Chapter 883 Celebrating Her Birthday
The emotions in Heather’s eyes were incredibly complex. Her lips parted as though she wanted to say something. Yet, not a single word came out of her mouth.
As the early autumn wind blew in, both the women’s hair fluttered. They stood facing each other like two parasol trees.
Josie only halted for a moment before moving past her. When she walked by, Heather caught the scent of sandalwood on her.
She had also once smelled the same scent on Dexter.
“Why are you spacing out here, Leanne? Where’s Dex?” Claudia’s voice came from behind her, breaking the silence.
Mark and Claudia stood hand in hand at the end of the corridor, looking at her with great tenderness. Heather snapped back to reality and walked forward. “He’ll be here soon, I think.”
Meanwhile, Josie continued forging ahead without looking back.
Ultimately, that gentle call of “Leanne” was never meant for her.
When she returned to the main hall, the guests had gradually gathered in groups of two and three. Nonetheless, they were still exchanging pleasantries.
Morgan extricated himself from his conversation and walked over to Josie. “Where were you?”
“The restroom.”
As she said that, she arranged her hair to cover the bite mark left by Dexter, all the while subtly scanning her surroundings. Arnold was still there, but Summer was gone.
A plan formed in her mind.
“Here it comes! It’s starting!” Suddenly, there was a commotion around them.
Josie and Morgan both turned their attention to the stage. Mark had his cane in hand and a benevolent smile on his face. He spoke into the microphone, saying, “Thank you all for coming to support Liana today. As you all know, she’s the apple of my eye. I thank everyone here for giving her this courtesy.”
The speech revealed his identity and signified his respect for everyone present, evidence of his deep. affection for his daughter.
The guests below the stage burst into applause.
Josie clapped along feebly, her expression placid.
“Today is Leanne’s birthday. She’s turning twenty-four years old. Since she went missing, we hadn’t celebrated her birthday for many years. This year, we can finally fulfill our dream.” As Mark spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. “From now on, I will throw her a grand birthday celebration each year! There’ll be no more regrets!”
Below the stage, applause rang out once more.
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Morgan snickered. “Well, how grand.”
Josie couldn’t describe her feelings then. There was only a sense of numbness within her. It was as though. there was a hole in her heart in which the wind was relentlessly blowing.
Once Mark had finished speaking, Heather, who had been waiting quietly at the side, had already eked out. a few tears. She ran up and threw herself into his arms. “Thank you, Dad.”
Mark gently patted her on the head. Then, a staff member timely turned off the lights in the hall. Amidst. the darkness, someone wheeled a cake over, and a sweet rendition of “Happy Birthday” began playing.
Surprisingly, the person wheeling the cake over was Dexter.
He was still dressed in the same white shirt and black pants. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his solid muscles.
The seven or eight-tiered cake was lit with candles, creating a very warm and cozy atmosphere.
Everyone below the stage sang “Happy Birthday” in unison.
Josie didn’t bother opening her mouth. She clapped numbly in the darkness, a layer of frost blanketing
her eyes.
Heather has a powerful and influential fiancé, a well-to-do family, kind and gentle parents, a group of guests below the stage willing to pander to her, and the identity of the daughter of an elite family. How enviable and fanciful. Her hardships of the past two decades can all be forgotten. Is she happy now?
Heather looked at the cake in delight, clearly beyond happy.
She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes before the candles. She made a wish for a good while before finally blowing out the candles.
Subsequently, the lights were turned back on.
“What are you thinking about?” Morgan asked, stretching out a hand to shield her from the light.
