Chapter 135
Chapter 133
Chapter 133
Kevin didn’t dare bring up the fact that Alicia was upset and talking about cutting ties, which was why she skipped the family dinner.
He smiled and said, “She’s probably busy picking out your birthday gift.
“That’s why she couldn’t make it back in time p>
Kevin thought, ‘Ally said she was going to surprise Dad with a special present, so she’s definitely putting her heart into it p>
Leo’s expression finally softened when he heard that.
But Leo just sighed, “She’s always coming up with these little ideas.
“I’m curious to see what kind of surprise she’ll come up with this time p>
After that, everyone else at the table ate quietly, each preoccupied with their own thoughts–except for Leo, who seemed to be in a much better mood.
Three days later, the Hammond family estate was bustling with activity.
It was Leo’s birthday banquet, and guests started arriving in the afternoon.
Every year, his birthday banquet was held at the Hammond family’s old mansion.
The place was huge, with a massive open lawn out back.
Right now, tables were set up everywhere, and dinner was going to be a buffet.
After dinner, there’d be a cocktail party, giving everyone a chance to mingle and catch up.
It was almost time for dinner.
Austin spotted Kevin greeting guests.
“Hey, Kevin, Ally’s still not here,” Austin said.
Kevin frowned. “It’s getting late. Where is she p>
“See if you can reach her,” he added.
Austin said, “I tried already.
“I even called her from a different phone, but her number’s been disconnected.
“I tried messaging her on WhatsApp, but she didn’t respond.
“I even asked some of her old friends to reach out, but she didn’t reply to any of them p>
He looked worried. “Kevin, do you think Ally might not show up today p>
Kevin’s frown deepened. “No way. Didn’t she say she’d get something special for Dad?
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Chapter 133
“Let’s just wait a bit longer. She might be caught up in traffic or something p>
Austin nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. There’s no way she’d skip Dad’s birthday banquet p>
There were a lot of guests today, and plenty of them had their families with them.
Leo and Mavis were personally greeting some old friends.
The three Hammond brothers and Nicole were busy welcoming the other guests.
Out on the lawn, people were mingling, champagne glasses in hand.
“Hey, where’s Alicia today?” someone asked.
“Something feels missing today. Turns out Alicia isn’t here to help greet everyone,” another person chimed
“Seriously, she’s not here? Wasn’t she always the one running the show for Leo Hammond’s birthday every year?” someone else said.
“Maybe she’s caught up with something else,” someone suggested.
“Wait, haven’t you heard? Alicia’s talking about cutting ties with the Hammond family p>
“Yeah, I heard, but she’s probably just making a fuss p>
“Come on, she’d never really walk away from the Hammonds.
“Word is, she actually means it this time p>
“Seriously? What else do you know? Come on, give us the scoop p>
“My mom’s pretty close with Mrs. Conrad, and she heard a lot from her. Turns out Alicia’s only thinking about cutting ties because she’s been forced into it. All these years…” someone whispered.
Vivian Conrad was Diana’s sister.
After meeting with Alicia that day, she just couldn’t keep it to herself and ended up sharing what Alicia confided in her with her circle of friends.
And before long, word got around to pretty much everyone.
“Wait, Alicia’s really had such a tough time these past years?” someone gasped.
“My mom says Alicia’s stepmom acts all nice, but she’s actually really cruel,” another person whispered.
“Guess when you get a stepmom, your real dad changes too,” someone else chimed in.
“It’s not just the dad. Aren’t the Hammond brothers all about their new sister now? Even her brothers act like they’re just her stepsister’s family,” someone added.
“If things are really like that, is Alicia even gonna show up today?” someone wondered.
“Theard she really cares about Leo. No matter what, she’d definitely show up p>
08:51 Sat, May 9 NO
Chapter 138
“But if she’s actually serious about cutting ties, she might not come at all p>
Everyone in the younger crowd was wondering if Alicia would actually show up or not.
Today, both Diana and Vivian showed up.
Vivian was busy telling everyone that once you get a stepmom, your real dad starts acting like a stranger
too.
She couldn’t help but complain about how Nicole was eyeing her sister’s childhood friend.
She kept stirring the pot between Alicia and her nephew, making sure they ended up on bad terms.
She even pulled up Nicole’s secret X account and showed it off to everyone.
After seeing it, everyone was just like, wow, speechless.
Nicole’s got guts, growing up in the Hammond family and still acting like that.
You could totally tell from her X posts that whenever she and Alicia clashed and Nicolas backed her up, she was over the moon.
She was often pretty smug about it.
She always claimed she could only have a secret crush on him since he was her sister’s childhood friend.
But in reality, she kept trying to drive a wedge between the two of them–it was clear she wanted to snatch him for herself.
She was just playing the victim and acting all innocent while scheming behind the scenes.
These high society women had seen plenty of girls like her before.
Some of the young guys and girls who tagged along with the ladies took a look at Nicole’s X account too.
Then they headed over to the younger crowd, opened up Nicole’s secret X account on their phones, and started roasting her in front of everyone.
It didn’t take long before the whole party was buzzing about it.
So when Nicolas and Maxwell walked in together, they were instantly greeted with playful teasing and amused glances, as if everyone was waiting for some juicy drama to unfold.
One of Nicolas’s buddies even strolled over and laughed, “Nicolas, you lucky dog p>
Nicolas looked genuinely confused, “What are you talking about p>
The guy shot him a wink. “Come on, you grew up as the older sister’s childhood friend, and now the younger one’s totally head over heels for you. Man, you’re about to have it all–two beauties fighting over you p>
Nicolas was speechless.
Enjoy it? Yeah, right. This whole mess is driving me crazy.
08:51 Sat, May 9 O
Chapter 188
Wait, how does he even know about this?‘ Nicolas wondered.
He couldn’t help but ask. “Who told you that p>
The guy replied. “Everyone’s talking about it. We even checked out Nicole’s secret X account.
AD
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.