Chapter 26: I’m a Lautner
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately backed away several steps, covering their noses and acting as if Paige were emitting a foul odor.
Nancy was shocked again and dropped the coat she was holding, almost crying. She had actually touched a wretch who had escaped from the slums. “SHIT!”
Someone said, “Yes, people from the slums have electronic bracelets on their hands. Just now, Molly wanted to see if she had that bracelet on her hand.”
Hearing this, everyone’s attention shifted back to Paige’s wrist. The lace ribbon was tied too deliberately and looked too strange.
Paige stood there, looking at everyone avoiding her, and laughed at Molly, “Miss Clarke, you’re quite interesting. One moment you accuse me of being a thief, the next you claim I escaped from the slums. What exactly are you trying to do?”
Molly couldn’t wait any longer. She rushed forward and, catching Paige off guard, yanked the lace ribbon from her wrist.
“See if she’s from the slums!” The ribbon floated away from Paige’s fair wrist.
There was no electronic bracelet on her wrist at all; instead, there was a transparent jade bracelet, which stood out against her skin.
Molly grabbed the lace ribbon tightly, staring in disbelief at the jade bracelet on Paige’s wrist. Her eyes almost popped out. “Impossible! This can’t be!”
She excitedly inspected Paige’s hand, left and right, unable to believe it. “How is this possible? Where’s the electronic bracelet from the slums?”
The people around were all staring at her in confusion, not understanding why Molly was suddenly so excited.
Paige pulled her hand away and slapped Molly across the face.
“Smack!”
Everyone was stunned.
Molly covered her face, looking up at her in shock. “You dare hit me?”
In front of her, Paige had always been a cowardly waste. Today, she dared to hit her, and for a moment, Molly was more surprised than angry.
“I hit you whenever I want.. Do I have to write a report first?” Paige sneered disdainfully.
Nancy stood on the side, staring in shock at Paige. Was this woman crazy? She dared to hit Senator Clarke’s daughter?
She quickly shouted, “Security! Security!”
Upon hearing her cry, Molly immediately formulated a plan. With tear-filled eyes and a look of grievance, she turned to Paige. “Miss, I have no grudge against you. You came to my banquet uninvited. I just wanted to verify, was it necessary for you to hit me?”
People who had initially planned to just watch now came forward, berating Paige. “How dare you hit her?”
“This is outrageous! Where did this wild woman come from?”
“Grab her! Grab her!”
Upstairs, Enrico had been watching the drama unfold, his gaze fixed on the figure in white. Indeed, the dress looked stunning on her.
Jaden couldn’t help but sneak another glance downward, wondering, these capitalist heirs seemed ready to devour Paige. And she, why did she provoke these people alone? Any one of them here could handle a girl from the slums alone. Without the boss’s protection, she was nothing.
Observing Enrico’s expression, Jaden cautiously asked, “Boss, should I go down…”
“No need,” Enrico interrupted, observing silently. “Let’s see how she handles this herself.”
“Got it.” Jaden responded and continued observing the situation below.
Paige was surrounded by the crowd, with Nancy fuming and Molly looking tearful and aggrieved.
One of the normally unruly rich youths took the opportunity to grab Paige’s wrist. “You dare to hit her at the Heaven Hotel. Come, I’ll take you to the police station!”
Paige calmly blocked his hand. “Do you believe that if you touch me today, tomorrow your family’s HT Electronics Company will disappear from Country A?”
The young man instinctively withdrew his hand, then scoffed, “Who do you think you are? Can you make my family’s company disappear?”
“I’m nobody special. It’s just that the background behind me might be something none of you can afford to provoke,” Paige replied calmly.
Jaden observed everything from upstairs and couldn’t help but say, “Boss, it looks like she’s going to use your name to throw her weight around…”
“The little one thinks she’s clever, trying to invoke my name without proof for credibility,” Enrico chuckled softly, then turned to glare at Jaden. “Go down there, find the right moment to testify for her. Otherwise, she won’t leave this place today.”
“Got it.”
Jaden was about to descend when he heard a sharp female voice from below shout loudly, “The background? What background do you have?”
“I’m a Lautner,” Paige replied calmly.
Lautner? What does that have to do with anything? Wasn’t she supposed to invoke the boss’s name to save face here? Jaden was bewildered and paused, glancing up at Enrico, whose smile had frozen.
Down in the hall, Nancy couldn’t resist mocking, “You’re a Lautner? So what? Is that supposed to impress us? What does your surname Lautner mean?”
Molly wanted to laugh. ‘Was Paige trying to claim she was a member of the Lautner family? Ridiculous. Did she think a fake claim would get her out of this situation?’
“Miss, are you unaware that the owner of this place is also surnamed Lautner?” Molly continued.
“What does that have to do…” Nancy began to retort, but her voice trailed off as she glanced at the shocked faces around her. ‘What did she mean? Was she a descendant of the Lautner family?’
The Lautners were a centuries-old family known across the nation, based on the southern border of Country A. The only widely known brand associated with them was the notoriously grand Heaven Hotel. Their background was not to be underestimated; the Lautner family was reputed to ridiculously rich, dominating the borderlands.
Molly looked at Paige in disbelief. “Are you claiming to be part of the Lautner family?”
‘Was she out of her mind? Did she think she could just claim a new identity like this and not return to the slums?’
Paige stood there, calmly looking at Molly, showing no signs of guilt.
“You see, her dress is designed by Abby. How can an ordinary person afford Abby’s clothes?” someone whispered nearby.
“Could it be a high-quality replica?”
“Impossible. The stitching and craftsmanship don’t look like a replica at all.”
“Could she really be from the Lautner family?”…
As people discussed, their unease grew, and they stepped back, afraid that Paige might remember their faces and seek revenge.
These wealthy youths, who boasted of wealth and status, struggled to afford even booking a room at the Heaven Hotel. How could they dare to offend the Lautner family behind Heaven Hotel?
Molly wanted to curse at these fools. They had scared themselves silly with their own speculations. She maintained her elegant composure and smiled, saying, “So, you claim to be a descendant of the Lautners? Perfect. This Heaven Hotel belongs to the Lautners. Nancy, go fetch the manager. Let him verify if the Lautners have such a lady.”NôvelDrama.Org owns © this.
“The manager isn’t high-ranking enough. Find someone with the most authority at the Heaven Hotel,” Paige said coldly, her voice devoid of fear. With that, she turned and walked back into the venue.