It was seven o''clock in the evening.


    The party had officially begun. The melodious music from the string quartet ying at the corner gradually quieted down as the head of the Ye family entered the banquet hall with his wife on his arm. As the spotlight followed the esteemed couple across the hall that smelled like fresh roses and champagne, everyone apuded. Cameras shed everywhere like striking lightning. Howard took a sidelong nce at his lovely wife, thinking that he was right where he wanted to be.


    Gently ushering his Julie, Howard ascended the steps up on the high tform set up on one side of the banquet hall. From where he stood, he could see the entire hall and the garden beyond. At the moment, he was looking at everybody who was anybody in the city. The rich, the famous, and the powerful filled up the room nicely, and Howard was standing over all of them.


    He began his opening remarks before the party went full swing. Atst, he said, "Thank you for attending my daughter''s twenty-fourth birthday party. I hope you all enjoy yourselves tonight. Here''s to all of you and my lovely daughter." Howard raised the ss of champagne that Julie handed him and proposed a toast.


    The guests raised their sses in turn, ncing and smiling at one another, and took a sip of their champagne.


    Stepping


    eart. She was so happy that she jumped right to naming her and Noah''s unborn children.


    At the party, Dora smiled and told Chester, "Vivian is going to be our aunt. Isn''t that exciting?"


    "She won''t," Chester answered tly.


    "Why not? There are so many people here tonight because Uncle John will propose to Vivian." The engagement was not exactly advertised in the invites, but everyone thought something more was going to happen tonight.


    The party was too grand to be just a birthday party. It had to be something more, and everyone expected it to be a spectacle of John''s marriage proposal to Vivian.


    Without saying another word, Chester looked around but did not find John. Instead, he saw Nina who was being followed around by a snow-white Tibetan Mastiff. She looked like she was looking for someone.


    "Are you cold?" Chester asked out of the blue. The sudden question confused Dora.


    "No, I''m not. I mean, I don''t mind the cold. I just want to look beautiful," she answered. Before Chester could speak again, Dora did a twirl in her pretty little dress and said, "There are three dresses in this series, and I saw ady earlier wearing one of them. I wonder where she has gone."


    "I know where she is." Chester walked through the crowd to the door where Nina was standing.


    "Aunt Nina," he called naturally.