“Ow!” Betty winced, nearly falling backward.


    “Lauren.” Landon stood before Lauren, gazing lovingly at her as she blushed.


    “You look beautiful tonight.”


    “Huh?” Lauren mumbled, her heart pounding in her chest.


    “It’s so boring here. Do you want to go somewhere with me?” Landon extended his hand to her.


    “Go where?”


    “Wherever you want. Just name it, and I’ll take you there.” Sincerity filled Landon’s eyes.


    For some reason, Lauren wanted to cry.


    She had always been the slowest yet most obedient child in her family. She never learned what it was


    like


    to be doted on or have what she wanted fulfilled. This was a first for her.


    “I… I want to find Alyssa and my brother,” she mumbled, her voice small.


    “Alright. I’ll take you to them.” Landon held her hand and turned to leave with her.


    The hall was dead silent.


    When the two reached the entrance, Landon stopped in his tracks suddenly, nearly making Lauren


    m


    right into his back.


    He turned around and nodded respectfully to Javier before leaving with Lauren.


    This made Javier’s eyes widen.


    He had been annoyed with how rude Landon was, taking his daughter away like that, yet Landon had


    just paid his due respects to him. With that, Javier couldn’t help but grow fonder of Landon.


    “What do we do, Mom? What do we do?” Betty cried, holding onto her mother’s arm.


    “How could Landon just take her away like that? Isn’t he intentionally provoking you now? You can’t let


    Lauren leave with him! Get him toe back!”


    “Get him toe back? Why would I do that?” Sophia flung her daughter’s hand away, her eyesced


    with


    a disdain that used to only be meant for Lauren.


    “My birthday party is already ruined. What does it matter whether your sister is here or not?


    “Plus, why would I want her toe back? Can’t you see how devoted Landon is to her? He looks at


    her just the way your father used to look at me. So you better give up all those silly ideas of yours and


    stay


    out of your sister’s way!”


    Betty’s heart sank into a dark abyss. She gritted her teeth in anger.


    Sophia downed a ss of champagne, growling. “Do you think I’m just going to give up. Alyssa Taylor?


    I’m not going to let you ruin my night any further!”


    Outside the ballroom, Betty walked to a less-crowded area before calling Zoe. It only went through after


    several rings.


    “Hmph. You got some balls for calling me,” Zoe said over the phone, her voiceced with irritation.


    Though Betty hated Zoe for having used her before, the saying that her enemy’s enemy was her friend


    couldn’t be more applicable now. Betty needed Zoe’s help to deal with Lauren once and for all.


    So sheposed herself and said sternly, “I’m not in the mood to argue. I bet you’ll feel the same way


    after you hear about what happened earlier tonight.”N?velDrama.Org owns this.