Chapter 160
Chapter 160:
It wasn’t entirely unexpected to see him here. Given his status and influence, an invitation to the Sugden family’s event made perfect sense.
Yelena inclined her head gracefully. “Yes, I’m here to offer my birthday wishes to Mr. Sugden p>
Austin’s lips curved into a subtle smile. “Same here,” he replied, his tone smooth and composed.
Attending this event hadn’t been his plan, but Alexander Sugden, Humphrey’s eldest grandson and a close friend of Austin’s, had insisted.
Reluctantly, Austin had agreed. Now, as his gaze lingered on Yelena, his earlier hesitation felt misplaced—her presence added an unexpected spark to the evening.
Meanwhile, their exchange was being witnessed by Humphrey himself.
As one of the honored guests of the evening, Austin had naturally caught his eye. What piqued Humphrey’s curiosity, however, was the young lady Austin was speaking to. Who was she?
“Austin! You made it!” Humphrey’s voice boomed across the hall.
“Mr. Sugden, wishing you a very happy birthday,” Austin said warmly, inclining his head respectfully.
“Thank you, lad,” Humphrey replied with a broad smile before turning his attention to Yelena. “And who is this charming young lady p>
With poise and a polished demeanor, Yelena stepped forward. “Mr. Sugden, I’m Yelena from the Harris family. Wishing you a wonderful birthday filled with joy and good health p>
Humphrey’s face brightened further, his eyes twinkling. “Ah, thank you! What a spirited and delightful young woman p>
Yelena opened her mouth to respond, but a sharp, intrusive voice sliced through the air. “Yelena, why don’t you show Mr. Sugden the gift you brought? Let’s see if it lives up to his expectations p>
Find what you love at gⱯlnσν𝓮𝓁s․𝒸𝗼𝗺
Herself
As soon as Bella spotted Yelena chatting with Austin, she rushed over, her eyes locked on Yelena the entire time.
When Bella casually brought up the gift, Yelena met her eyes with a soft smile. “What’s the rush, Bella? You seem awfully interested. Got something on your mind p>
Bella paused for a moment, a flicker of guilt crossing her face. “You’re overthinking it. Cayson asked you to bring the gift for him, and I was just giving you a little reminder. That’s all there is to it p>
Yelena eyed Bella carefully, her once-easy expression turning razor-sharp. The truth was dawning on her.
No need for further investigation—it was clear as day that Bella had been the one who had meddled with the gift.
If this had been a harmless prank, Yelena might have let it slide. But this was a big deal, and Bella had definitely crossed a line.
Yelena couldn’t let something like this slide. If she had gone ahead and presented the switched gift—if she hadn’t tripped earlier—she couldn’t even begin to imagine how she’d face Humphrey and the entire Sugden family.
“Thanks for the reminder,” Yelena said, her tone colder than ice.
Humphrey, who’d been listening in, couldn’t help but perk up. “Wait, really? Did Cayson get me a gift p>
His face lit up with excitement. He’d heard whispers that Cayson had spent a small fortune on one of Oaklyn’s calligraphy pieces. Humphrey had wanted it for himself but had been beaten to the punch.