Her gaze lightly swept across the crowd, and finally, she spotted Justin Kingston. That tall figure stood upright and slender, with Gigi and Dolly held in his hands, making her envious at the sight. He really is a great dad; it’s just a pity that she’s not the mom. The remnants of the sunset gradually disappeared over the horizon as night began to fall. The castle was illuminated with brilliant lights, and in the meticulously arranged large courtyard, string lights sparkled with an enchanting beauty. Fine wine, snacks, music, uniformly dressed servants, and guests in elegant attire engaged in lively conversation. This was destined to be a joyful and beautiful evening. Up until the adult ceremony came to a close with the emcee’s announcement, Monica Usher hadn’t seen the segment for the ring endorsement. She stood there dumbfounded, watching the guests leave, the good news she had heard earlier felt like a dream. As the night deepened, many guests left early. She watched as cars drove away from the castle one by one... Monica Usher grew anxious and uneasy, furrowing her brows and urgently looking around for someone. Finally, she lifted the hem of her dress and walked forward! When she arrived by the pool, she glanced at the two Filipino maids tidying up the dishes, the very people who had brought her the good news that afternoon. "Ms. Usher?" The maids greeted her proactively with a smile on their faces, "Why aren’t you dancing?" Nearby, some young people were dancing gracefully to the music. "You said this afternoon that Mr. Ed wanted me and CEO Kingston to endorse the ring. Why hasn’t this been scheduled yet? The guests have all left." She asked politely, though her heart was anxious. The two maids widened their eyes in surprise, then looked at each other. One of them apologized, "Sorry, we forgot to inform you that this was rejected by CEO Kingston, so the endorsement was canceled." "Rejected?" Monica Usher shivered, disbelief coursing through her, "Would he really reject Mr. Ed’s request?" "It’s not that he rejected the endorsement; he just refused to endorse it with you." The maid spoke frankly and felt it was inappropriate after she said it, but those two sentences explained the situation best. What followed was an awkward silence... "Ms. Usher, sorry, we need to get back to work now." The two maids packed up the wine glasses and snack trays before leaving. The cool night breeze brushed against Monica Usher, waking her from her stupor, her previously hopeful heart completely chilled. "Dolly, when you turn ten, Daddy will throw you a birthday party even grander than today’s!" Her legs felt heavy like lead. The familiar, deep voice of the man was carried by the wind into her ears. Monica Usher turned her head at the sound and saw, not far away, Justin Kingston squatting on the lawn, holding the little girl’s shoulders, his eyes filled with doting affection. Before Dolly could be moved, Gigi joined in, "Daddy! Why don’t I get one?!" Justin Kingston looked at him, "You’re a boy. This is a princess’s dream; in a girl’s childhood, some beautiful memories need to be left behind. This will be her lifelong confidence. Your sister is going to marry in the future; you’re different. You’re the future heir to Kingston Group. Birthday parties are not something Gigi cares about, right? Us men only need victory parties!" Gigi giggled and felt relieved, not thinking daddy was biased. "I want to marry a man like daddy when I grow up!" Dolly declared sincerely, "Is that okay?" "No, it’s not," Justin Kingston told her solemnly, "You should marry a man better than daddy." Every word pierced into Monica Usher’s ears like a thorn, each sharper than the last. Her heart was in agony, as if pierced by a thousand arrows, the memories of her youth, having loved this man since 11, now felt increasingly out of reach. Riventhal, Clearwater Bay. Mia Lane had just come out of the pharmaceutical research lab. She returned to her bedroom and glanced at herself in the mirror, her lips slightly bruised, her cheek a bit swollen. She opened the concealer in her hand. She needed to go back to Sunshine Village to get two types of herbs for making gastric medicine for Justin Kingston, which weren’t usually sold in pharmacies. She couldn’t let Jonah Woods see the injuries on her face, nor could she worry him. Her permanent tooth was loosened by a slap from Kristina Kingston, and the relentless pain in her mouth was torturous; it’s said that toothache isn’t a real illness, but it’s excruciating. Original content can be found at novelꜰire.net After going downstairs, Mia Lane calmly explained her intentions to Mary, "I’m not asking for permission, nor am I a prisoner. If she asks, just tell her." Having said that, she walked straight out of the living room. Watching the back that didn’t turn around, Mary was shocked. Ma’am wasn’t a pushover, she truly showed her edge just now!