Old Mrs. Rathborne chuckled, "Why is it allowed for you all to come and celebrate Mr. Sterling’s birthday, but I’m not allowed to come?" The room erupted in surprise; Old Mrs. Rathborne had come to celebrate Mr. Sterling’s birthday! Old Mrs. Rathborne looked at Mr. Sterling and Iris, "Mr. Sterling, Mrs. Sterling, I came without an invitation, you won’t turn me away, will you?" Mr. Sterling and Iris exchanged a glance; they hadn’t expected Old Mrs. Rathborne to suddenly appear. The Sterling family was known for their underworld connections, though they held a position of power. Families in Aethelgard, who prided themselves on being aristocratic, generally disdained interacting with them. This was also why Serena Sterling couldn’t break into the elite social circles of Aethelgard. The Sterling family and the four major prestigious families in Aethelgard had never interacted, maintaining a peaceful distance. Today, with Old Mrs. Rathborne’s unexpected visit, everyone was shocked. However, since she was a guest, Mr. Sterling welcomed her with clasped hands, "Madam, welcome, welcome." Old Mrs. Rathborne smiled warmly as she had a gift presented, then her gaze fell on Serena Sterling, and she eagerly rushed over, "Little fairy, I’m here!" "..." Serena quickly reached out to support Old Mrs. Rathborne’s arm, "Old Mrs. Rathborne, why are you here?" Old Mrs. Rathborne looked Serena up and down lovingly, "It’s been four months, and my little fairy has grown more and more ethereal. I asked you, why didn’t you come to see me when you came to Aethelgard? Since you didn’t visit me, I had to come to visit you." Everyone’s eyes widened; they couldn’t believe it. What was the relationship between Old Mrs. Rathborne and Serena Sterling? They realized that Old Mrs. Rathborne was here for Serena Sterling. What was going on? The Rathborne family was a prestigious family in Aethelgard, known to be as wealthy as a nation. The current head of the Rathborne family was Old Mrs. Rathborne’s son, Julian Rathborne. Whenever the Rathborne family made a move, it would be a barometer for the elite community. Now, as Old Mrs. Rathborne affectionately held Serena Sterling’s hand, calling her ’little fairy,’ everyone’s perception of Serena began to change. Mr. Sterling and Iris were stunned. Iris quickly spoke, "Serena, are you acquainted with Old Mrs. Rathborne?" Old Mrs. Rathborne gently smiled at Iris, "Mrs. Sterling, today is Mr. Sterling’s fiftieth birthday, a joyous occasion. Are you interested in an even greater joy?" "Madam, what do you mean by that?" Old Mrs. Rathborne immediately took Iris’s hand, eagerly chuckling, "Mrs. Sterling, you’ve truly raised a wonderful daughter. I adore Serena. I want to recognize her as my granddaughter. You and Mr. Sterling wouldn’t oppose, would you?" Mr. Sterling and Iris were caught off guard. They hadn’t expected Old Mrs. Rathborne to claim Serena as her granddaughter, which meant they suddenly gained a "mother!" The guests collectively gasped, unable to believe their ears. Old Mrs. Rathborne wanted to recognize Serena Sterling as her granddaughter? Someone quickly spoke up, "Madam, a few days ago at the Rathburke engagement party, you mentioned wanting to recognize a ’little fairy’ as your granddaughter. Is that ’little fairy’ Serena Sterling?" Old Mrs. Rathborne nodded, "Exactly!" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net The socialites of Aethelgard were stunned and took a long time to recover. They’d intended to laugh at Serena Sterling, but now they found it was Old Mrs. Rathborne who dropped in to claim Serena as her granddaughter? What was happening? What kind of magic had Serena cast on Old Mrs. Rathborne? Was Serena going to take on the Rathborne name? Had she soared to a higher social status? Did Annette know about this? The socialites quickly recorded a short video and sent it to Anabelle Rathborne. Anabelle was still with Aurora at the time. She opened the video, nearly spewing the juice in her mouth. "Annette, what happened? What kind of trouble has Serena Sterling stirred up now?" Aurora took the phone to look, and her expression changed dramatically when she saw Old Mrs. Rathborne. Aurora jumped up immediately, "Annette, your grandmother went to Serena Sterling? And the granddaughter she wanted to recognize is Serena Sterling?" This news was a bombshell for Anabelle and Aurora, crashing their euphoric moment instantly. They never expected the person to be Serena Sterling! Anabelle turned pale, eyes filled with wronged jealousy and resentment, "Ever since I was a child, grandmother seemed not to like me nor was close to me, which I endured. But now, inexplicably, she’s elevating Serena Sterling, my rival, and bringing her home to share my glory!" Aurora was equally furious, grinding her teeth, "Annette, recognizing Serena as her granddaughter must not happen. We cannot let Serena enter the Rathborne family. Don’t worry, the entire Knight family stands with you. Your grandfather and mother will take your side; they’ll definitely stop your grandmother!" Anabelle’s mother was the eldest daughter of the Knight family, the biological daughter of Old Man Knight, and Aurora’s aunt. Old Mrs. Rathborne had one son and one daughter. Her son, Julian Rathborne, was the world’s richest man, married to the daughter of the Knight family, while her daughter married into the Burke family, having a son named Shaun Spencer. Thus, the interests between the Rathborne, Burke, and Knight families were deeply intertwined, all through marriage alliances. Anabelle’s eyes burned with intense anger. She wouldn’t allow Serena to enter the house. She had always hoped for her parents’ reconciliation. If her mother knew about this, she would certainly confront grandmother, unraveling everything! Mr. Sterling and Iris were momentarily indecisive due to the suddenness, but Serena was clear-minded. Although she hadn’t asked, she could roughly guess Annette was Old Mrs. Rathborne’s granddaughter. Given her antagonistic relationship with Annette, it would only put Old Mrs. Rathborne in a difficult position. Serena smiled gently, "Thank you for your favor, Old Mrs. Rathborne, but I haven’t considered recognizing a grandmother, so let’s leave it for later." Old Mrs. Rathborne wasn’t surprised by Serena’s response, nor did she want to force her, "Little fairy, think about it. Recognizing me as your grandmother couldn’t be wrong; there are many benefits. Anyway, from today, I’ve already considered you my granddaughter. If anyone dares to bully you, let grandmother know, and she’ll handle it for you!" Everyone watched Old Mrs. Rathborne unreservedly claim the title of "grandmother"! Just then, another subordinate rushed in hastily, "Master, madam, something’s happening outside. More people have arrived!" Mr. Sterling was about to step forward when Old Mrs. Rathborne moved first, scolding the subordinate, "Why the panic? Stand straight and speak clearly!"