now? 

Chapter 168 The Lidells Trying to Curry Favor 

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She was boiling mad, cursing Yelena deep down. 

She gritted her teeth, completely uninterested in continuing the banquet. But she forced herself to calm down and put on a gentle, understanding smile. “Mom, since Ms. Hawthorne is here in Riversdale, why don’t we greet her?” 

She was sure that if she told Yelena her birthday banquet had been ruined because of her, Yelena would feel guilty. To make up for it, Yelena might even become her good friend. 

Thinking this, she actually felt a surge of excitement. To be able to meet Yelena was pure luck. If she could become Yelena’s friend, she could act as she pleased in Riversdale in the future! 

Fergus agreed with Raine’s idea. “Raine’s right. There’s no point in continuing the birthday banquet like this. Let’s go meet Ms. Hawthorne. Since Ms. Hawthorne and Raine are both hosting banquets today, it must be fate.” 

Andrew nodded. “That’s right. Raine’s so smart. Let’s go and greet Ms. Hawthorne!” 

The group thus went up to the third floor. 

When they reached the third floor, they were stunned. They had thought their banquet hall was already lavishly decorated, but when they arrived here, they realized how much more extravagant it could actually look. 

Their mood shifted to unease. 

Walking into the banquet hall, they saw a crowd gathered around someone, and they could barely make out the person’s figure. Was that Yelena? 

Raine’s sharp eyes noticed Nancy sitting nearby. 

Was Nancy here? What right did she have to be here? 

“Nancy is here. She must have sneaked in when no one was paying attention,” Fergus remarked, also noticing Nancy. 

Regina’s and Andrew’s expressions changed slightly, thinking that Nancy was truly a disgrace. They wanted to keep their distance from her, but Raine walked straight toward Nancy. 

“Nancy, what are you doing here?” Raine looked at her. 

Nancy replied indifferently, “Does it have anything to do with you?” 

“Did Ms. Hawthorne invite you? It’s not right to sneak in like this. You should leave while Ms. Hawthorne hasn’t noticed you yet,” Raine said with a look of feigned kindness.