Chapter 297 Fighting In The Dark
“Jen, let’s go over there,” Rayan said to her gently once Hansen and Aria walked past them.
Jenna nodded, and then realized she had been holding onto Rayan’s hand so tightly that her palms were sweating. She jolted, feeling surprised, and quickly let go of his hand. Her anxious gaze met Rayan’s eyes, which looked down at her with a tender and encouraging smile. A gush of warmth surged in her heart, and she smiled coyly.
Suddenly, she felt a chill go down her spine.Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.
An icy glare shot right at her, but as she raised her eyes, the glare had disappeared. She took a closer look in that direction, and saw Hansen and Aria standing on a platform of the tower of Central Island, which was a very eye-catching location.
Was that cold glare from him?
Jenna wasn’t sure. Hansen could definitely see them from that height. However, the chances that it was him was probably very low. He was no longer bothered by her, so there was no reason for him to show her such coldness.
“Miss Murphy, please show up at this address tonight at eight o’clock sharp.” A gentle and polite voice could be heard next to her as she was lost in her thoughts. She looked up in awe and saw a young man in a white shirt, black tie, and black suit, standing right next to her. He lowered his head and handed over the invitation to her respectfully.
“You are…” Jenna looked at him in surprise. The young man in front of her looked solemn and serious, but his behavior was humble and polite. He had a distant yet competent demeanour, and maintained a suitable distance with others while still appearing to be courteous and well-mannered. Jenna could tell that he was no ordinary servant. In fact, it made her think of the bodyguards in black suits that served the American president.
His actions showed that he was well-trained, modest, and polite. Jenna could guess that he didn’t serve just anyone, but he seemed quite unfamiliar to her. She was sure that she had never met him before.
“Miss Murphy, please arrive on time, and you’ll understand everything. I will be on my way,” the young man said once again as he lowered his head. Then, he gave her a bow, turned around, and left.
Jenna watched as his figure disappeared into the road to Richards Manor, and finally returned to her senses. She took a look at the invitation in her hands. She gave it a thought for a while, and then placed it into the pocket of her shirt.
It was still only morning, and the appointment was at eight o’clock at night. She had plenty of time to think and decide whether or not she wanted to show up.
On Central Island, a variety of cakes and pastries as well as champagnes and wine were arranged on long, rectangular tables. The sweet-smell aroma spread throughout the island.
Jenna looked around and saw that Rayan was no longer next to her. She glanced at the crowd and saw that he had been pulled away by someone to have a chat. She then recalled his words before he left, ‘Jen, wait for me here. I’ll be back very soon,’
She shook her head and smiled. What was she thinking, being so inattentive for the whole morning? She thought to herself.
Technically speaking, she no longer had anything to do with this New Year banquet. The thought of her leaving the next day, and perhaps never coming back, made her inexplicably sorrowful, deep down in her heart.
“Someone come here and take these beggars away.” A sharp voice rang from across the room. Jenna was startled and turned around to look at the wine table, only to see Frey, Cici, and the other kids eating ravenously. They had never seen so much decadent food prior to the banquet. Aria ordered the guards to chase them out with a face full of disgust.
“No, we were invited by the young madam.” Frey and Cici were frightened by Aria’s extravagance. They quickly took a step back as they whimpered timidly.
“Young madam? What young madam? I’m the young madam here, yet I’ve never invited you annoying beggars here. I’m warning you, all the things here cost a huge amount of money. If you break any of them, you won’t be able to pay for it even if we were to sell you away. You’d better be smart and leave this place right away,” said Aria harshly. She knew who they were referring to when they said that the ‘young madam’ had invited them here. It left her unhappy. So, she ordered the guards to chase them away immediately.
“Please don’t chase us away. The young madam had said that they will donate to our orphanage. They’ll donate to us so that we can go to school next year. Please, we’re begging you.” Cici was slightly older and more mature. She put her hands together and pleaded to Aria with her pitiful eyes.
Aria glanced at her in disgust, and turned her face away coldly, not bothering to say another word.
“Hurry up, if you make our young madam upset, we’ll demolish your orphanage.” The guards rushed over and chased them away fiercely.
“Stop,” shouted Jenna, who ran up to the scene in a flash.
The guards stopped as they saw that it was Jenna talking. They said awkwardly, “Young madam, but that young madam ordered us to chase them away. We don’t have a choice.”
“Hmmph.” Jenna sneered, “I was the one who invited them. There’s supposed to be a charity event later. How could you chase them away? All of you may leave first, I’ll deal with it.”
The guards were at a loss as they saw Jenna defending the kids.
“You sure are a peasant, inviting these low-class beggars here.” Aria mocked and walked over slowly as she saw everything that had unfolded.
Jenna said coldly without even looking at her, “This New Year banquet was planned when I was in charge. I’ve obtained permission from Grandma for all the activities. So, the guests whom I’ve invited cannot be chased away. The events that I’ve organized have to be conducted according to my plan. They must not be cancelled at a whim.”
After she was done speaking, she said to Frey, Cici, and the other kids, “Come, I’ll bring you aside to eat some food.”
She was ready to lead them aside just as she had finished explaining.
“Stop there, Jenna Murphy,” Aria yelled furiously, seeing that Jenna did not take her seriously.
“What do you want?” Jenna questioned as she turned around and looked into her eyes.
Her gaze was firm and calm, with a sense of steadiness and serenity. There was a gleam in her eyes. It was terrifying. Her dignity could not be messed with.
Aria was shocked, and felt a little afraid.
“Chase these beggars away. I’ve cancelled the charity event,” said Aria provocatively, not wanting to back down.
“That’s impossible. I’m the one who invited them here. The event must go on as planned.” Jenna responded to her provocative gaze firmly.
All of a sudden, Aria felt helpless. She felt that it would be difficult for her to win over Jenna in this case.
“Alright then. Get your young master over here,” she said to the guards haughtily despite the anxious feeling in her heart.
She realized that her chances of winning against Jenna in fights were starting to lessen. This upset her. She wanted to make sure that she would win that day. It was so that she could solidify her status and give herself a confidence boost, especially since she had Hansen’s support.
Within a short while, Hansen rushed up to them.
“What the matter now?” Hansen had already seen Aria and Jenna standing next to each other and glaring at each other. His head started to ache.
“Hansen, you have to help me,” Aria said squeamishly to Hansen as she rushed into his embrace. Her eyes turned red. “She’s using her authority over the household affairs to pressure me. You must not let her humiliate me like this.”
She was certainly capable of causing a lot of trouble.
Hansen looked coldly at Jenna who stood firmly at the side. She was adamant. Her face had turned red from the boiling rage. Seeing her gripping the hands of the kids from the orphanage, he immediately understood the situation.
“Hansen, these kids from the orphanage are rude and vulgar. They’re making this place reek of low status. This is Richards Manor, not a shelter for homeless children. We’ve invited so many important guests here. How could we allow these wild kids to mingle with them? It would make the guests unhappy, and affect the orderliness of the banquet. It will ruin the reputation of Richards Manor! Furthermore, there are media reporters live reporting the banquet. If we allow this to continue, it will diminish the sophistication of our banquet. This woman here has no knowledge and wants to have these beggars here. You should make a judgement,” Aria said passionately to Hansen, as if she had a very good reason for everything and he was not allowed to reject it.
Initially, Jenna had arranged an area for Frey, Cici, and the other kids to stay in, but Aria had cancelled their event and arrangements the day before. The kids were young and inexperienced. They did not have anyone to watch over them. So, they simply ran around freely, but it didn’t actually cause any disturbance at the event.
“I don’t think so. People should not be classified by their wealth or status. Some people may look glamorous or fabulous on the outside, but are actually despicable on the inside. These kids may be poor, but they have good morals. Besides, they’re still very young, yet they didn’t receive the care they should’ve received here. So, it was not completely their fault for running around in this place. It’s not their fault for being poor, but the rich should help them with their resources instead. That would show good personality and morals, and demonstrate how a wealthy family was willing to help make the world a better place. A wealthy family that doesn’t get complimented for being kind, and a company who has no compassion, will never last long,” Jenna replied firmly.
Hansen understood their argument and cleared his voice immediately.
“If that’s so, Aria.” A gentle smile spread across his face. He batted his long and thick eyelashes, as a glimmer of light flashed across his deep eyes. He held Aria’s shoulder and said tenderly, “How about we give our friends and relatives a toast? These kids won’t be able to eat much anyway. Just let them be.
“Hansen, are you trying to defend her?” Aria asked him with a displeased face as she widened her eyes that shone like rubies, and refused to budge.
“Hansen Richards, if you let Aria chase away these children and cancel the charity event, I will break all ties with you and make sure that you never get to see you child.”
Jenna stared at Hansen’s face as she swore silently. Her hands reached for her stomach, and her gaze was firm.
Hansen suddenly sneezed. His image was ruined. He quickly took a piece of tissue to wipe his nose, and he could feel his right eyelid dance around.
He touched his hair and looked at Jenna, who was standing in front of him. Seeing her infuriated expression, he thought, “You darn woman. It must’ve been you who was scolding me. You were the one who betrayed me, yet you have the guts to want me to help you?”
His mouth curved into a smile, and his big and fair hand landed on Aria’s waist. He spoke to her with a gentle but cold tone, that sounded like he was advising her and ordering her at the same time.
“Aria, you should know that the people here today are all famous and wealthy. We must not forget about them. Moreover, if we chase these kids away in front of the media reporters, they will think that we’re stingy, and bullying others with our influence. It’s not worth it. We’ll just let them be. How about this? I’ll grant one of your requests today as a consolation. How does that sound to you?” he said calmly.
He was using this approach again. He certainly was an expert in relationships! Jenna would’ve gladly clapped for him if it wasn’t Aria he was persuading. Wasn’t this the strategy all men will abuse to steal the hearts of women?
Surely enough, Aria quickly surrendered to his reassurance. Her face flushed into a shade of bright red, and a smile bloomed across her face.
“Really? Hansen,” she asked sweetly as she leaned against him.
“I won’t lie to you, baby,” Hansen said.
The two of them walked away as they chatted intimately.
Jenna breathed a sigh of relief. She finally saved the children.