The most important thing for affluent families is their offspring and bloodline. Among the four major families in Aethelgard, only the Rathborne family doesn’t have a son to inherit, and Yvonne has only given birth to a daughter, which has always been a regret for her. It’s often said that a mother’s status is elevated by having a son, and those socialite wives who can’t produce a son often find their position unstable. Yvonne also wants to give Julian Rathborne another son, but she can’t even see Julian, so who is she going to have a son with? Yvonne is a strong-willed person, just like her father, Old Man Knight. She values her dignity greatly and doesn’t want others to see through her current predicament, so she quickly smiled and said, "Having another son has always been part of Marcus’s and my plan. Thank you all for your concern." At this moment, Anabelle Rathborne pulled Hayden Crawford over, "Mommy, what are you all talking about here, having so much fun?" "Annette, we were just talking about how you’re soon going to have a little brother," someone teased. "Really?" Anabelle’s eyes lit up, "Mommy, you and Daddy should hurry and have a little brother for me. I just love little brothers!" Anabelle is different from other children. While other kids might not like having a brother for fear of losing their parents’ affection, Anabelle really wants a little brother. Her parents have long lived apart. She wishes for them to reconcile. These years, neither her grandmother nor her father had been warm to her. Although her mother bears the title of Mrs. Rathborne, she doesn’t manage the household or hold any real power, making Anabelle feel a strong sense of insecurity. She hopes her parents will reconcile and have a little brother, which would consolidate her position and interests. Yvonne lovingly tapped Anabelle on the forehead, "Annette, you should think about yourself instead. When are you and Hayden getting married? Having a son with Hayden sooner to add a firstborn heir to the Crawford family is the proper thing to do." Anabelle’s pretty face quickly turned red, and she even momentarily forgot about Hayden’s health issues. She shyly teased, "I know, Mommy~." The atmosphere was indeed harmonious, with Yvonne and Anabelle capturing everyone’s attention and being the focus of the entire event. At this moment, Old Mrs. Rathborne, who hadn’t spoken, pointed at the deep blue starry long gown Anabelle was wearing, and asked in surprise, "Annette, where did you get that dress?" "This dress," Anabelle twirled around like a little princess, lifting her skirt and smiling radiantly, "Grandmother, thank you for preparing this surprise for me. I really love this dress." Old Mrs. Rathborne, "..." At this moment, Nanny Lowell beside Old Mrs. Rathborne spoke up, "Miss Annette, you’ve got it wrong. This dress wasn’t prepared for you, and the dress you’re wearing is just... a fitting sample." Everybody knows that tailoring a custom gown involves many intricate steps, and samples need to be repeatedly tried. These fitting samples usually have flaws, and only when all the issues are resolved can the perfect final product be made. The dress Anabelle is wearing is nothing but a fitting sample! Anabelle stood frozen, looking at Old Mrs. Rathborne in disbelief, "What, Grandmother, you must be mistaken. How can I be wearing a fitting sample? And... this starry long gown wasn’t prepared for me? Who was it for then?" Yvonne’s face changed drastically, and she also looked at Old Mrs. Rathborne, "Mom, what... what exactly is going on?" At this moment, the door to the hall suddenly opened, and two figures boldly entered everyone’s view: Zane Crawford and Serena Sterling! In an instant, everyone’s gaze landed on these two, and when they saw the dress Serena was wearing, there was an audible intake of breath from the crowd. Serena was also wearing a starry long gown! Today, Serena wore the starry long gown sent by Old Mrs. Rathborne. The thin straps hung delicately on her smooth shoulders, revealing a large expanse of her creamy white skin and beautiful butterfly wing bones. This shade of deep blue looked extremely high-class, with hand-embellished sequins resembling twinkling stars in the night sky. With every step Serena took, the chiffon skirt billowed gracefully, enchanting all who beheld her. These upper-class socialites and aristocratic ladies, who are always in touch with luxury goods, originally thought the fitting sample Anabelle was wearing was beautiful. They hadn’t noticed the difference earlier, but now with Serena’s entrance and the clear comparison, everyone could see that the starry long gown on Serena was the genuine article! Indeed, Anabelle was wearing a fitting sample! Yvonne and Anabelle, upon seeing Serena, both instinctively widened their eyes with shock. How could they have imagined that Serena would also be wearing the starry long gown? The dress Serena wore was real, and the starry long gown from Old Mrs. Rathborne was mistakenly thought to be meant for Anabelle! Yvonne and Anabelle felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them, chilling them to the core, and all their anger, embarrassment, and shame surged in their hearts, leaving their minds completely blank. Hayden Crawford had been standing tall in the same spot all along, never getting involved in the Rathborne family’s matters. But when Serena appeared, his gaze fell on her and didn’t leave. Even though he knew this girl was pure and stunningly beautiful, Hayden couldn’t help but be amazed every time he saw her. At such moments, he had a clear understanding of himself. He too was a commoner, captivated by the most beautiful girl. However, Hayden’s gaze quickly shifted to Serena’s small hand. She had come as Zane Crawford’s date, her small hand affectionately resting on Zane’s strong arm. Seeing this, Hayden’s deep eyes narrowed slowly, revealing a dangerous gleam. At this moment, Old Mrs. Rathborne stepped forward, lovingly extending her hand, "Serena dear, you’ve finally come. Your grandmother has been waiting for you. Come over here to grandmother’s side." Having the Old Mrs. Rathborne call herself ’grandmother’ was something Serena was getting used to. She gracefully walked over, held the old lady’s hand, and sweetly said, "Old Mrs. Rathborne, happy birthday to you. May you have joy every day. I’ve prepared a birthday gift for you." Old Mrs. Rathborne’s eyes lit up and she immediately said eagerly, "Really? Serena dear, quickly bring out your gift so I can see what it is." Serena took out her gift, a pair of earmuffs she knitted herself. Now it was late autumn, soon to be winter. These earmuffs were fluffy and looked very warm. Moreover, Serena had nimble fingers. They were cat-ear earmuffs, complete with two adorable pink cat ears. "Old Mrs. Rathborne, since your notice was rather late, these cat-ear earmuffs are something I rushed to make in the past two days, so please don’t mind." New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on noⅴelfire.net